Rebels in the Pros: Week Three was a net even

After the third consecutive week without a positive COVID-19 test result in the NFL, eleven former Rebels took the field for their respective teams on Sunday. The other played a major key in the reigning Super Bowl Champions’ game plan for Monday Night Football.

The Ole Miss alumni group played well in week one and dazzled in week two. Here is how they fared in week three:

Offense

• Let’s go ahead and get the elephant in the room out of the way early. D.K. Metcalf made a bad blunder. It was embarrassing. He will learn from it.

Just when the internet thought that he was to finish the night as a viral laugh, the Seahawks began to drive down the field late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game. Seattle pulled off the come-from-behind victory over Dallas and Russell Wilson floated one right into the hands of Metcalf for six. He finished the night with four catches for 110 yards and the game-winner.

Let the haters hate.

• Things got chippy in the middle of the Chicago game and Bobbie Massie was right in the middle. He started every snap at right tackle for the Bears again on Sunday, this time protecting Nick Foles in a comeback win.
• Jordan Wilkins is heavily in the mix at running back for Indianapolis, with Marlon Mack lost for the season. He has yet to disappoint, but will continue to play a tertiary role beside Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines until one of the two give a reason for them to come out.

• When Christian McCaffery went on the Injury Reserve, the Panthers chose not to sign a running back and appeared comfortable with Mike Davis, Trenton Cannon and the training camp surprise Myles Hartsfield. He didn’t take a snap in the backfield on Sunday, but continued to play on special teams.
• The Jets are a laughing stock, and Donte Moncrief is injured on the practice squad, unable to help. Though all hope is surely lost for the Gang Green.
• After “making an appearance in the stands at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium” on Saturday, Laremy Tunsil took 100% of the snaps at left tackle on Sunday.

• A.J. Brown doesn’t care about your fantasy team. He sat out for the second consecutive week with a bone bruise and is not going to rush back to the field. His knee isn’t responding to treatment, so unless there is an underlying issue that has yet to be discovered, all he needs is time to heal up.

• At tight end, Evan Engram made three grabs for 22 yards and Dawson Knox sat out under concussion protocol.
• He may be on the team’s practice squad, but Jordan Ta’amu appears to be the future backup to Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. The coaching staff has continues to speak highly of him and appears to place a lot of faith in him. He played an important role leading up to the Monday night game against Baltimore.

Defense

• As the headliner of Rebel performances in the first two weeks, Mike Hilton continues to hold that title through the third. He put up eight tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass defense and an interception in a Steelers victory over the Texans. The 5-foot-9 energizer bunny is a very special player.

• On the opposite sideline from Hilton, his former teammate A.J. Moore experienced growing and physical pains with the Texans. He bit way too hard on a tight end route and a miscommunication among Houston defensive backs left Juju Smith-Schuster wide open for a touchdown, and he left the game late after pulling up on a deep ball coverage. Moore made four tackles (three solo) and a quarterback hit before he exited, but may need to nurse with what looked like a hamstring for a few weeks.
• Over in Carolina, Marquise Haynes recorded a solo tackle and his first sack of the season. His previously mentioned teammate Hartsfield has more opportunity to see the field at running back than corner back at the moment, and Woodrow Hamilton was moved back down to the practice squad.