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Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season is in the books. It was a quiet week for some of our favorite Hawkeyes, and unfortunately there were some injury issues as well. Houston tight end C.J. Fiedoriwicz was placed on IR after two concussions, Green Bay’s Mike Daniels left the Sunday night game against the Falcons early with a hamstring issue, and Ravens guard Marshall Yanda fractured his ankle and is done for the year.
That said, we did see a couple of guys make some significant contributions to their respective team’s causes — and more importantly — stay healthy.
Karl Klug, Defensive Lineman, Titans
Klug logged two tackles in Tennessee’s impressive win over the Jaguars. He played a key role in the Titan defense holding Jacksonville to 310 yards and causing three turnovers.
Christian Kirksey, Linebacker, Browns
Kirksey was the best defensive player for Cleveland this weekend. He was in on nine tackles and had a sack in a loss to the Ravens. He continues to be one of the few bright spots on a Cleveland franchise constantly searching for a positive.
Carl Davis, Defensive Tackle, Ravens
Davis has two tackles against the Browns and helped limit Cleveland to just 93 rushing yards. He continues to be a valuable piece to what is shaping up to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Desmond King, Defensive Back, Chargers
King had a nice Sunday, logging five tackles in a heartbreaking loss to the Dolphins. You’ll likely see his playing time start to increase each week from here on out.
George Kittle, Tight End, 49ers
Kittle caught two passes for 13 total yards in San Francisco’s 12-9 loss to the Seahawks. Those were also his only two targets. He lost a yard on one of the plays and gained 14 on the other. San Fran’s passing game is a mess right now and Kittle’s numbers may not get much better until those problems are resolved...more on that below.
Adrian Clayborn, Defensive Lineman, Falcons
Clayborn had a sack (pictured) and a tackle in Atlanta’s 34-23 win over the Packers. He was part of an Atlanta defensive front that was in Aaron Rodgers’ face all night. He also just missed a second sack on Rodgers, but sent the Packer quarterback flying in the process:
Adrian Clayborn with a mammoth hit on Aaron Rodgers. Holy moly. pic.twitter.com/ahItojI27Z
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) September 18, 2017
LINEMAN LOVE:
Brandon Scherff, Guard, Redskins
Scherff was a key part of the Redskins domination of the Rams on the ground in Washington’s 27-20 win. The Redskins piled up 229 rushing yards as the line dominated a solid Los Angeles defensive front.
ALSO OF NOTE:
Keep an eye on the quarterback situation in San Francisco. Current starter Brian Hoyer has yet to throw a touchdown pass, has tossed two interceptions, and the 49ers are 0-2. Whether it be just for a spark or just planning for the future, in my opinion, I think C.J. Beathard could be handed the keys to the offense before mid-October.