Week 6 of the 2019 NFL season is in the books. There were 12 former Arkansas players on 53-man rosters across the league.
It’s worth noting that Hjalte Froholdt, who is on injured reserve, is not included in that number and neither are the six players currently on practice squads - Keon Hatcher (Packers), Cody Hollister (Titans), Mitchell Loewen (Saints), Bijhon Jackson (Panthers), Randy Ramsey (Packers) and Dan Skipper (Patriots).
Sam Irwin-Hill had reportedly been signed to the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad with a chance to make the active roster, but he had issues with his work visa. Atlanta has since signed another punter.
Here’s a look at how the 12 players on 53-man rosters performed over the weekend…
Just as he was the first five weeks of the season, Allen was active and served as Joe Flacco’s backup, but did not play in the Broncos’ 16-0 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Trey Flowers - Detroit Lions
Week 7: Noon CT Sunday (FOX) vs. Vikings
Season Stats: 5 games (5 starts), 248 defensive snaps, 6 special teams snaps; 18 tackles (11 solo), 1 sack, 1.5 TFL, 3 QB hits
Flowers was at the center of two critical controversial calls in the Lions’ 23-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. Although he made three solo tackles while playing 51 defensive snaps in the loss, what will be remembered are two key “illegal use of hands” penalties he was called for.
The first wiped out an 11-yard sack of Aaron Rodgers on third down and gave the Packers a fresh set of downs, which they used to score a touchdown to pull within 22-20 in the fourth quarter. Near the end of the game, Flowers was called for the penalty again and it again erased a third-down stop that would have forced Green Bay to kick its go-ahead field goal with about one and a half minutes left. Instead, the Packers were able to run the clock all the way down and kick the short game-winner as time expired.
Virtually all of the reaction on Twitter - even from those in the media - was that both calls were phantom penalties. Here is a sample of those comments, as well as video of the two plays and Flowers’ postgame remarks.
Season Stats: 5 games (2 starts), 104 snaps, 95 special teams snaps; 11 tackles (6 solo)
Greenlaw played a season-low four defensive snaps in the 49ers’ 20-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams, but it was due to the personnel packages. He was still a heavy contributor on special teams, playing 19 snaps and making a solo tackle on kickoff coverage. Had it not been for a replay review showing the returner stepped out of bounds earlier in the play, he also would have had a tackle on punt coverage.
Hunter Henry set career highs in receptions and yards on Sunday. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Hunter Henry - Los Angeles Chargers
Week 7: 3:05 p.m. CT Sunday (CBS) at Titans
Season Stats: 2 games (2 starts), 99 offensive snaps; 12 receptions, 160 yards, 2 TD
Just five weeks removed from suffering a broken knee in Week 1, Henry turned in a career performance in the Chargers’ 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Playing 41 of 62 offensive snaps, he set career highs with 8 receptions and 100 yards. It started with a 19-yard catch and run on the first play of the game and was capped by a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, which can be seen below.
The performance helped earn Henry a spot on Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week as the offensive “flex” player, as Atlanta’s Austin Hooper earned the nod at tight end.
Season Stats: 6 games (6 starts), 357 offensive snaps
Peters had to leave the Eagles’ 38-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the first half because of a knee injury. He managed to return for one play before leaving the game for good having played a season-low 18 snaps. Head coach Doug Pederson said Monday that he is “day to day” right now as he seeks a second opinion on the injury. They’ll know more about his status Wednesday.
Frank Ragnow - Detroit Lions
Week 7: Noon CT Sunday (FOX) vs. Vikings
Season Stats: 5 games (5 starts), 349 offensive snaps, 22 special teams snaps; 1 tackle (1 solo), 1 fumble recovery
As he has all season, Ragnow played all 59 offensive snaps in the Lions’ 23-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. He also added six special teams snaps. Entering the game, he was ranked as the No. 1 center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner wrote a nice breakdown of why he’s playing so well ahead of Monday’s game.
Chris Smith - Cleveland Browns
Week 7: BYE
Season Stats: 4 games (0 starts), 71 defensive snaps, 3 special teams snaps; 1 pass defended
Although he played 12 defensive snaps, Smith did not record any statistics in the Browns’ 32-28 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Jeremy Sprinkle - Washington Redskins
Week 7: Noon CT Sunday (FOX) vs. 49ers
Season Stats: 6 games (5 starts), 176 offensive snaps, 78 special teams snaps; 9 receptions, 99 yards; 2 tackles (2 solo)
With Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis out with injuries, Sprinkle was the Redskins’ primary tight end in their 17-16 win over the Miami Dolphins, playing all but five of the total offensive snaps. He hauled in two passes for 24 yards, including a 19-yarder on a third-and-three play. Despite the increased workload on offense, Sprinkle was still a big special teams guy, playing 16 such snaps.
Armon Watts - Minnesota Vikings
Week 7: Noon CT Sunday (FOX) at Lions
Season Stats: N/A
For the sixth straight week, Watts was one of the Vikings’ seven inactive players in their 38-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, as he is the team’s 10th defensive lineman.
Jonathan Williams - Indianapolis Colts
Week 7: Noon CT Sunday (CBS) vs. Texans
Season Stats: 1 game (0 starts), 3 special teams snaps
The Colts were one of four teams on a bye in Week 6.
Deatrich Wise Jr. has been a productive pass rusher for the Patriots this season. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
It was another productive week for Wise despite getting only 14 snaps in the Patriots’ 35-14 win over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football. He didn’t start, but was on the field for the second play of the game and it resulted in him stuffing a run for no gain on second-and-one. That play can be seen in the video below. Wise finished with two solo tackles and a pair of quarterback hits on Daniel Jones.
Granted it’s a small sample size with only 46 pass-rush snaps, Wise actually has the highest pass-rush win percentage among all NFL edge/interior rushers with at least 25 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He is also second in pass rushing productivity, behind only Nick Bosa, according to the analytics site. That has earned him some praise from the Patriots’ defensive line coach - Bret Bielema:
Season Stats: 6 games (2 starts), 253 offensive snaps, 1 special teams snap; 12 receptions, 138 yards
Playing in London, Wright did not have a particularly great game in the Panthers’ 37-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started and played nearly half of the snaps - 31 of 66 - but uncharacteristically dropped a pair of third-down passes and his lone reception was a 6-yard gain on third-and-seven.
