Ma'ake the Play

This could end up being our Play of the Year: Ma'ake Kemoeatu forces the fumble and Paul Kruger recovers it! It may not have been a big return on the play, but that is some excellent teamwork by the ProUtes! Kemoeatu had 2 tackles and a PDef to go with his FF, while Kruger had 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks in addition to the FR. Kruger is the ProUte of the Week, but big Ma'ake made the big play!

Eric Weddle had 5 tackles, 2 PDef, and converted a fake punt. On 4th-and-2 from their own 28 the Chargers put the ball in Weddle's hands with a direct snap. He ran around the end for a 4 yard gain and a first down. No surprise to Utah fans who recall Weddle's success running the Wildcat in college, but it must have caught Washington off guard!

Steve Smith caught 7 passes for 109 yards as Carolina beat division-leading Atlanta, 30-20. The Associated Press reported:

It was all Carolina in the first half, beginning with the coin toss.

The Panthers hadn’t won a coin flip all year until Sunday, causing team captain Jordan Gross to exalt at midfield by thrusting both arms into the air. Including overtime, the Panthers were 0-13 on coin flips.

“I’ve never seen people cheering so loud for a coin toss,” Gross said with a laugh.
 

Haul It In

Steve Smith hauled in this touchdown pass, and with it the ProUte of the Week Award. Smith caught 5 passes for 120 yards, including a 23 yard TD and a 53 yard Hail Mary on the last play of the game. An emotional Kansas City team stopped the Panthers short, but Smith has never let his lack of size stop him from coming down with the ball.

Koa Misi had 5 tackles and sacked Tom Brady, as did his teammate Paul Soliai (2 tackles). Paul Kruger also got another sack, although his penalty for roughing the passer after the two minute warning helped the Steelers move into field goal range. David Reed was activated from the physically unable to perform list for the first time this season, but did not play.

The Wedd Head

Eric Weddle became the latest ProUte to suffer a concussion on Sunday. He was coming up to make a tackle on Ravens RB Ray Rice when he got blocked in the back by WR Anquan Boldin. The cheap shot propelled him head first into Rice, and Weddle sustained a concussion on the play. For all of the league's talk about protecting receivers from headhunting defenders, where is the penalty/suspension/fine for Boldin on this dirty play? Weddle left the game, Rice converted a 4th-and-29, and the game went to overtime, where Baltimore prevailed. Before he was knocked out of the game Weddle had 7 tackles, 2 PDefs, and a near interception that would have iced it for the Chargers. Instead the Wedd Head is on ice. Another ProUte of the Week Award won't ease his symptoms, but he deserves it.

Paul Kruger got after Philip Rivers using his quick hands, sacking the quarterback once. Kruger now has 5.5 sacks, matching his total from last season. He also had four tackles. Koa Misi made 7 tackles against the Seahawks, but it was teammate Paul Soliai who got to the quarterback for half a sack.

Alex Smith was cleared to play following his concussion, but Coach Harbaugh went with Colin Kaepernick instead. He looked good leading the Niners to a win in the Superdome, so Smith, the 5th highest rated passer in the league, finds himself embroiled in a quarterback controversy.

Picked Clean

Marcus Gilchrist made the leaping deflection, Eric Weddle made the interception, and Peyton Manning made a weak attempt at keeping him out of the end zone. Weddle took it back 23 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Manning's attempt was halfhearted but heady, as he stayed in the game and threw three touchdown passes to his own teammates. San Diego was able to sack him for a safety in the second half, as the Chargers defense put 9 points on the board before the offense got in gear. Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes but he also threw two interceptions and lost one of his three fumbles. Weddle might have to step into the backfield to protect his own quarterback, as Rivers was sacked 4 times (3 by Von Miller). As it is Weddle had 6 tackles, a PDef, and the pick six. San Diego wasn't good enough for the win or the division lead, but Weddle was certainly good enough to capture the ProUte of the Week Award, his first of the season.

Paul Kruger followed up his award-winning performance with another solid outing against the Steelers. He had two tackles, a sack, a PDef, and forced a fumble. Koa Misi had 4 tackles and a sack, while Sean Smith had 6 tackles and forced a fumble.

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. 

Not So Fast

Andre Miller may not be so fast these days, but watch him go up high to deny Derrick Favors the dunk! Miller tells the 6'10" Favors "Not so fast, youngster!"

Andrew Bogut has put the brakes on his comeback from an ankle injury. He had been limited to 18 minutes per game, with back-to-back games off, but he is out of action once more while he tries to build up the strength he needs to play effectively.

Take Back the Capital

Steve Smith, Jordan Gross, and the Carolina Panthers traveled to the nation's capital in week 9 and came away triumphant. The Washington Redskins billed it as a Homecoming game, with past greats invited and past horrid uniforms unveiled. Some of the Panthers took exception to a professional football game being called Homecoming, so they went out and played like professionals.

As always, it starts in the trenches, where Gross and the offensive line held their ground. They did not allow a sack and the Panthers rushed for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. Carolina converted on nearly half of their third downs (5-11) and put up 330 total yards on offense. Cam Newton had better protection than Robert Griffin III, and that was crucial. It allowed him to find Steve Smith, who found the end zone for the first time this season. Smith had 3 catches for 41 yards and a score. He also laid out a defender with a nice downfield block on Armanti Edward's 82 yard catch-and-run. Smith put the player down like he put down the trade rumors earlier in the week - he's playing his whole career in Carolina. It was a much-needed team victory, so Gross and Smith are the ProUtes of the Week.