NFL update: How the state players did in Week 3
By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com – @anthonyVslater
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Brandon Weeden (OSU) – Cleveland Browns
Result: 24-14 loss to Buffalo
Stats: 27/43 passing for 237 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions
Thoughts: Wasn’t as bad as his first game, wasn’t as good as his second. After a slow start, Weeden kickstarted the offense with a pair of impressive touchdown drives, capping the second with a 22-yard touchdown strike to Travis Benjamin. But two late interceptions, in desperation time, sealed the Browns third consecutive loss. The rookie’s developing a certain comfort level and showing positive signs, but team deficiencies and a few questionable decisions have doomed him.
Quote: “If you take away the last throw, I think it was a solid day. You know really, I mean I threw the ball where it needed to go all day. I felt extremely comfortable in the pocket. I felt my reads were really good. I felt like I threw the ball accurately. I felt like I had a good day.” – Weeden to reporters following the loss.
Up Next: It doesn’t get easier for Weeden. Actually, it gets much harder. The Browns travel to Baltimore, on a short week, to face the Ravens vaunted defense for a primetime Thursday night game on NFL Network. Welcome to the NFL. Ray Lewis will now eat your soul.
Sam Bradford (OU) – St. Louis Rams
Result: 23-6 loss to Chicago
Stats: 18/35 passing for 152 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions
Thoughts: Brutal game for Bradford, his worst in a long time. And from the start, facing a physical and swarming Chicago defense, he never had much of a chance. The former OU star was sacked six times, pressured all game and threw a crucial fourth quarter pick-six to seal the loss. St. Louis is struggling, now 1-2, with two big division games coming up.
Quote: “We definitely didn’t play well today. Give them credit, they played us tough. But I think there are a lot of things when we look at the film that are going to fall on us. Things that we were in control of and just didn’t handle. It was a tough game, a lot for us to learn from and move on as a group.” -Bradford to reporters following the game.
Link: Here’s the AP recap.
(AP Photo/LM Otero)
DeMarco Murray (OU) – Dallas Cowboys
Result: 16-10 win over Tampa Bay
Stats: 38 rushing yards, 17 receiving yards and one touchdowns
Thoughts: The sledding was tough against Gerald McCoy (another former Sooner star) and the Tampa Bay interior, but Murray found a way to maximize his effectiveness, scoring the Cowboys only touchdown in the home opener. Three games into his second season, Murray’s solidified his starting spot.
Quote: “It definitely wasn’t one of our best games,” said Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. “We had too many mistakes. We got a little sloppy. We’ve got to play better and all get on the same page … but we got the win.”
