NFL’s Top 4 Tar Heels in Week 7
Six different teams were off with their bye in Week 7. Atlanta, Denver, San Diego, Kansas City, Miami, and Philadelphia were all off. Three of the teams not in action on Sunday include former UNC players. Below is the top four Tar Heel performers in week seven with two players collecting one spot making this week the first week with five Tar Heels.
Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE
Greg Little WR Cleveland Browns
Though the Browns lost a close game to Indianapolis 17-13, I still have to give props to Greg Little after his acrobatic TD catch in the 2nd quarter to tie the game at seven a piece. Little finished with 6 catches for 52 yards and one TD. As rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden continues to develop and mature as the Browns signal caller more opportunities will come the former Tar Heel wide-outs way. Like many have stated before, Little has all of the tools and physical attributes to be a playmaker but can he maintain consistency? His amazing toe-tapping catch Sunday should be a positive sign of things to come for Cleveland fans.
Bruce Carter LB Gerald Sensabaugh S Dallas Cowboys
Dallas went on the road and won Sunday in Charlotte 19-14 over the Panthers. Two former Tar Heels in Bruce Carter and Gerald Sensabaugh contributed to the Cowboys defense holding Carolina to 329 total NET yards and two turnovers. LB Bruce Carter finished with 3 tackles while free-safety Gerald Sensabaugh finished with just two tackles. Overall the Cowboys defense played a great game holding Cam Newton and the Panthers offense to just 2 of 10 on third down conversions.
Robert Quinn DE St. Louis Rams
Quinn was another top performer in a loss Sunday. The Rams lost at home to the Green Bay Packers 30-20. In the loss, Quin recorded one tackle and one sack. The sack was Quinn’s seventh of the year and all signs point to him finishing the season with a double-digit sack total and a possible Pro-Bowl invitation. With another potent pass rusher opposite the former UNC defensive end in Chris Long, opposing offensive lines are not sure who to double-team or focus on stopping. The combination of Quinn and Long continues to cause miss-matches for most O-lines.
Julius Peppers DE Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears defense stepped up once again, this time on Monday Night holding the high-powered Detroit Lions to just seven points in their 13-7 win at Soldier Field. The Lions were held scoreless until under a minute left in the game. Peppers, a former two-sport star at Chapel Hill, recorded one tackle, had one sack, and recovered one fumble as the Bears dominated defensively at home. Peppers may have had just one sack but was the direct cause of at least two more. The Chicago defense forced three Lions turnovers in the red-zone Monday Night with two fumbles forced then recovered as well as an interception by cornerback D.J. Moore. Overall, the Bears defense held Detroit to 4 of 13 on third down conversions, and held superstar WR Calvin “Megatron” Johnson to just 3 receptions for 34 yards and no touchdowns. The Chi-town defense also held the Lions offense to 340 total NET yards which is under their season average of 406 yards that has them ranked fourth in the NFL in total yards-per-game. The only disappointment suffered by the Chicago D Sunday was the fact that they had an opportunity to shut out the Detroit Lions for first time since 1962 and came up a little short.