Hawkeyes in the NFL: Week 5 Top Performers
Another week of the NFL season has come and gone, which means it’s time for another week of looking at the best performances from former Hawkeyes. In total, there are 30 former Iowa players on active rosters and this week it was the tight ends that had standout performances. We take a look at the top five performances from week five of the NFL season.
Honorable Mentions
LB Josey Jewell– 5 tkls vs New York Jets
TE TJ Hockenson– 5 receptions for 51 yards vs Kansas City
1. TE George Kittle
It was tough competition for the top former Iowa tight end performance of the week, but George Kittle was the clear #1 after he put together a special game against the Cowboys. Kittle finished with just three catches for 67 yards, but all three went for touchdowns. Through five weeks, George has 17 receptions for 215 yards and is sixth in fantasy points (56.5) for a tight end.
2. DE AJ Epenesa
Sometimes players struggle in London due to the time change, but AJ Epenesa woke up ready to play on Sunday against the Jaguars. He played 50 snaps, which is his most snaps since week 10 of last season, when he also played 50 snaps against the Vikings. Epenesa was electric for the Bills defense. He finished with four tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and an impressive six quarterback pressures. His 88.7 pass rush grade by Pro Football Focus ranked 6th best amongst all edge rushers for week five, while his 85.7 overall grade ranked 12th.
3. TE Sam LaPorta
If it wasn’t for the three touchdown performance by George Kittle on Sunday night, Sam LaPorta would have been the top tight end of the week amongst the former Hawkeyes. The rookie caught three passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions win over the Panthers. Through five weeks, Sam leads all tight ends with 289 receiving yards, while his 25 catches ranks fourth. He is just the second tight end in NFL history with 35+ receiving yards in each of their first five games.
4. OG Brandon Scherff
Make it back-to-back weeks now that OG Brandon Scherff has put together a really good pass blocking performance. Last week, Scherff put up the fifth best pass blocking performance of the week against the Falcons. This week, he was even better, with an 89.4 pass block grade against the Bills. Scherff did not allow a single QB pressure over 47 pass block snaps and was rated as the third best pass blocking lineman of the week.
5. DE Zach VanValkenburg
One of the better stories of the season so far, after spending his rookie season on the practice squad with the Raiders and the Rams, Zach VanValkenburg made the 53-man roster for Los Angeles. He has seen limited time, but has played in all five games to begin the season. On Sunday, he saw 17 snaps against the Eagles and made an impact. VanValkenburg finished with three quarterback pressures, including his first career sack over just nine pass rush snaps.
Play of the Week: Trickeration by the Lions and 49ers
We have already taken a look at the peformances by George Kittle and Sam LaPorta. They finished with a combined six catches for 114 yards and five of the ten touchdown catches by tight ends for week five. The incredible thing about it was that they both scored on the EXACT SAME trick play. The Lions and 49ers both dialed up some trickeration and both ended with a former Iowa tight end strolling into the end zone.
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