A pair of former #Michigan pass rushers picked up sacks, while Washington Commanders CB Mike Sainristil continues to thrive. We have that and other notable NFL performances from former Wolverines in Week 7:
Week 7 of the NFL season is in the books, and while there are a few top former Wolverines on the Injured List, with Michigan standouts all over the NFL, we still have plenty of performances to recap.
Let’s kick things off with a pair of pass rushers picking up sacks.
Pair of Michigan pass rushers pick up sacks
The front seven has been one of the most consistent groups for the Michigan Wolverines over the past decade, and a few NFL teams have benefitted from that.
The Green Bay Packers picked up a win over the Houston Texans , with linebacker Rashan Gary picking up a sack. It was his second sack of the season, and with that, Gary has now racked up 33.5 sacks in 80 games across parts of six seasons. Gary finished the game with five tackles and three quarterback hits.
GARY GETS TO HIM!#HOUvsGB pic.twitter.com/5un6Iv5Yef
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 20, 2024
Gary wasn’t the only player to sack the quarterback this week, with Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II teaming up with Isaiah McGuire to sack Joe Burrow in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals . Known more as a run-stuffing defensive tackle, this was Hurst’s first half-sack of the season. He’s had 10 sacks in 58 games over parts of six seasons.
In that same game, Bengals cornerback D.J. Turner had four tackles and a pass defensed, and Browns linebacker Devin Bush had two tackles.
Mike Sainristil leads Commanders in tackles in win
Michigan fan favorite Mike Sainristil was expected to mostly play nickel for the Commanders, but after being forced to play outside coverage with recent injuries, he’s been thriving.
In a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers , Sainristil led his team with seven tackles, six of them solo, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed on third down to force a Panthers punt.
3rd and 4 – nice coverage by Mike Sainristil pic.twitter.com/ddwdg1EZ9X
— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) October 20, 2024
After struggling over the first few weeks, Sainristil has really turned it on lately, posting 17 of his 35 tackles over the last three games. He also had his first career interception last week .
Rookie edge picks up first career tackle for loss
Rookie defenders often take some time to get their feet wet in the NFL while they adjust the speed of the NFL and the sheer size of playbooks. That was the case for Tennessee Titans edge rusher Jaylen Harrell, who was finally able to pick up his first tackle for loss in a loss to the Buffalo Bills .
.@jayharrell32 gets into the backfield for the TFL
: Watch #TENvsBUF on @NFLonCBS stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/jxTS7zOsD7
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 20, 2024
Harrell has gotten off to a modest start, posting five tackles in his first six games. But as he gets more comfortable, he should be making more plays like this as the season goes along.
Other notable performances
-The Detroit Lions once again had a solid game on the ground. In a win over the Minnesota Vikings , guard Graham Glasgow helped the Lions rush for 144 yards on 27 attempts (5.3 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns. The unit did give up four sacks, however.
In that same game, Vikings safety Josh Metellus was the team’s second-leading tackler, racking up eight tackles and two quarterback hits.
-In a win over the Atlanta Falcons , Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet rushed for 19 yards on eight attempts.
-In a win over the Las Vegas Raiders , Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum rushed three times for 11 yards.
-In a win over the Miami Dolphins , Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye posted a solo tackle.
-In a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs , Ronnie Bell had a catch for 10 yards.