Week eight brought a little bit of everything for former Huskers in the NFL, including two rookies who found the end zone.
Emmett Johnson turned in the biggest stat line of the bunch, while Nate Boerkircher also scored in Jacksonville’s win. Elsewhere, Ameer Abdullah chipped in for the Jaguars, Maliek Collins logged a busy afternoon for Cleveland, and Cam Taylor-Britt landed on injured reserve.
Johnson’s day in Kansas City was the kind that jumps off the page. He opened with a 73-yard touchdown catch in the first half and finished the Chiefs’ loss to Denver with one carry for 15 yards and five receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown.
He also ripped off a 44-yard kickoff return that nearly set up Kansas City’s final drive, and he added a tackle on special teams. Johnson played 13 offensive snaps and nine on special teams.
Boerkircher made his lone catch count. Starting at tight end for Jacksonville, he hauled in a 31-yard touchdown in the Jaguars’ win over the Colts. He finished with one reception for 31 yards, while playing 26 offensive snaps and one snap on special teams.
Abdullah contributed in multiple phases during Jacksonville’s victory as well. He carried six times for 13 yards and returned one kickoff for 24 yards. He was on the field for nine offensive snaps and 12 special teams snaps.
In Cleveland’s loss to Pittsburgh, Collins started at defensive tackle and recorded four tackles, including one for loss. He played 26 defensive snaps and four on special teams.
Taylor-Britt was placed on injured reserve by the Colts because of a groin injury, which will keep him out for at least the next four games.
Cam Jurgens started at center in Baltimore’s loss to Buffalo and was on the field for 51 snaps.
Thomas Fidone’s Giants were on a bye in week eight, and Luke Gifford’s 49ers also did not play.
Ty Robinson was listed with the Eagles, but no game action was noted in the source.
In Other News...
Nebraska Just Made A Special Teams Change Fans Were Waiting For
Nebraska made a notable special teams switch this week, turning to John Hohl as the new place-kicker after Kyle Cunanan struggled with missed field goals in recent games. It is the kind of midseason adjustment that tends to draw immediate attention, especially for a team trying to clean up the small mistakes that can swing Big Ten games.
Elsewhere on the staff side, offensive coordinators Dana Holgorsen and Geep Wade will be coaching from the booth, while Lonnie Teasley stays on the sideline. And on the recruiting front, Nebraska is also in a strong position with four-star tight end Israel Johnigan, who has already visited campus and picked up offers from other programs, giving the Huskers another storyline to watch as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Friday Night Chance To Change The Season Mood
Nebraska has spent enough recent seasons chasing a better feeling to know how quickly one good night can change the conversation. Under Matt Rhule in 2023, the Cornhuskers found one of those moments at Illinois, a road win that briefly reset the tone around the program and showed how much a single result can matter when the margins are thin and the expectations are heavy.
Now the calendar has circled back to another Friday night meeting with the Illini in 2026, a matchup that carries both history and a little extra attention because of where Nebraska wants to go next. The series has been tight enough to keep interest high, and the game will be in the spotlight on broadcast TV, with players like tight end Luke Lindenmeyer and defensive back Donovan Jones part of the broader picture as Nebraska keeps trying to turn isolated bright spots into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Can Pile On As Nebraska Faces Another Late-Game Test
Nebraska keeps finding itself in the same uncomfortable spot, with a lead in the fourth quarter and no way to protect it. After three straight losses in which the Cornhuskers were ahead late, the next chance to reset comes against Illinois, a game that carries real weight for both teams with bowl eligibility on the line. Matt Rhule has stressed steadiness, and that message has become impossible to ignore as Nebraska tries to turn solid overall play into a finish it can actually trust.
The defense has generally done enough to keep the Cornhuskers in games, but the fourth quarter has been the problem area, and Illinois will be looking to press that weakness again. With the records so close and the stakes so clear, this feels less like a midseason checkpoint than another test of whether Nebraska can close out a game when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]