Auburn in the NFL: Week 8 recap

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AUBURN, Ala. – Here's a look at how the 26 former Auburn players on active NFL rosters fared this past weekend in week eight of the NFL season.
 
BEST OF WEEK 8
 
Peyton Barber, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It was another impressive week for Barber, who despite only playing on 49 percent of the offensive snaps, finished with 19 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown in a 37-34 loss the Cincinnati Bengals. The touchdown run came from a yard out, and Barber jumped over the line of scrimmage to get into the end zone. It was his first rushing touchdown of the season and the fifth of his career. 
 


 
Dee Ford, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
There's wreaking havoc and then there's what Ford did this week. The former first-round pick finished with five tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles to help the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos, 30-23. Ford, who is now tied for second in the NFL with eight sacks on the season, was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday. His pass rush grade via PFF (91.9) is tops among all edge rushers in the NFL.  
 


 
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
It didn't matter that Newton was facing one of the NFL's top defenses Sunday. He still put on a show with 219 yards passing, 52 yards rushing and three total touchdowns in a 36-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The former league MVP now has 13 passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns through the first seven games of the season, and with him leading the offense, the Panthers are 5-2 and firmly in the mix for the playoffs.
 


 
OTHER TIGERS IN THE NFL
 
Montravius Adams, DT, Green Bay Packers
Adams recorded one tackle in a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Along with playing nose tackle, the former third-round pick also saw some snaps on the special teams unit.
 
Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Carolina Panthers
Artis-Payne was active but didn't see the field in Sunday's win over the Baltimore Ravens. 
 
Daren Bates, LB, Tennessee Titans
With the Titans on bye, Bates did not play this week.
 
Angelo Blackson, DE, Houston Texans
For the second straight week, Blackson recorded a tackle and a pass deflection to help the Texans beat the Miami Dolphins, 42-23. The fourth-year pro now has at least one tackle in all but one game this season.
 
Josh Bynes, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Bynes was active yet again for the Cardinals in an 18-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The eighth-year pro finished with five tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection and one quarterback hit. He now has 61 tackles through the team's first eight games.
 
Daniel Carlson, K, Oakland Raiders
Making his debut with the Raiders, Carlson did not attempt a field goal but made all four of his extra-point attempts in a 42-28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The rookie kicker, a former fifth-round draft pick, signed with Oakland last week.
 
Sammie Coates, WR, Houston Texans
Coates played primarily on special teams in a 42-23 win over the Miami Dolphins. The fourth-year wide receiver has one catch for 12 yards on the season.
 
Shon Coleman, OL, San Francisco 49ers
Coleman did not play in Week Eight. The former third-round pick was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the 49ers prior to the season. 
 
Blake Countess, DB, Los Angeles Rams
In a 29-27 win over the Green Bay Packers, Countess returned three kicks for 55 yards. The former sixth-round pick is in the midst of his third year in the league and works primarily on the special teams unit for the Rams.
 
Carlton Davis, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Davis earned another start, his sixth of the season, and finished with two tackles and a pass defended in a 37-34 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The rookie cornerback, taken in the second round of April's NFL draft, now has 20 tackles and three passes defended on the year.
 
Casey Dunn, C, Washington Redskins
Dunn did not play in a Week 7 win over the New York Giants. The rookie center made the 53-man roster after signing with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in the offseason.
 
Rudy Ford, DB, Arizona Cardinals
A week after starting his first NFL game, Ford played sparingly on defense and some on special teams and finished with one tackle in an 18-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
 
Josh Harris, LS, Atlanta Falcons
With the Falcons on bye, Harris did not play this week.
 
Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions
Coming off a week in which Johnson rushed for 158 yards, the rookie running did most of his damage through the air Sunday with six catches for 69 yards in a 28-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Johnson, who added 22 yards on the ground, continues to lead the Lions' backfield. Through the first half of the season, he ranks in the top 10 of all NFL running backs with an overall PFF grade of 77.8.
 
Jonathan Jones, CB, New England Patriots
There were no highlight-reel interceptions for Jones this week, but he still recorded three tackles in a 25-6 win over the Buffalo Bills. The third-year player has 33 tackles and six passes defended through the first half of the season and has an overall PFF grade of 65.6  
 
Brandon King, LB, New England Patriots
Playing solely on special teams, King finished with a season-high three tackles in a 25-6 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. The fourth-year pro and special teams ace has now recorded a tackle in four of the team's eight seven games.
 
Carl Lawson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Lawson left Sunday's game in the first quarter after it was later confirmed that he tore his ACL. The second-year player, who led all rookies with 8.5 sacks a year ago, is expected to miss the rest of the season. He had six tackles and one sack to this point.
 
Cody Parkey, K, Chicago Bears
Parkey made one field goal from 32 yards out and converted on all three of his PAT attempts in a 24-10 win over the New York Jets. The fifth-year kicker is now 12 of 15 on field goals this season and has yet to miss an extra point.
 
Greg Robinson, OL, Cleveland Browns
Robinson played two snaps on offense and four snaps on special teams in a 33-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former No. 2 overall pick signed with the Browns in the offseason after spending his first four seasons in the Rams' organization.
 
Braden Smith, OL, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts went over 200 yards rushing for the second straight week thanks in large part to Smith and the offensive line. The rookie started his fourth straight game at right tackle and played all 78 offensive snaps in a 42-28 win over the Oakland Raiders.
 
Neiko Thorpe, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Thorpe was inactive in a 28-14 win over the Detroit Lions with a groin injury. There has been no word as to when the eighth-year player will return.
 
C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
A week after scoring his second touchdown of the season, Uzomah was held without a catch in a 37-34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The fourth-year player still played on 97 percent of the snaps on offense and received four targets.
 
Jermaine Whitehead, S Green Bay Packers
Whitehead earned his second start of the season and finished with a career-high seven tackles in a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The fourth-year pro saw 75 snaps on defense and could see even more playing time after the Packers traded away Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
 
DNP (Reserve/Injured or Practice Squad)
 Corey Grant, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jeff Holland, LB, Denver Broncos
Joshua Holsey, CB, Washington Redskins
Devaroe Lawrence, DL, Cleveland Browns
Ricardo Louis, WR, Cleveland Browns
Tray Matthews, DB, Indianpolis Colts
Cassanova McKinzy, LB, Washington Redskins
Jonathon Mincy, CB, Chicago Bears
Chad Slade, OL, Houston Texans
Gabe Wright, DT, Oakland Raiders