Week 8 brought a little bit of everything for former Oregon Ducks in the NFL: a statement win, a division lead, and another rough chapter in a season that keeps sliding for the Chargers.
The biggest headline belonged to Bucky Irving and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In a 16-0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay made history by becoming the first team since 1974 to not complete a pass in a game. Even with that odd offensive day, Irving powered the Buccaneers with a season-high 170 rushing yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.
It was the kind of performance that has defined Irving’s season. With Tampa Bay’s offense struggling under quarterback Baker Mayfield, the former Oregon back has become the team’s most reliable weapon.
Through seven games, Irving has piled up 728 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and the Buccaneers sit at 3-5 after the shutout win over the Broncos. They’re now a half-game behind the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South, still very much in the race to take back the division after falling short last season.
Bo Nix also had a weekend worth celebrating. The former Ducks quarterback helped push the Denver Broncos into first place in the AFC West with a 28-24 home win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver sealed it with a goal-line stand in the final seconds, moving to 6-2 and handing the Chiefs a tough loss in a tight divisional race.
Nix led the Broncos’ offense with 222 yards and two touchdowns, finishing 20 of 32 through the air. For a team that has taken criticism this season, the win over Kansas City was a strong reminder that Denver remains a real factor in the AFC with Nix running the show.
On the other side of the ledger, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers keep sinking. The Chargers dropped to 0-7 after a 24-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and Herbert’s night was another frustrating one. He threw two interceptions, lost a fumble, and finished with 257 passing yards on 24 of 32 attempts.
Herbert has now thrown an interception in every game he’s played this season, and the two picks against the Rams pushed him to 10 interceptions on the year. What started as a season with Super Bowl expectations has turned into the league’s lone winless record.
The Chargers will try to stop the slide at home next Sunday against the Houston Texans, still searching for their first victory of the season.
In Other News...
Na'eem Offord Gets His Biggest Oregon Test Yet Against Ohio State
After the win over Northwestern, Oregons attention turns quickly to a far bigger measuring stick: an 11th-ranked Ohio State team that will bring plenty of national attention and a familiar storyline with it. Cornerback Na'eem Offord sits right at the center of it, not just because of the matchup, but because he was once an Ohio State recruit before flipping to Oregon and becoming one of the more interesting figures on this weeks radar.
For Ducks fans, it adds another layer to a game that already carries weight. Offord now gets a chance to show what he can do against the program that once wanted him, and hell be doing it against an Ohio State offense that is missing key players. However the matchup plays out, it gives Oregon one of its most intriguing individual tests of the season and a spotlight moment for a defender whose path to Eugene already made him a talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Bucky Irving Just Gave Oregon Fans Another Reason To Dream
Bucky Irving keeps giving Oregon fans plenty to track on Sundays, and his latest outing was the kind that turns heads far beyond Tampa Bay. In a 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the former Ducks standout carried the offense in a way that felt almost old-school, piling up career highs with 27 carries and 170 rushing yards while finding the end zone once.
The Buccaneers also made franchise history with 323 rushing yards, and they did it in a game where they did not complete a pass, a rare feat in the Super Bowl era. For Irving, it was another sign that his rookie-to-second-year surge is real, with his season now on pace to be his best yet as he continues to build a reputation as one of the leagues most reliable young backs. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Into Ohio State With A Worry Fans Cant Ignore
Oregon got past Northwestern, but the win came with the kind of injury fallout that can linger into a much bigger week. The Ducks took hits at running back and on special teams, with Jordon Davison leaving with a leg injury, Dierre Hill Jr. getting banged up and returner Dakorien Moore also dealing with an issue as the team turned its attention to Ohio State.
Dan Lanning said Davison will need further evaluation, while Hill is still being described as a little banged up. Moore, though, is expected to be ready for the Buckeyes, and Jeremiah McClellan is back practicing as he works his way back from a broken foot. Even with some encouraging signs, Oregons depth is about to be tested in a game where every healthy body matters. [Read more 🡒]