Let’s take a look back at the previous week
Week 10 of the NFL is upon us, but before we dive into another edition of Thursday Night Football let’s take one final look at how former Pittsburgh Panthers are doing on the professional stage.
Offense: There was not much to talk about this week on the offensive side of the ball as only one major former Panther was in action this week.
Tyler Boyd: The slow week for Tyler Boyd in week 8 was not long for this world as he bounced back in week 9 against the Carolina Panthers. Boyd caught 5 of his 6 targets for 44 yards but was lacking a touchdown. Hopefully, Boyd and quarterback Joe Burrow will game plan how to have a dominant performance together once their bye week concludes this week. The Bengals return to play in week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kenny Pickett: The man that I feel is currently most synonymous with the Pitt program did not get a chance this week to prove what he has to offer as his team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, was on a bye. However, this is not the worst thing because the offense has not felt like it has been clicking thus far this season. Week 11 will prove pivotal in showing whether or not Pickett is an NFL-ready QB as the Steelers battle the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.
Defense: While there was not much to talk about on the offensive side of the ball, the same cannot be said about the defensive side, let’s get into it!
Jordan Whitehead: The best word to explain Jordan Whitehead this season must be consistent. Even against a dominant offense like the Buffalo Bills, Whitehead had 4 total tackles, 3 solo, and one assist. Considering the offense that he was up against these are great stats and very similar to his statistics over this season. Whitehead will have a week off as the Jets are on a bye but will look to continue his great play in week 11 when the Jets face the New England Patriots.
Damarri Mathis: Another consistent performer this season has been Damarri Mathis, even on an underperforming Broncos team. In week 9 the Broncos battled the Jacksonville Jaguars and Mathis had an identical stat line to week 10 with 4 total tackles, 3 solo and 1 assist. The Broncos will battle the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon and do not be surprised to see a stat line for Mathis very similar to the past few weeks.
Damar Hamlin: The Bills are the talk of the NFL thanks to their offense this season, but their defense has been just as dominant so far if not more. Hamlin has been one of the biggest reasons why the Bills’ defense is top-rated this season. In week 9 Hamlin and the Bills battled the New York Jets and Hamlin showed his worth with 12 total tackles, 8 solo, and 4 assists, and a sack to boot. These stats improved on a highly impressive week 8 performance where he has 10 total tackles and a half of a sack. Hamlin will look to improve even more statistically in week 10 when the Bills battle the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon.
If there are any players, you would like to see profiled in Pitt in the Pros put them down in the comments!