Former Notre Dame players were all over the NFL in Week 6, turning in a mix of big defensive stops, first-time scoring plays and steady production on both sides of the ball.
The week began on Thursday night in Denver, where Seattle’s Julian Love helped the Seahawks defense with three tackles and a pass defensed. Jadarian Price was placed on IR with a chest injury. On the other sideline, Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey was part of an offense that ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns in Denver’s 17-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champs.
Sunday’s early games kept the Notre Dame theme rolling. In London, the Texans topped the Jaguars 34-31, with Houston right tackle Blake Fisher and Jacksonville center Robert Hainsey both taking part in the shootout.
Later in Atlanta, former Irish safety Xavier Watts posted four tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss for the Bears, while tight end Cole Kmet caught two passes in Chicago’s 31-23 win. Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees also helped spark a 16-point fourth-quarter comeback that made the finish far tighter than it looked for most of the afternoon.
Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton kept stacking up big numbers, finishing with seven tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss. In Cleveland, Browns running back Audric Estime scored the first touchdown of his career with the team, finishing with 19 rushing yards and that trip to the end zone. Carolina tight end Tommy Tremble was one of the day’s most efficient weapons as well, hauling in four catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 25-14 road win over the Eagles.
The late window nearly set up a running back matchup between two former South Bend standouts, but Cardinals back Jeremiyah Love was inactive against the Rams. Kyren Williams still got his work done for Los Angeles, finishing with 50 rushing yards on 10 carries and 17 receiving yards, though the Rams came up short in Arizona’s 18-16 win in LA.
Kansas City’s game against the Chargers delivered one of the afternoon’s sharper defensive moments from a former Irish player. Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquil finished with seven tackles, good for second on the team, while Chargers cornerback Cam Hart picked off Patrick Mahomes in the red zone. Hart added four tackles and a pass defensed to go with the interception.
The Raiders also got a strong outing from one of Notre Dame’s former pass catchers. Michael Mayer led Las Vegas with seven receptions for 95 yards in a 33-30 loss to Buffalo, finishing just three yards shy of the team lead in receiving yards.
And there’s still one more Notre Dame name on deck. Defensive end Khalid Kareem and the 49ers are set to host the Commanders on Monday Night Football at 8:15 PM.
In Other News...
Rece Davis Turns BYU Win Into Bigger Officiating Fight
The aftermath of Notre Dames loss to BYU has stretched beyond the scoreboard, with Rece Davis adding his voice to the growing frustration over how the game ended. A clock error denied the Irish one final play, and the Big 12 later acknowledged that one second remained when the last snap was over, setting off a review of the replay officiating process. For Notre Dame, it was the kind of finish that leaves little room for consolation, especially when the final sequence becomes part of the larger story.
Davis also widened the lens beyond one controversial ending, tying the officiating discussion to the bigger argument around College Football Playoff expansion. For a program trying to navigate every high-stakes detail of a season, the point is bigger than a single mistake or a single game. It is about how much room there should be in the sport for missed calls, replay review and the possibility that one late officiating issue can shape not just a result, but the broader conversation around the postseason itself. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Still Can't Ignore How The BYU Finish Unfolded
The ripple effects from Notre Dames loss at BYU are still hanging around the program, and not just because it was a tight game on the road. The Irish had been in the thick of the national picture, so the defeat carried real weight in the latest AP Top 25, even as the debate around how the finish played out never really faded for fans who watched it unfold.
For Notre Dame, it has been a frustrating stretch of reminders that little margins can reshape a season in a hurry. The football loss landed on the same weekend the mens basketball team dropped an exhibition game to Dayton, with Ethan Roberts leading the Irish in scoring, so there has been no shortage of reasons for supporters to keep looking for a cleaner break in the action. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Is Suddenly Facing A Ranking Moment Fans Havent Seen In Years
Miamis unbeaten start just became a lot more meaningful after its 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State, and the ripple effect around the AP Top 25 was hard to miss. With Georgia and Notre Dame both losing on the same weekend, the Hurricanes moved into position as the highest-ranked unbeaten team, putting them squarely in the conversation at the top of the poll after a night that also featured strong showings from quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney.
For a program with that kind of history, the chance to climb back into the No. 1 discussion carries a different weight than it would for almost anyone else. Miamis last AP No. 1 ranking came on Dec. 8, 2002, so this is the kind of ranking moment that longtime fans have been waiting years to see again, even as the exact order at the top of the poll still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]