With Week 6 of the NFL season in the books, here are a few former Gators who made the most tangible impact for their respective teams.
Riley Cooper, wide receiver: A tumultuous offseason had many Philadelphia Eagles fans pleading for the dismissal of Cooper, but the wideout proved his worth to the team on Sunday.
In the Eagles’ 31-20 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cooper recorded 120 yards on four receptions and scored a touchdown.
The fourth-year receiver beat Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks to catch a 47-yard strike in the left corner of the end zone, giving the Eagles a 21-17 lead with 11:41 remaining in the third quarter.
The pass came from quarterback Nick Foles, who filled in for Michael Vick (hamstring) on Sunday.
Carlos Dunlap, defensive end: Dunlap has been on a tear to start 2013, and Sunday was one of his most impressive showings.
The Cincinnati Bengals left defensive end continued his strong play with a sack, a forced fumble, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits during his team’s 27-24 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills.
Dunlap’s sack came during quarterback Thad Lewis and the Bills’ final drive of the fourth quarter, while his forced fumble in the third quarter led to a Bengals touchdown on the ensuing drive.
Through six games, Dunlap has recorded 26 tackles, only 14 fewer than his 2012 total in 14 games, and has earned four sacks — tied for 18th most in the league.
Notes: During the Washington Redskins’ 31-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, Washington tight end Jordan Reed proved to be one of Robert Griffin III’s most reliable targets. Reed was second on the team with 58 receiving yards on four receptions — including a 29-yard catch that set up a field goal prior to halftime.
Baltimore Ravens free safety Matt Elam had eight tackles in a starting role Sunday. The rookie made a controversial low hit on Green Bay Packers wideout Randall Cobb, who was then carted off the field with a knee injury, late in the second quarter. Elam drove his helmet into Cobb’s right knee.
Minnesota rookie defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd sacked Carolina quarterback Cam Newton for a loss of six yards — his team’s only sack of the afternoon — and recorded a quarterback hit during the Vikings’ 35-10 loss to the Panthers.
During the Bears’ 27-21 win against the Giants on Thursday night, Chicago strong safety Major Wright racked up a team-high 11 tackles, while New York safety Will Hill recorded five.
In his third straight start at free safety replacing for Dwight Lowery (season-ending concussion), Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Josh Evans recorded four tackles during his team’s 35-19 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Although he did not receive any carries, running back Jeff Demps notched 13 yards on two receptions and had a kickoff return for 24 yards for the 0-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Follow Landon Watnick on Twitter @LandonWatnick.
Riley Cooper (14) celebrates with DeSean Jackson (10) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa.
