Since no other Penn State news occurred during the NFL’s allotted 1 p.m. slate, many students watched as the Nittany Lions took the field for their respective teams in week six. However, just in case some fans were distracted, let’s take a look at how Penn State alums performed.

Week six wasn’t kind to Penn State, in many ways. A few of our Nittany Lions in the NFL suffered injuries before or during their games, a couple of big names that graduated under James Franklin struggled in their respective losses, but one Nittany Lion took the spotlight — again.

Nick Scott, Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers defensive back Nick Scott played an exceptional game in the Panthers’ 30-27 upset over the Dallas Cowboys. Scott, a Lancaster native, arrived at Penn State as a running back but was converted into a safety. The 2018 graduate defended a pass intended for Ryan Flourney in the end zone to keep the Cowboys off the board late in the first quarter.

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley continued to struggle in the Eagles’ Thursday night matchup versus his former team, the New York Giants. The 2024 Offensive Player of the Year entered the game with 267 rushing yards on 83 attempts and three rushing touchdowns. Thursday’s contest was more of the same. Barkley rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries and did not make it in the end zone. The Eagles lost 34-17 to their NFC East rival.

Olu Fashanu, New York Jets

The former first-round pick has not made an impact on the Jets’ offensive line this season. Fashanu has allowed 18 pressures in six games, and all six have resulted in losses. As dysfunctional as the Jets’ offense is, Fashanu has not provided a silver lining. In Sunday’s 13-11 loss versus the Broncos, Fashanu allowed a sack and ranked 43rd out of 53 tackles in pass-block win rate.

Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

The one bright spot in a week of poor performances from Penn Staters was Colts tight end Tyler Warren. Warren, drafted No. 14, has taken on a similar multi-use role with the Colts as he had for Penn State.

In Sunday’s contest, Warren caught six of nine targets for 63 yards and found the end zone for his second receiving touchdown and third total touchdown on the season. Warren leads all tight ends in receiving yards with 370, and in four of his six career games, the tight end has racked up 60+ receiving yards.

Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers

Parsons hasn’t exactly lit up the stat sheet this year, and Sunday’s performance versus the Bengals was no different. Cincinnati held the Packers to only one sack, their best o-line performance of the year, and it wasn’t Parsons, the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.

Abdul Carter, New York Giants

The Giants’ first-round pick participated in the 34-17 victory over the Eagles on Thursday, although without recording a tackle or sack. Carter is now the frontrunner for Defensive Rookie of the Year, according to sportsbooks.

Other Notable Performances:

• Joey Porter Jr. recorded five tackles and two passes defended in the Steelers’ 23-9 rout over the Browns.
• Theo Johnson collected two of his four targets for 27 yards in the Giants’ 34-17 divisional victory against the Eagles.
• Mike Gesicki left the Bengals’ game in the second quarter with a pectoral injury. Head Coach Zac Taylor told the media that Gesicki will be out “a while”.
• Parker Washington secured two of four targets for 29 yards in the Jaguars’ 20-12 loss versus the Seahawks.
• Chris Godwin did not play on Sunday. Coming off an ankle injury, Godwin played in weeks four and five but was listed out for Sunday’s contest due to his fibula. He is already reported as “not in play” for next week’s Buccaneers’ game.