Week 2 gave a little bit of everything for former Oregon Ducks in the NFL: Marcus Mariota stepping in as a starter, Bo Nix answering a rough opener with a sharp bounce-back, Jevon Holland wrecking possessions in Los Angeles, and a handful of rookies finding real roles early.
Mariota’s turn came in Dallas, where the Commanders fell 37-20 to the Cowboys after Jayden Daniels went down with a dislocated elbow. Mariota completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and threw a 20-yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs.
Daniels’ return timeline was unknown, and Mariota will start next week at home against Seattle. Washington also had Josh Conerly Jr. at right tackle, and he played all 71 offensive snaps.
Offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius was inactive.
Nix had one of the cleaner stat lines of the weekend in Denver. He went 22 of 31 for 288 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the Broncos moved to 1-1.
Rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon was right in the middle of it, starting at left guard and playing all 59 snaps. Troy Franklin chipped in with one catch for 27 yards on 13 snaps.
Alex Forsyth logged four special teams snaps, while Calvin Throckmorton remained on the practice squad and Jabbar Muhammad is also on the practice squad.
A few former Ducks made their mark on defense. Holland was everywhere for the Giants in a losing effort in Los Angeles, piling up eight tackles, intercepting a pass, forcing two fumbles and recovering one.
Kayvon Thibodeaux played but did not record a statistic. In Chicago, rookie safety Dillon Thieneman started and tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including three solo stops, while adding a pass defended across all 53 snaps.
Christian Gonzalez was just as busy for New England, finishing with four tackles, three solo, and two passes defended.
There was more production from the front seven and secondary elsewhere. Evan Williams started for Green Bay and put together a strong all-around game with eight tackles, seven of them solo, plus a tackle for loss, a quarterback hurry, two passes defended and two assisted special teams tackles. Jordan Burch didn’t start for Arizona, but he still got on the stat sheet with three tackles on defense, one solo, along with a solo special teams tackle.
The Chargers had a rough night, but rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher still contributed on Sunday night with four tackles - two solo on defense and one assisted tackle on special teams. Tight end Pharaoh Brown is on the practice squad.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Bucky Irving started for Tampa Bay and rushed for 89 yards on 17 carries. Tez Johnson caught one pass for 49 yards and also returned two punts for 14 yards, with a long of nine.
On the defensive side, Jamaree Caldwell recorded two assisted tackles in 35 snaps, and Troy Dye added five tackles, three solo, plus a tackle for loss in 15 snaps. Rookie offensive lineman Alex Harkey was inactive, while Nikko Reed and Patrick Herbert are on the practice squad.
Rookie offensive lineman Isaiah World is on injured reserve.
The 49ers stayed unbeaten, and Deommodore Lenoir was part of that effort with four tackles. Jordan James logged four carries for 15 yards in eight snaps. The Texans’ rookie running back Noah Whittington and third-year linebacker Jamal Hill are on the practice squad.
On Thursday night, Penei Sewell started and played all 65 offensive snaps for Detroit in Buffalo. The Bills have no former Ducks on their roster.
Several other teams with no former Ducks were listed as well, including the Vikings, Seahawks, Titans, Bengals, Ravens and Panthers.
In Other News...
Oregon Just Lost A Receiver Its Passing Game Really Needed
Jeremiah McClellans foot injury landed at an especially awkward moment for Oregon, which had been counting on its starting wide receiver to help stabilize the passing game. The setback happened during warmups before the game against Portland State, and head coach Dan Lanning later confirmed McClellan broke his foot and will be out indefinitely. For a Ducks offense still trying to find its rhythm, losing a key perimeter target this early changes the picture quickly.
Oregon has already started leaning on other options to absorb the extra workload, with Messiah Hampton and Iverson Hooks among the receivers getting chances to step up. That creates an immediate test for the depth of the room and for how well the Ducks can keep the passing game on schedule without one of its more important pieces. How quickly the new rotation settles in may end up shaping the next stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Had A Strong Answer For Oregon Blowout Critics
Dan Lanning spent part of this week trying to put Oregons lopsided win over Portland State in context, and his explanation was straightforward: the Ducks were willing to shorten the second half to 10-minute quarters, but Portland State declined. Once the game continued, Oregon kept its starters out after halftime and turned the rest of the afternoon over to backup players, giving them a chance to get meaningful game experience in a game that was never in doubt.
There was still a human side to the blowout beyond the score itself. For some Ducks, including Akili Smith Jr. and Brady Bidwell, the matchup carried personal moments that mattered inside a game otherwise defined by the criticism around the margin. That is the part Lanning seemed intent on emphasizing, even as the outside conversation kept circling back to how much running up the score really happened. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Early Transfer Returns Are Raising One Uncomfortable Question
Through the first three games, Oregons transfer-portal haul has looked less like a roster overhaul and more like a mixed bag wrapped into a team that has leaned heavily on returners and younger players. The Ducks brought in help with clear expectations, but the early returns have varied from player to player, with some settling into useful roles and others still searching for a real foothold in the rotation.
For a program that has used the portal as part of its roster-building plan, the uncomfortable question is whether the additions have actually changed the shape of this team enough. Oregon has gotten more dependable production from familiar faces than from its new arrivals, and the next stretch will tell whether that is just an early-season snapshot or a sign that the Ducks may need more from the transfer class to match their bigger ambitions. [Read more 🡒]