Direct Snap

Once again Weddle took a direct snap and successfully executed a fake punt. Last time it didn't surprise Utah fans, but this time it shouldn't have surprised anybody. Don't the Raiders watch game film? If they watch the film from week 17 they will see Weddle making eight tackles and getting behind his blockers for a 6 yard gain and a first down. We're going to direct snap the ProUte of the Week Award to Weddle; we trust he knows what to do with it.

Lining up across from Weddle and the Chargers defense was Tony Bergstrom, making his first start for the Raiders. San Diego beat Oakland, 24-21.

Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Paul Kruger both sacked former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton; Kemoeatu also had 4 tackles, while Kruger had one tackle and one pass deflection. David Reed also caught 3 passes for 44 yards, but Cincinnati got past Baltimore, 23-17. Both teams are headed to the playoffs, so there wasn't much at stake in this meeting.

Big Bird

Give me that ball, dang you!

Paul Kruger showed off his wingspan and his reaction time, batting down a Carson Palmer pass and catching it for an interception. Kruger also sacked Palmer twice (credit for one is due to Mike Brisiel for stepping on Palmer's foot on fourth-and-one - good thing it wasn't Tony Bergstrom!) and had six tackles as the Ravens walloped the Raiders, 55-20. Kruger wrapped his big mitts around the ProUte of the Week as a result.

Alex Smith was knocked out of the game with a concussion after taking a hard hit to the back of the neck. He stayed in the game and completed 5 passes including a TD while experiencing blurred vision. When his vision didn't clear up he stayed on the sideline. He was 7-8 for 72 yards and the TD when he left. The game ended in a 24-24 tie with St. Louis, as both kickers missed field goal attempts in overtime.

Sione Pouha suited up in Seattle a day after the Utes were defeated there by the Huskies. His Jets were also defeated, but Pouha had 6 tackles, a season-high, as he has been limited by back problems. 

Two Deep: AFC

S. Smith battles S. Smith for the ball

Yeah, it smacks of desperation to write about the second week of the NFL preseason, but when have we seen seven ProUtes play in the same game? Miami has four on defense, while Carolina has two on offense and one on D. That meant we got to see Steve Smith go against Sean Smith (when he wasn't tussling with Vontae Davis). Miami's Smith appears to come away with the interception in this photo, but he was flagged for PI on the play. R.J. Stanford's INT in the end zone with :04 left stood, and put an end to the game.

The real standout in the game wasn't Smith, Smith,  or Stanford; it was Derrick Shelby, an undrafted rookie defensive end. Prior to this game the local media was already positing that Shelby would make the Dolphins 53 man roster. After his 4 tackle (2 for a loss), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble performance there's little doubt! Shelby is listed as second string on the depth chart, meaning Miami should field four ProUte defenders this season.

The AFC East has only one team without a ProUte on the roster: the Buffalo Bills. Jonathan Fanene is now a second-string defensive end for the New England Patriots, while Caleb Schlauderaff is a second-string center for the New York Jets.

The AFC South likewise has one team unrepresented: the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Jordan Babineaux sitting out, Robert Johnson got the start at strong safety for the Titans but did not record any stats against Tampa Bay. He is listed as the second-string free safety behind Michael Griffin, but it seems he is second-string for both safety positions. Brice McCain is second-string at right cornerback for the Houston Texans. In Indy, Zane Taylor is a third-string center.

In the AFC North: Stevenson Sylvester is listed as the second-string inside linebacker for the Steelers; he had three tackles in the first preseason game. Paul Kruger is slated to be the starter at Sam linebacker for the injury-prone Ravens. Kruger had 4 tackles and a PDef in last night's 27-12 loss to Detroit. Ma'ake Kemoeatu is the back up nose tackle in Baltimore, and had 2 tackles. David Reed is listed as a third-string wide receiver in Baltimore, but has not made any plays this preseason.

Over in the AFC West: Tony Bergstrom is listed as the second-string left guard for the Raiders, while Conroy Black is fourth-string at left cornerback. Sealver Siliga is a third-string nose tackle with the Broncos. John Cullen was released by the Chargers earlier this month.

Friday Night Lights

Tony Bergstrom was the final pick on Friday night, the second day of the NFL Draft. He was also the first pick of the Oakland Raiders, as they traded away their first three picks in 2012. They received a compensatory pick at #95, which they used to draft the tackle out of Utah. Bergstrom will attempt to become the next Barry Sims, a ProUte who played nine seasons in Oakland.

Also joining Bergstrom in Oakland will be Conroy Black, who will try to don the silver and black as an undrafted free agent. Other ProUtes going the undrafted route are John Cullen with the Jets, Derrick Shelby and Shawn Asiata with the Dolphins, and Tevita Finau with the Cardinals.

Combine Notes

Cullen is put through his paces.

Bergstrom had a decent showing at the combine, as he tied for 3rd on the bench press (32 reps), tied for 9th in vertical jump (29.5"), and tied for 13th in the 40 yard dash (5.27 sec). He graded out at 51.2, barely ahead of Cullen (pictured), who got a mark of 51.0. Cullen finished 5th in the 20 yard shuffle (4.59 sec) and 7th in the 3 cone drill (7.58 sec).

Shelby graded out slightly higher than his counterparts at 53.7. He was 3rd in vertical jump (35.5"), tied for 9th in the 3 cone drill (7.09 sec), and tied for 11th in broad jump (9'8"), but his lackluster time in the 40 yard dash (4.96 sec) has Tony Pauline of SI.com putting him in the slider category.

The best combine performance by an athlete with Utah ties was put up by Utah State running back Robert Turbin. He tied for 1st on the bench press (28 reps), took 4th in broad jump (10'2"), tied for 8th in vertical jump (36"), finished 9th in the 40 yard dash (4.5 sec), and tied for 14th in the 20 yard shuttle (4.31 sec) for an overall grade of 74.5. Fellow Aggie Bobby Wagner, a linebacker who figures to be the first player from a Utah school selected in the draft, was unable to participate, as he was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Under Way

Tony Bergstrom, first team All-PAC-12 O-line

The NFL Combine gets under way today, and three former Utes have been invited to participate: Tony Bergstrom, John Cullen, and Derrick Shelby. All three linemen were all- conference selections in the PAC-12 this season. Bergstrom has been rated the 10th best offensive tackle in the 2012 class, and is being projected as a 4th round pick. He's also included in the top ranks of guards by Eric Edholm of ProFootballWeekly.com. Cullen, a second team All-PAC-12 selection, is not listed in the few seven round mock drafts currently available. Their prospects resemble those of last year's participants, Schlauderaff (drafted and traded) and Taylor (undrafted free agent practice squad member).

Shelby is likewise unlisted in full seven round mocks, which is odd considering he was named the national defensive player of the week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation for his play against Pitt. He has been mentioned as a sleeper to watch by Matt Rybaltowski, the Titans correspondent for CBSSports.com. I'd love to see him end up in Tennessee!

Perhaps the biggest name of the bunch is the one that isn't on the list - that's because Star Lotulelei is returning to Utah for his senior season. Lotulelei was also named first team All-PAC-12, and he won the Morris Trophy following a stellar campaign as a junior. The Morris Trophy is voted on by the opposing linemen in the conference, making it true recognition of a player's impact on the field. For comparison, USC's Matt Kalil won the Morris Trophy for offensive linemen, and he is currently projected to be the third overall pick in the draft this April. Lotulelei likely wouldn't be picked that high, but after another outstanding season at Utah he could really make a name for himself!