A look at Eagles in the NFL
A look at Eagles in the NFL
By Bryan Bruwer
With the NFL season at its halfway point, now is a good time to gauge the overall success of players and teams so far this season. In this article, we will be examining the success (or lack thereof) of some Boston College’s premier players in the NFL.
Matt Ryan (QB, Atlanta Falcons)- On the heels of an incredible MVP campaign in 2016 which saw “Matty Ice” bring the Falcons to the doorstep of football immortality, Ryan has shown some regression, which was to be expected to a degree. After all, it is no easy task to replicate a season in which Ryan tossed 38 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions, with a league leading QBR of 83.3. Through 7 games this season, Ryan has thrown only 9 touchdowns in comparison to 6 interceptions, many of which were tipped balls or resulted from drops by his wide receivers. He also has lost 3 fumbles, one of which came on a controversial call against the Bills, in which it appeared that Ryan’s arm was moving forward with possession of the ball as he was hit by Jerry Hughes. The other two occurred this past Sunday in the form of dropped snaps, during a game played during a torrential downpour. It appears as if Ryan has not caught any of the breaks that he may have caught last year, which is reflected in his mediocre stats. Excuses aside, Ryan and the 4-3 Falcons aren’t looking like the dominant squad of 2016, and they will need to get hot in a hurry to keep pace with the Saints and Panthers in the NFC South. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time left for Ryan to turn his season around.
Luke Kuechly (LB, Carolina Panthers)- Perhaps the best defensive player to come out of BC in some time, Kuechly has maintained the excellence demonstrated in his prior five NFL seasons, in which he racked up over 100 tackles every season, despite missing 6 games in 2016 and 3 in 2015. Health has been an issue for Kuechly again in 2017, as he was recently in concussion protocol and missed most of the Panthers loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the entirety of an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears. Despite these health concerns, Kuechly remains on pace to eclipse the 100 tackle mark once again, and has continued to be one of if not the best linebacker in all of football. His best showing of the season came in the Panthers’ road upset of the New England Patriots, a game in which he recorded 14 tackles.
Anthony Castonzo (OT, Indianapolis Colts)- Castonzo, a first round pick of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2011, has quietly put together an impressive NFL career. He has started in all 97 games he has played in since being drafted, and has been rated as the #10 tackle in football according to ProFootballFocus so far in the 2017 season. Despite the Colts offensive line being notorious for failing to protect franchise QB Andrew Luck, it is abundantly clear that the problem does not lie in Castonzo, who continues to be a reliable left tackle at the professional level.
Justin Simmons (S, Denver Broncos)- Justin Simmons, a little known component of Denver’s renowned “no fly zone,” has been making a name for himself so far in 2017. The second year pro has racked up 36 tackles, already surpassing his 2016 total, and recorded a game sealing interception in a pivotal divisional clash against the Oakland Raiders back in week 4 Simmons also recorded 11 tackles in a loss to the Giants. The young safety was ranked by PFF as the 23rd best safety in all of football so far this season, and he still has plenty of time to develop. Simmons has earned the starting job at strong safety out in Denver, and will look to continue running with the opportunity.
John Johnson III (S, Los Angeles Rams)- Johnson, a third round pick of the Rams, has contributed in his limited reps so far this season. The rookie has recorded 18 tackles, and an interception in the red zone followed by 69 yard run back against the Seattle Seahawks. Johnson, now listed as the starter at free safety for an exciting young Rams team, is another former Eagle who has made the most of his opportunity so far this season.
Matt Milano (LB, Buffalo Bills)- The heart and soul of a stout Boston College defense over the last few years, Milano, a fifth round selection of the Buffalo Bills in the 2017 draft, has had his fair share of contributions to a gritty Buffalo defense. Despite a lack of sufficient playing time at the start of the season, Milano has recorded 15 tackles, and notched his first career interception in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back on October 22nd. This past weekend, Milano recorded four tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown, as the Bills blew out the Oakland Raiders. These recent showings are creating some nice momentum for Milano, who will hope to continue creating big plays for a surging Bills team hoping to end an abysmal 17-year playoff drought.