With NFL competition heating up, several former Blue Devils are battling it out to push their teams to victory. The Blue Zone breaks down their performances:
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Another week, another frustrating performance by Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. After struggling against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, the former Blue Devil captain looked to bounce back on Monday Night Football against a Seattle Seahawks’ defense that had allowed at least 27 points in each game this season. The Giants ultimately did not get the opportunity to recover from defeat in Levi’s Stadium a week prior, falling to the Seahawks 24-3.
In some respects, Jones seemed to show signs of improvement over last week’s matchup against the 49ers. The Charlotte native completed 79.4% of his throws, amassing 203 yards in the air and 66 more on the ground. However, as has often been the case throughout his NFL career, Jones’s struggles to protect the football proved costly for New York. He fumbled twice and threw two interceptions, the first of which sealed Seattle’s victory. Late in the third quarter, the Giants were driving down the field with a chance to cut the Seahawks’ lead to one score. On second-and-goal, Jones’s errant pass was intercepted by Seattle rookie Devon Witherspoon, who then evaded the New York quarterback and returned the ball for a 97-yard pick six.
The rest of the Giants' offense did not help Jones Monday night, allowing 10 sacks. With the absence of superstar running back Saquon Barkley for the second week in a row, not a single New York skill player amassed more than 50 receiving yards. However, despite the Jets’ offensive struggles across the board, the former Duke football standout has earned a large share of the blame as the man under center. Now in his fifth NFL season with one of the largest contracts in the league, Jones must show some improvement to earn a win in his team's next matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Laken Tomlinson, OL, New York Jets
Laken Tomlinson and the Jets’ offensive line delivered perhaps their finest performance of the season Sunday night. Facing the defending Super Bowl champions, New York nearly pulled off a massive upset of the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs, in large part due to the Jets’ ability to keep quarterback Zach Wilson upright.
Bolstered by strong offensive line play, Wilson had his best game of the season, largely outplaying reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes. Meanwhile, Tomlinson’s strong play also strengthened the New York running attack, which accounted for 108 yards and averaged 6.8 per carry.
Although the Jets ultimately fell to Kansas City by a score of 23-20, New York’s admirable performance may give fans hope that their team can compete in the absence of Aaron Rodgers. If Tomlinson and New York’s O-line continue to perform like they did Sunday, the Jets’ season may be saved in the absence of their projected starting quarterback.
Noah Gray, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
While Tomlinson shined on Sunday Night Football, former Blue Devil tight end Noah Gray also stood out in the Chiefs’ 23-20 victory over New York. With a little over three minutes left in the first quarter, the Leominstser, Mass., native darted past a few defenders, caught a precise Mahomes pass and took the ball all the way into the endzone for a 34-yard score, giving Kansas City its largest lead of the night.
The former Duke captain has struggled for opportunities following the return of superstar tight end Travis Kelce from injury. During the past three weeks, the 2021 fifth-round pick has been targeted a combined 10 times and has only caught seven passes compared to Kelce’s 17. However, Gray’s spectacular touchdown demonstrates that, when given a chance, the Blue Devil can be an important piece of the Chiefs’ title defense.
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