Week five is now in the books, and it’s time to take a look at how some of the Horned Frogs in the NFL are performing at the moment.
Currently there are 14 former Frogs active in the pros, highlighted by 2011 graduate and Bengals’ starting quarterback Andy Dalton. While Dalton certainly has potential, already leading the Bengals to playoff appearances in his first two seasons, 2013 has been a roller coaster for him thus far.
Despite a strong week three performance in which Dalton led the Bengals to a 34-30 win over the Green Bay Packers, Dalton has struggled in his last two outings. After a 17-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns last week in which Dalton completed 54 percent of his passes with no touchdowns, he completed 74 percent of his passes Sunday in a 13-6 victory over the New England Patriots, but threw an interception in the red zone early on and once again failed to pass for a touchdown in the game. He may have pulled out the win, but it wasn't pretty.
Standing on the opposite side of the field from Dalton this past weekend was 2013 TCU grad and rookie wide receiver Josh Boyce of the New England Patriots. While he has not had much playing time yet this season, Boyce did record his first career reception in last week’s 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Boyce will have a lot of competition while playing in Foxborough, but the all-time leader in TCU touchdown receptions has plenty of time to prove himself over the next few seasons.
The best performance this week by a former TCU player, however, clearly belonged to Jets wide receiver Jeremy Kerley. The 2011 draftee played a large role in the Jets 30-28 victory over the Falcons in Atlanta Monday night, recording 5 receptions for 68 yards, including his first touchdown of the season. With the Jets desperately needing their receivers to step up, Kerley is in a prime position to make a name for himself this year.
On the defensive side of the field, a number of former TCU linebackers also had respectable performances this week, including Daryl Washington (Arizona), David Hawthorne (New Orleans), and Jerry Hughes (Buffalo). Each recorded at least one sack and multiple tackles in their respective games this past Sunday.
That sums it up for week five. Keep an eye out for more updates on Frogs in the NFL as the season progresses.
