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Much like we’ve seen in past weeks, it was another great showing by Wildcats around the NFL this past weekend. Here’s a look at how they performed in this week’s edition of Northwestern in the NFL:
Rashawn Slater, OT, Los Angeles Chargers
It’s hard to find new ways to praise Rashawn Slater at this point in the season. He’s been stellar all year long for the Chargers, and this week he was no different as Los Angeles dominated the New York Giants 37-21. He played every single offensive snap for LAC against New York and has yet to miss a snap this season. Unfortunately, he was just placed on the Chargers’ reserve/COVID-19 list, so it’s unclear if that trend will continue. Of note, Slater received praise from ESPN’s Mina Kimes earlier this week, who claimed that Slater should be considered for Offensive Rookie of the Year. That’s pretty cool.
While we’re handing out awards…Rashawn Slater deserves serious consideration for offensive rookie of the year. Open your minds, voters! pic.twitter.com/6m8HF15Pf9
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 8, 2021
Godwin Igwebuike, RB/KR, Detroit Lions
Despite the Lions being without running backs Deandre Swift and Jamaal Williams for their matchup against the Denver Broncos, Igwebuike was largely overshadowed in the backfield by Craig Reynolds. At the end of Detroit’s 28-point loss, Igwebuike finished with just eight rushes for 25 yards and one fumble. He didn’t return a single kick, but he did play in 44% of the Lions’ offensive snaps and 36% of their special teams snaps.
Blake Hance, OL, Cleveland Browns
While Hance was initially looking like a go-to guy for the Browns on the offensive line earlier this season, his playing time has decreased significantly after struggling in his reps when given the chance to fill in for Jack Conklin at right tackle. In this past weekend’s game against Baltimore, Hance played just 28% of offensive snaps for the Browns, down from 83% two weeks ago.
Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
While Austin Ekeler has almost entirely taken over the Chargers’ backfield this season, Jackson saw some decent reps this past weekend against the Giants. He logged a season-high in carries with nine and finished with 35 rushing yards. Additionally, he caught one pass for seven yards. He did this all while playing just 20 offensive snaps for Los Angeles, meaning Jackson got the ball 50% of the time he was on the field.
Joe Gaziano, DL, Los Angeles Chargers
It was a career weekend over Joe Gaziano. In LAC’s win over the Giants, Gaz logged four total tackles, three of which were solo. Both of those numbers were career-highs. Additionally, he added one tackle for loss. He played in 42% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps, which was his second highest usage rate of the season.
Dean Lowry, DE, Green Bay Packers
Much to the dismay of Bears fans everywhere, Dean Lowry finished with three total tackles and one quarterback hit in the Packers’ 45-30 Sunday night win over Chicago. His usage rate hovered just above 60%, much like it has all season long, further proving that Lowry is an important rotational piece for this Green Bay team.
Tyler Lancaster, DL, Green Bay Packers
Lancaster finished with just one tackle in Green Bay’s win over Chicago, though it was a tackle for loss. His defensive role has diminished even further as he played in just 11% of the Packers’ defensive snaps. However, he did take the field for 39% of their special teams snaps.
Ben Skowronek, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Ben Skowronek did see playing time Monday night in LAR’s win over the Arizona Cardinals, but he was targeted just once by Matthew Stafford and failed to catch the pass. He appears to be pretty deep on the wide receiver depth chart for the Rams.
Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE, Cleveland Browns
With fellow defensive Wildcats out for the Browns, Ifeadi Odenigbo saw a bit of playing time against the Ravens. He took the field for 16% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps and 45% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps, also adding a fumble recovery to his tally.
‘Cats that didn’t play this week: Trevor Siemian, QB, New Orleans Saints; Greg Newsome II, CB, Cleveland Browns (concussion); Anthony Walker Jr., LB, Cleveland Browns; Joe Jones, LB, Tennessee Titans; Ibraheim Campbell, Indianapolis Colts; John Raine, TE, Atlanta Falcons; Earnest Brown IV, DE, Los Angeles Rams; Blake Gallagher, LB, Baltimore Ravens.