Nittany Lions In The NFL: Week 15 Recap

There was plenty of action and big plays from Penn Staters in the NFL this week as the regular season begins to wind down.

While Trace McSorley and Micah Parsons were among the players with significant playing time this week, standouts Jahan Dotson and Saquon Barkley squared off on Sunday Night Football and each reached the end zone in what turned into a thriller between the Giants and Commanders.

Let’s take a closer look at how Nittany Lions in the NFL performed this week.

Trace McSorley, Arizona Cardinals

It was a tough outing for the former Penn State quarterback. Trace McSorley, who was once again called into action after fellow signal-caller Colt McCoy suffered in an injury, completed 7-of-15 pass attempts for 95 yards, amounting to a 46.7% completion rate. McSorley threw two interceptions and was sacked once as Arizona lost 25-15 to the Denver Broncos.

Sunday’s performance was McSorely’s fourth appearance of the season. McSorley has a 51.7 completion percentage while throwing for 166 yards and three interceptions. With Murray out for the year and McCoy’s injury status up in the air, McSorley could very well see the field again this season.

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

Although the Cowboys lost 40-34 in overtime fashion to the Jacksonville Jaguars, linebacker Micah Parsons made his mark on the game. With four minutes to go in the first quarter, Parsons quickly found space and sacked Trevor Lawrence.

Parsons didn’t contribute much for the remainder of the game with two combined tackles. However, Parsons has posted 59 total tackles this season and has 13 sacks to his name, continuing to emerge as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran wideout Chris Godwin hauled in eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Tom Brady found Godwin for a screen pass, and he quickly ran it into the end zone for a second-quarter touchdown.

However, the Bengals came back in the second half to win 34-23, which dropped Tampa Bay to 6-8 on the season.

Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders

Jahan Dotson continues to impress in Washington as a rookie. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke targeted Dotson six times, and he caught four of those passes for 105 yards and one touchdown. Dotson’s touchdown happened in the middle of the third quarter as the Commanders attempted to rally against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football.

Although Washington lost 20-12, Dotson gave the Commanders a change with clutch catches to bring the game down to the final minute. Dotson has six touchdowns and 338 yards in nine appearances this season, as he frequently outruns his coverage and finds ways to make plays.

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Giants running back Saquon Barkley had a productive evening on Sunday. Barkley rushed for 87 yards on 15 carries, including one touchdown in the second quarter. Barkley powered his way through Washington’s defense and into the end zone, even handing the ball to a fan afterward.

Barkley has continued to thrive under new head coach Brian Daboll. Barkley has scored nine touchdowns and rushed for 1,170 yards, which is the most since his rookie year in 2018.

Other Notables

Miles Sanders had 42 yards on 11 carries in Philadelphia’s 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears.
For the first time all season, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had no receptions in his team’s 24-16 win over Carolina.
Nick Scott had nine tackles in the Rams’ 24-12 loss to the Packers on Monday Night Football.
Scott’s teammate, Grant Haley, had 12 tackles against Green Bay.
Carl Nassib had three tackles in Tampa Bay’s 35-7 loss to the 49ers.
Mike Gesicki continued to see little action, hauling in just one reception for five yards in the Dolphins’ 32-29 loss to the Bills.

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About the Author

Nolan Wick

Nolan is a senior journalism major from Silver Spring, Maryland. He's an avid D.C sports and Liverpool fan who loves going to games in his free time. Nolan mainly writes about Penn State football, men's hockey, and baseball. You can follow him on Twitter @nolan_wick or email him at [email protected].

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