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SALT LAKE CITY — Several local players continued their preseason attempts to earn playing time for their respective NFL teams. The following is a roundup of how well each player did.
Green Bay Packers 18, Denver Broncos 20
The Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos had a plethora of former Utah talent that was on show during this game. The two standout performances came from Green Bay’s former Cougar Jamaal Williams and the Broncos' former Aggie, Hunter Sharp.
Broncos wide receiver Hunter Sharp made the most of the opportunity to impress the coaching staff and showed he has the potential to impact a game. Sharp had a team-high 41 yards on only two catches and one late-game touchdown. Sharp’s highlight from the game was a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Sloter. Sharp caught the ball even with the defender getting called for pass interference. His touchdown proved the difference in the game, giving the Broncos the victory.
The other standout in the game was Williams, who had three carriers for only 4 yards. Williams stood out with his pass catching out of the back field, where he had three catches for 46 yards. Williams is projected to back up starter Ty Montgomery, as his performance this preseason has shown his effectiveness.
Former Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell, safety Marwin Evans and running back Devante Mays also had an impact for the Packers. Fackrell and Evans both had two tackles, and Mays ran the ball five times for 12 yards, including a 5-yard reception.
Broncos running back and former Ute Devontae Booker didn't play in the game due to a wrist injury. He is still projected to make the 53-man roster.
Buffalo Bills 9, Baltimore Ravens 13
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Robertson Daniel from BYU recorded four tackles in the game. Former Ute safety Eric Weddle had one tackle in the Ravens' win.
Los Angeles Chargers 21, Los Angeles Rams 19
Rookie Charger and former BYU cornerback Michael Davis recorded three tackles and one assisted tackle in the first battle on the new Los Angeles team.
Cleveland Browns 13, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9
Former BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie stood out for the Cleveland Browns, catching four passes for 34 yards, with his longest reception of 14 yards. Leslie also had the only touchdown catch of the game for the Browns, which happened to be for the win.
Browns defensive back Kai Nacua, BYU, and Buccaneer defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, Utah, both had one tackle in the game.
Kansas City Chiefs 13, Seattle Seahawks 26
Former Utah quarterback Alex Smith had an unimpressive game for the Chiefs against the Seahawks, only completing 7-of-14 pass attempts for a total of 44 yards. Smith’s longest pass of the game was for 11 yards. He finished the game with a quarterback rating of 48.9.
Smith was impressive for the first two games of the preseason. Rookie Patrick Mahomes completed 8-of-15 passes for 70 yards, finishing the game with a quarterback rating of 66. Smith will continue to be the team's starter for the season.
Former Cougar Daniel Sorensen had five tackles for Kansas City. Seahawks star linebacker and former Aggie Bobby Wagner had four tackles for the game.
New England Patriots 30, Detroit Lions 28
Former Utah defensive back Eric Rowe had a standout game with three tackles and one interception for New England. Rowe’s interception came from a deflection of the pass from cornerback Malcolm Butler. The Patriots' secondary is one of the top in the league, which was on show during the game. Rowe and the rest of the secondary showed they are physical and can cause turnovers from anywhere.
The Patriots' defense also had production from two former BYU linebackers, Kyle Van Noy and Harvey Langi. Langi recorded four tackles, with Van Noy having two of his own.
Former Utah running back Matt Asiata had six carries for 21 yards, with his longest carry being a 13-yard gain for the Lions. Cornerback Nevin Lawson of Utah State had four tackles for the Lions.
Carolina Panthers 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 23
Weber State’s cornerback Devonte Johnson had one tackle in the win for the Panthers.
Indianapolis Colts 19, Pittsburgh Steelers 15
Steelers cornerback Brian Allen, Utah, recorded three tackles for the Steelers.
Houston Texans 0, New Orleans Saints 13
Former Ute receiver Dres Anderson had three catches for 26 yards for the Texans. New Orleans Saint safety Marcus Williams, Utah, had three tackles in the game.
Miami Dolphins 31, Philadelphia Eagles 38
Former Utah linebacker Trevor Reilly had two tackles for the Dolphins in their loss.
Arizona Cardinals 24, Atlanta Falcons 14
Former Aggie defensive tackle David Moala had two tackles, and former Ute defensive tackle Pasoni Tasini had one tackle for Arizona. The Falcons' Derrick Shelby, Utah, also had a tackle in the game.
San Francisco 49ers 31, Minnesota Vikings 32
Utah's former running back Joe Williams ran seven times for 16 yards and had one catch of 11 yards. His performance during the preseason could make him the backup to Carlos Hyde. Williams had an electric run where he dropped a pass in the back field, was able to pick the ball up, and run for 11 yards from a dead stop.
Cincinnati Bengals 17, Washington Redskins 23
This game featured two former Utah State linebackers who are brothers: Zach and Nick Vigil. Zach Vigil plays for the Washington Redskins, while his younger brother Nick plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. Zach had two tackles in the game but was bested by his younger brother Nick's five tackles.
