Iowa Hawkeyes in the NFL: Week 6 Roundup

On Monday night, C.J. Beathard put forth an effort that may ultimately help ensure he’s employed in the NFL for many years to come.

It just wasn’t enough to beat Aaron Rodgers.

Beathard and the San Francisco 49ers captivated football fans around the country with a one-night Cinderella story that wasn’t quite meant to be in a 33-30 loss in Green Bay. The second-year ex-Hawkeye completed 16 of 23 passes for 245 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, for a 115.3 passer rating that is the second-highest of his career. But his best mark — a 123.4 rating last year against a three-win New York Giants squad — didn’t make the same impression as Monday’s performance, which saw him largely outplay Rodgers for three-plus quarters.

Beathard’s interception with 1:07 left gave Rodgers all the opportunity he needed to lead the game-winning drive.

Earlier in the night, Beathard showcased quite the rapport with San Francisco speedster Marquise Goodwin, connecting with him on touchdown throws of 67 and 30 yards.

With this performance, Beathard now has an 87.3 passer rating in three games this season, throwing for 892 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s averaging 7.8 yards per attempt.

Teammate George Kittle had a quieter night at the tight end position, grabbing four of his six targets from Beathard for 30 yards. Cornerback Greg Mabin had earned praise from the 49ers for his play in recent weeks, but was picked on and beaten a number of times by Green Bay while recording three tackles.

Josh Jackson and Mike Daniels both had two tackles for the Packers.

Desmond King had a career day for the Chargers, picking off Baker Mayfield twice in a 38-14 win against Cleveland. The interceptions were the second and third of his two-year career, and he earned Pro Football Focus’s highest grade among all cornerbacks for Week 6 (93.4). King also returned two punts for 36 yards and is averaging an impressive 14.1 yards per punt return this season.

Christian Kirksey was on the losing end of the matchup, registering one tackle with two passes defensed for the Browns.

Anthony Hitchens tied a season-high with 14 total tackles in Sunday night’s loss to New England. His 60 tackles rank third in the NFL.

Josey Jewell had three tackles in Denver’s loss to the Rams, and continues to earn praise. Pro Football Focus has graded him out as the fifth-highest rated linebacker in football this season, while NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal gave him a shoutout as part of the Broncos’ strong rookie draft class.

Micah Hyde was back in action for the Bills, tallying three tackles in Sunday’s loss at Houston after missing a game due to a groin injury.

Last but not least, I’m sorry I forgot to instruct you weeks ago to go out and buy your Marshal Yanda 7-Eleven cups.