NFL Hokies: Week 18 recapNFL Hokies: Week 18 recap
Football

NFL Hokies: Week 18 recap

Hokie running backs show up big in final regular season matchups

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BLACKSBURG – The final week of the NFL regular season wrapped up on Sunday, concluding a two-day slate that saw undermanned squads lose to playoff hopefuls and a collection of impressive performances across the league. Former Hokies continued to show out for their teams, answering the call when necessary to lead their teams to victory. In this week of NFL Hokies, presented by Coca-Cola, we reflect on the most impressive performances from Week 18 and forecast who will suit up in the upcoming Wild Card Weekend.  

RB Raheem Blackshear 
Panthers running back Raheem Blackshear rose to the occasion against the Atlanta Falcons during Week 18. The former Hokie posted a season-high 47 rushing yards on four rushes in the contest, demonstrating his ability to find gaps in the defensive line and exploit them for massive gains throughout the matchup. His downhill speed was evident in his 27-yard rush late in the second quarter, his longest of the day and of any Panthers running back. Blackshear’s 47 yards ranked second in the team’s rushing effort, earning the former Hokie season-high grades in total offense (86.1) and rushing (81.1) from Pro Football Focus (PFF).  

RB Khalil Herbert 
Blackshear wasn’t the only former Hokie tailback who showed up in big ways for their team during Week 18. In the second of Saturday’s doubleheader matchups, Bengals running back Khalil Herbert would serve as RB1 for Cincinnati, tallying 69 rushing yards on 20 carries en route to a 19-17 victory. Herbert also found a groove in the receiving game, hauling in seven catches against a Pittsburgh team that has now dropped four straight games heading into the playoffs. While Herbert’s first season with the Bengals ended by missing the playoffs, Cincinnati served as a fresh start for the fourth year running back. 

LB Divine Deablo  
Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo has been a regular top-performing NFL Hokie, and his performance in Week 18 is another example of the success he’s experienced this season. In the season finale against the Chargers, Deablo would tally seven total tackles over 56 snaps on defense. One of two solo tackles came late in the second quarter, as Deablo identified the screen throw to Chargers back J.K. Dobbins and stopped it for a four-yard tackle for loss. The heads-up play would serve as Deablo’s sole TFL on the day, contributing to his 63 total tackles (35 solo) posted in his fourth year as a Raider. While the game ultimately resulted in a 34-20 loss, Deablo’s impressive day earned him high grades in tackling (80.3), overall defense (79.5), coverage (79.4) and run defense (70.7). 

CB Caleb Farley 
Panthers cornerback Caleb Farley has fought to be on the gridiron. Playing in just twelve games over two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Farley’s unlucky string of injuries (torn ACL, herniated disk) sidelined him for great lengths of time. Now with the Panthers, Farley has experienced a career resurgence by seeing the field in a handful of contests this season. In Week 18, Farley would post a season-high four tackles over 57 snaps on defense, the former first-round pick contributing to the team’s 86 tackles against the Falcons. All four of his tackles were solo efforts in the matchup.  

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K Joey Slye 
Against a Buffalo Bills team that earned the luxury of sitting its starters in Week 18, Patriots kicker Joey Slye sent three of three attempted field goals through the uprights, hitting from 50, 42 and 41 yards. The sixth-year journeyman would also drill two extra point attempts in the matchup, ending a perfect kicking day with 11 total offensive points. Slye’s first year with the Patriots was a rather successful one, ending the year going 26/33 on field goals and 25/26 on extra points. Slye also set franchise records with a massive 63-yard field goal in Week 4.  

Notable Wild Card Weekend Matchups 

Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans: Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS 
In the first game of Wild Card Weekend, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers will travel to NRG Stadium for a playoff matchup against the Houston Texans. Under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have now made the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2018-19 and will look to make a run with sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud. Former Hokie and defensive tackle Tim Settle will dress for the matchup, the seventh-year veteran aiming to impress in his sixth career playoff contest. 

Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sunday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC 
Rookie phenomenon Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders will travel south for a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Wild Card Weekend. The Commanders, who last made the playoffs in 2020 and lost to the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will look to make it past the Wild Card round for the first time since 2006. Coaches on both squads have extensive ties to Virginia Tech football, as Commanders defensive line coach Darryl Tapp, Buccaneers Senior Advisor to the General Manager Bruce Arians and safeties coach Nick Rapone all logged time with the Hokies.