The National Football League turns the calendar to Week 3 and we take a look at the impact from #ProJackets across the league.
Darren Waller enjoyed his latest return to Atlanta, hauling in three catches for 33 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 34-3 win over the Falcons. It was his fifth career game with multiple receiving touchdowns and his third in his last 11 games since coming back from retirement last season. Through two games this year, Waller ranks fourth in the NFL among tight ends with a 82.5 offensive grade, trailing only Dalton Kincaid, Travis Kelce and Isaiah Likely.
Harrison Butker added another chapter to his legacy of clutch kicking, slotting in a 40-yard game-winning kick in overtime to lift the Chiefs to a victory over Indianapolis and a 2-0 start. It was his fourth field goal of the game and his second of the overtime period after also hitting from 31 yards out. Butker has now made his last 13 field goal attempts when Kansas City is either tied or trailing with less than two minutes left in the game (or overtime), with his last miss in a clutch situation coming in November of 2019, nearly seven years ago.
Rookie Rodney Shelley made his first two NFL tackles on the Chargers’ first two kickoffs of the second half. Shelley has carved out a considerable special teams role for himself in LA, seeing time on the kickoff, punt return, punt and field goal block units as well as serving as a substitute on defense.
ZEEK BIGGERS (DT– MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-2))
2nd NFL season
Week 2: Led Miami’s defensive line with 35 snaps played, finishing with four tackles and a hurry in the Dolphins' 35-13 loss to San Francisco.
Week 3: vs Kansas City Chiefs: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on CBS
HARRISON BUTKER (K– KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-0))
10th NFL season
Week 2: 4/5 on Field Goals and 3/3 on PATs including a 40yard game-winning field goal in overtime as Kansas City defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 33-30 (OT)
Week 3: at Miami Dolphins: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on CBS
JACKSON HAWES (TE– BUFFALO BILLS (2-0))
2nd NFL season
Week 2: Ranked as the No. 5 run-blocking tight end in the NFL by PFF, played in 37 offensive snaps in a 41-31 win over Detroit.
Week 3: vs Los Angeles Chargers: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on FOX
EJ JENKINS (TE– PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-0))
4th NFL season
Week 2: Saw action in 25 snaps in a 24-20 win over Tennessee.
Week 3: at Chicago Bears: Monday, Sept. 28 at 8:15 pm on ESPN/ABC
HAYNES KING (QB– CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-1))
1st NFL season
Week 2: Has recovered from a hamstring injury that saw him miss two preseason games. Did not play in a 34-3 win over Atlanta, serving as emergency QB3.
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on FOX
JORDAN MASON (RB– MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-0))
5th NFL season
Week 2: Placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on his thumb. Not eligible to return until Week 6.
Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4:05 pm on FOX
KEYLAN RUTLEDGE (OL– HOUSTON TEXANS (0-2))
1st NFL season
Week 2: Started at LG and played 81 snaps in a 20-6 loss to Cincinnati. Rutledge is currently tied with two other Texans for the most snaps played by an offensive lineman in the NFL through the first two weeks.
Week 3: at Indianapolis Colts: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on CBS
RODNEY SHELLEY (CB– LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-2))
1st NFL season
Week 2: Saw action in 17 snaps and recorded a pair of tackles in a 26-14 loss to Las Vegas.
Week 3: at Buffalo Bills: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on CBS
JORDAN VAN DEN BERG (DT– CHICAGO BEARS (1-1))
1st NFL season
Week 2: Played in 15 snaps, nine on defense, and recorded his first career tackle in a 9-3 loss to Minnesota.
Week 3: vs Philadelphia Eagles: Monday, Sept. 28 at 8:15 pm on ESPN/ABC
DARREN WALLER (TE– CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-1))
10th NFL season
Week 2: Made three catches for 33 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-3 victory over Atlanta.
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 pm on FOX
KEION WHITE (DE– SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (2-0))
4th NFL season
Week 2: Made two tackles and a sack in the 49ers 35-13 victory over the Dolphins.
Week 3: vs. Arizona Cardinals: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4:05 pm on FOX
Three former Jackets are on practice squads:
OL Devin Cochran (Detroit Lions)
WR Dean Patterson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
WR Eric Rivers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and at www.ramblinwreck.com.