Week 3 of the NFL season has come and gone, and some former Gators had solid performances for their respective professional teams. Here’s a look at how some of those players did last weekend in this edition of Gators in the NFL:
Jacoby Brissett’s big day:
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett played well in the Colts’ 31-28 win over the Cleveland Browns.
The former Gator completed 17-of-24 passes – including a 61-yarder to T.Y. Hilton – for 259 yards and one touchdown. He also scored two rushing touchdowns.
Brissett was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the New England Patriots and spent his rookie campaign behind Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo on the depth chart. Brissett played in three games last season as a reserve, completing 34-of-55 passes for 400 yards.
Brissett will start for the Colts again this week against the Seattle Seahawks. But, with Andrew Luck reportedly returning to practice this week, it is unclear how much longer Brissett will stay in the starting role.
Bostic, Morrison lead Colts defense:
Two more bright spots for the Colts this week were linebackers Jon Bostic and Antonio Morrison, who finished first and second on the team in tackles, respectively.
Bostic recorded 10 tackles, eight of which were solo, and deflected one pass against the Browns. He has 21 tackles through three games this year and is on track to break his career high.
Morrison made seven total tackles (four solo, three assisted) in the Colts’ win on Sunday. Coming off a rookie season in which he had 52 tackles, Morrison is expected to be a big contributor on defense this year. It’s starting to show, as he has 11 tackles through two games in 2017.
Other standout performances:
A few other former Gators defenders put up big numbers in Week 3 of the NFL season.
Atlanta Falcons defensive back Brian Poole recorded a team-high nine tackles (seven solo, two assisted) in a 30-26 win against the Detroit Lions. He also deflected two passes.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Alex Anzalone made seven tackles (four solo, three assisted), in the Saints’ 34-13 win against the Carolina Panthers. He finished tied for second on the team in tackles and has 15 tackles on the season.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. both recorded sacks in their team’s respective games.
Dunlap added three solo tackles in Cincinnati’s 27-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers, as well as three quarterback hits, and Fowler Jr. had two tackles and one quarterback hit in the Jaguars 44-7 win against the Baltimore Ravens.
You can follow Jake Dreilinger on Twitter @DreilingerJake, and contact him at jdreilinger@alligator.org.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) runs in for a touchdown in front of Cleveland Browns defensive end Carl Nassib (94) during the first half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
