Badgers in the NFL, Week 10

Looking for past performances and other posts about former Wisconsin Badgers in the NFL? Take a look here. Want a list of every Badger currently on an active NFL roster? That’s tracked here. Looking for a quick rundown of how all those Badgers fared this week in the league? Read on:

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks quarterback

In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, Wilson had a huge Sunday night. He helped lead the Seahawks over the New England Patriots by completing 25 of his 37 passes for 348 yards and three touchdowns.

The quarterback followed up his performance by announcing on Monday that he has joined the Sonics Arena Group to help bring an NBA and NHL team to Seattle:

The Player’s Tribune also posted a piece on the topic written by Wilson, who apparently grew up a Sonics fan:

Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers running back

Gordon didn’t enjoy quite the success he had in Week 9, when he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week, but he saw plenty of action against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10. The second-year back reeled in five catches for 62 yards while carrying the ball 24 times for 70 yards and a long of 19. Though he only averaged 2.9 yards per carry, this was the fourth consecutive week in which Gordon topped 100 total yards.

Gordon enters the bye week with more total yards, touchdowns and a higher yards-per-carry than his entire rookie season. If you haven’t been keeping up, now would be a great time to catch up on his season highlights thus far:

Alex Erickson, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver/returner

The former walk-on from Darlington, Wis., continues to outplay his undrafted free agent label. On Monday Night Football, Erickson fielded the second-half kickoff and took it 84 yards to the New York Giants’ 13-yard line. The Bengals would score two plays later to take a 17-14 lead, but eventually lost the game. Overall, Erickson fielded four kickoffs for a total of 144 yards and three punts for 11 yards in the game. He ranks 10th in the league in kick return yardage.

Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys center

As a visitor of this site, you are almost certainly are aware of the history and success of Wisconsin offensive linemen; they have been the foundation of the success that the program has seen over the past 20-plus years. Despite that foundation and the fact that there are seven former Badgers on active NFL rosters, they don’t get much run in this weekly post. Let’s change that, if only for one week.

In the best game of Week 10 (and possibly of the season to date), Travis Frederick’s Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 35-30 thriller. Frederick and his offensive line paved the way for running back Ezekiel Elliott’s 200-plus total yards and three touchdowns. You’ll find Frederick (No. 72) leading the way on this impressive screen pass that Elliott took 83 yards to the house:

A fourth-year pro, Frederick has helped anchor the offensive line that boasts the league’s top rusher (Elliott) and top rushing offense this season.

Other notes and highlights:

• With Pro Bowl center Eric Wood placed on injured reserve, Buffalo Bills lineman Ryan Groy will compete for the starting spot this week.
• Jacksonville Jaguars punter Brad Nortman punted three times for an average of 38.3 yards.
• Patriots running back James White gained 32 yards on four catches and added five rushing yards. White is third on the team in receptions this season.
• Jonathan Casillas helped the Giants defeat Erickson’s Bengals, recording five tackles and 0.5 sacks.
• DeAndre Levy hasn’t played for the Detroit Lions since Week 1, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact. ESPN wrote about Levy’s social activism this week.