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#StanfordNFL: Week 2

#StanfordNFL: Week 2

Henry Anderson • DE • Indianapolis Colts • Second season • @HenryAnderson91

Indianapolis is taking no chances with Anderson, who has yet to play an NFL snap since injuring his knee in 2015. He was once again a healthy scratch in the Colts' 34-20 loss at Denver, but expect the second-year man out of Stanford to be back on the field in the coming weeks.


Johnson Bademosi • CB/ST • Detroit Lions • Fifth season • @J_Bademosi24

Bademosi played 70 percent of special teams snaps in a 16-15 loss against Tennessee in Week 2. He proved his worth as one of the top special teamers in the league in the second quarter, downing a Sam Martin punt at the Titans' seven yard line.


Doug Baldwin • WR • Seattle Seahawks • Sixth season • @DougBaldwinJr

Baldwin was targeted a team-high six times, hauling in three catches for 20 yards in a 9-3 loss at Los Angeles. Despite picking up a knee injury in the fourth quarter, Baldwin returned to log 87 percent of offensive snaps for Seattle, but his status for Week 3 is up in the air.

David DeCastro • G • Pittsburgh Steelers • Fifth season

DeCastro played every snap for Ben Roethlisberger's offense in a 24-16 win against Cincinnati on Sunday. He helped the Steelers rush for 124 yards while helping limit the Bengals to one sack of Roethlisberger, who threw three touchdowns.

Jim Dray • TE • Buffalo Bills • Seventh season

Buffalo fell to 0-2 with a 37-31 loss against the New York Jets on Thursday night. Dray appeared on 21 percent of offensive snaps as a run blocker for the Bills, who averaged 4.5 yards per carry against the Jets' standout defensive front.

Zach Ertz • TE • Philadelphia Eagles • Fourth season • @ZErtz_86

Ertz was ruled out of Philadelphia's Monday night matchup against Chicago with a rib injury sustained in Week 1. Eagles coach Doug Pederson says he will be week-to-week moving forward.

Coby Fleener • TE • New Orleans Saints • Fifth season • @Coby

The Saints fell to 0-2 after a 16-13 loss against the New York Giants. Fleener played 76 percent of offensive snaps, 42 more than the next tight end on the Saints' depth chart. The fifth-year veteran was targeted eight times, hauling in two catches for 29 yards. Fleener will continue to see opportunities in the Saints' pass-heavy offense as he settles into his new home.

Cameron Fleming • TE • New England Patriots • Third season • @cammyjfresh

Nate Solder's return from injury meant a lighter workload for Fleming in Sunday's 31-24 win against Miami. He started the game as a pass-eligible run blocker, finishing the afternoon having played 16 (20 percent) offensive plays for the 2-0 Patriots. Entering the game, head coach Bill Belichick had high praise for Fleming, who will be an integral part of the Patriots' offensive line rotation in 2016.

Joshua Garnett • G • San Francisco 49ers • First season • @IamJoshG

After a healthy scratch in Week 1 against St. Louis, Garnett was handed his NFL regular-season debut against Carolina on Sunday. The 2015 Outland Trophy winner appeared on six special teams snaps as the Niners dropped a 46-27 decision at Carolina.

Ryan Hewitt • TE/FB • Cincinnati Bengals • Third season • @Huey85

Despite starting the game, Hewitt was seldom used in Cincinnati's 24-16 loss at Pittsburgh, with the Bengals opting to throw the ball 54 times versus just 18 rushing attempts. The 1-1 Bengals will host the Denver Broncos in Week 3.

Austin Hooper • TE • Atlanta Falcons • First season • @AustinHooper18

In just 20 offensive snaps, Hooper torched the Oakland defense for 84 receiving yards, catching all three balls thrown his direction. Atlanta's 2016 third-round pick accounted for two of the Falcons' three longest plays of the day, catching passes for 44 yards and 34 yards in the third quarter of a much-needed 35-28 road win.

Andrew Luck • QB • Indianapolis Colts • Fifth season • @ALBookClub

Luck had a tough afternoon in Denver, finishing the day 21 of 40 for 197 yards with one touchdown and an interception as Indianapolis lost, 34-20. The Colts return home for a Week 3 matchup against San Diego, who have allowed 649 passing yards in two games, a welcome sight for Luck after facing a tough Denver secondary.

Blake Martinez • ILB • Green Bay Packers • First season • @Big__Blake50

Despite Green Bay dropping a 17-14 decision at Minnesota on Sunday night, a definite bright spot for the franchise early in the season is rookie Blake Martinez, the Packers' fourth-round pick out of Stanford. Martinez played 71 percent of defensive snaps, making five tackles, including one for a loss. He also helped limit five-time All-Pro tailback Adrian Peterson to 19 yards on 12 carries, with Minnesota averaging just 1.4 yards per carry on the night.

