West Virginia’s NFL alumni had another busy week, and a few of the familiar names found themselves right in the middle of games that swung on big moments.
The headline performance came from Jets quarterback Smith, who put together what was arguably his roughest outing of the 2026 season so far against the Chicago Bears. He completed 8 of 15 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown, but the bigger story was how thoroughly the Bears controlled the game.
Chicago owned the ball for 42:45 of the 60-minute contest, and the Bears finished with more first downs than the Jets had offensive plays. It was a lopsided night all around for New York, which needs much more consistency on both sides of the ball.
On Thursday Night Football, Frazier and the Steelers came up just short in a 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh’s young offensive line had a rough night overall, giving up five sacks, and the 42-year-old quarterback’s lack of mobility didn’t help matters.
Even so, Frazier turned in his best run-blocking grade of the season, earning an 80.6 from Pro Football Focus. Jaylen Warren followed that up with his second straight 100-yard game, and Frazier continues to look like one of the league’s top centers while that young line works through its growing pains.
McKivitz and the San Francisco 49ers are still rolling at 4-0, and they’ve done it by steamrolling everyone in front of them. Brock Purdy’s hot start has put him in the MVP conversation, and the offensive line has been a huge part of that.
Through four weeks, Purdy has not been sacked once. The last team to avoid a sack through its first four games was the 2005 Indianapolis Colts, who went on to finish 14-2.
McKivitz has been a key piece of what has been the NFL’s best offensive line to this point.
Stills was part of a strange and controversial moment in the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the New York Giants. He was flagged for defensive holding on a field goal attempt in the third quarter, a call that stunned him and plenty of people around the league. The Giants cashed in a few plays later with a touchdown pass and eventually won the game, and it’s fair to say that the sequence traces back to that highly disputed penalty.
Douglas also made his mark, picking off Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones in the second quarter of the Commanders’ game in London this past weekend. It was Douglas’ first interception of the season, and his role keeps growing in a secondary that is banged up and in need of help. With the way he’s played, an uptick in snaps looks hard to avoid.
Meanwhile, the West Virginia program itself is dealing with a tough stretch after its second straight loss following a 3-0 start. The Mountaineers fell 45-42 in Ames to Iowa State this past Saturday, and the defense has now surrendered at least 570 yards in back-to-back games.
In Other News...
Noah Fifita Faces A Bigger Test Than Arizona Fans Might Think
Arizonas trip to West Virginia brings a familiar face back into the picture for Rich Rodriguez, who once coached in Tucson and now gets a shot at his former program in a Big 12 matchup. It also comes at a time when the Mountaineers are trying to steady themselves after dropping their last two games, while Arizona arrives with some momentum thanks to a three-game winning streak.
The Wildcats have not exactly reached the open date in perfect shape, though, with injuries thinning their group of wide receivers and putting more of the burden on Noah Fifita. The quarterback is set to make his 40th consecutive start against a West Virginia defense that has had its own struggles this season, which turns this into more than just a road test for Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Hawkins Jr. Gets A Big Chance To Change The Narrative
Mike Hawkins Jr. has already given West Virginia a better version of its quarterback room than many expected, especially on the vertical throws that can change a game in a hurry. The dual-threat sophomore has completed 12 of 27 passes beyond 20 yards for 416 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions this season, and Rich Rodriguez has pointed to the growth in Hawkins passing and his overall versatility as reasons for the Mountaineers offense has become harder to defend.
The next test is a revealing one, because Arizona brings a defense built to heat up the pocket and make a quarterback win from the pocket under stress. For Hawkins, that means another chance to show the arm talent and decision-making that have already started to reshape the conversation around him, even if the most important part of the evaluation may come down to how he handles the pressure he is about to see. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Faces A Season Pressure Point Against Arizona
West Virginia heads into a noon ET matchup at Milan Puskar Stadium with a familiar kind of urgency, this time against Arizona in a Big 12 Conference game that already carries an early-season edge. The Mountaineers are still looking for their first league win after opening conference play with losses, and the setting only adds to the pressure as they try to steady things at home.
The challenge is clear enough: West Virginias defense has struggled nationally, while Arizona brings the conferences top passer into Morgantown. ESPNs Football Power Index gives the Mountaineers a 39.5% shot to win, which only underscores how much has to go right if they are going to flip the script on TNT and get their league season moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]