Josh Mauro • DE/DL • Arizona Cardinals • Third season • @JustJoshin90

Mauro earned the start for Arizona's defense in a 40-7 win against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He played 43 percent of defensive snaps, finishing the day with two tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass defended which led to an Arizona pick six. Mauro also earned a 76.2 Pro Football Focus rating, the fifth-best of any Arizona defender.

Ty Montgomery • WR/KR • Green Bay Packers • Second season • @TyMontgomery2

Montgomery made his presence felt on special teams in Green Bay's 17-14 loss at Minnesota on Sunday night. He blocked a first-quarter punt to set up the Packers' opening touchdown, also taking back Green Bay's only kickoff return for 21 yards. 

Kyle Murphy • T • Green Bay Packers • First season • @KyleMurphy78

Murphy was a healthy scratch in Green Bay's 17-14 loss at Minnesota on Sunday night.

Trent Murphy • DE/OLB • Washington Redskins • Third season • @TMurphy_93

According to Pro Football Focus, only All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman graded higher than Trent Murphy for Washington in a 27-23 loss against Dallas. Murphy's 84.5 grade was a result of six tackles, including 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. He sacked Dak Prescott on the first play of the fourth quarter before jarring the ball free from Ezekiel Elliot on Dallas' next drive. Murphy did all of his damage on just 50 percent of defensive snaps against an outstanding offensive line, also contributing on 16 (59 percent) special teams plays. 

David Parry • DT/NG • Indianapolis Colts • Second season • @DavidParry58

Parry started for the 18th time in a row at Denver, with Indianapolis falling, 34-20, to the defending Super Bowl champions. Parry had a career-high five tackles, all of which were solo, appearing on 66 percent of defensive snaps, the most of any Colts defensive lineman.

Andrus Peat • T/G • New Orleans Saints • Second season • @AndrusPeat

Peat appears to have found a home at left guard in New Orleans' offense, starting and playing every snap in a 16-13 loss against the New York Giants. An injury to right tackle Zach Strief could change it up for Peat, who was the fourth-highest graded Saints offensive player (76.8) on Sunday according to Pro Football Focus.

Jordan Richards • S • New England Patriots • Second season

Richards entered Sunday's 31-24 win against Miami as the fourth safety on the depth chart for the 2-0 New England Patriots. That could all change after an injury to Patrick Chung late in the game, for whom Richards played the final two defensive snaps. The second-year man out of Stanford also played on 46 percent of special teams snaps.

Brennan Scarlett • OLB/DE • Houston Texans • First season @BScarlett17

Scarlett made his NFL debut off the bench after sitting out Week 1, helping Houston reach 2-0 with a 19-12 win against Kansas City. He recorded a special teams tackle in the second quarter, stopping kick returner Knile Davis on the Chiefs' 18 yard line.

Richard Sherman • CB • Seattle Seahawks • Sixth season @R_Sherman25

Sherman played his first contest at the Los Angeles Coliseum since helping Stanford defeat USC 55-21 in 2009, a game in which Sherman had a tide-turning pick six. The All-Pro corner played every defensive snap for Seattle, which dropped a 9-3 decision against the Los Angeles Rams. Sherman finished the day with three tackles, including one for loss, also snagging two fair catches on punt returns, signaling the Seahawks' intent to involve him in the return game for 2016.

Game face ready in Los Angeles. #SEAvsLA ??: @ben_liebenberg/NFL

A photo posted by NFL (@nfl) on Sep 18, 2016 at 12:05pm PDT

Stepfan Taylor • RB/ST • Arizona Cardinals • Fourth season • @KULABAFI

Taylor suited up for Arizona's 40-7 win against Tampa Bay after sitting out Week 1. He appeared on 58 percent of special teams snaps for the Cardinals, who will travel to Buffalo in Week 3.

Michael Thomas • S • Miami Dolphins • Fourth season • @Michael31Thomas

Miami's two-time All-Pro special teamer had a big impact on defense in a 31-24 loss at New England. Thomas had one of Miami's two sacks to go with a forced fumble, finishing the day with three tackles. Thomas appeared on 46 percent of defensive snaps while leading the team in special teams snaps (23).

Levine Toilolo • TE • Atlanta Falcons • Fourth season • @LevineToilolo

Toilolo was in for 56% percent of offensive snaps as Atlanta won at Oakland, 35-28. Serving primarily as a run-blocker, the fourth-year man from Stanford helped the Falcons rush for 139 yards on 29 carries and a solid 4.8 yards/carry. Toilolo caught both of his targets for 21 yards, including a big third-down conversion in the fourth quarter which led to the game-winning touchdown.

Griff Whalen • WR • San Diego Chargers • Fourth season • @GriffWhalen

The San Diego Chargers announced Monday that they have signed free agent Griff Whalen. The Chargers acted quickly after losing Danny Woodhead to a season-ending injury on Sunday. This came a week after losing No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen for the year with a similar injury. Whalen was signed as an undrafted free agent by Indianapolis in 2012 before spending the season on injured reserve. Over the past three seasons, he has appeared in 33 games for the Colts, amassing 487 yards on 45 catches with three touchdowns.