With Week 16 in the NFL officially in the books and a lot to look forward to with Week 17 on the horizon, there's a bunch to take a glance at regarding what former Virginia Tech football players are up to at the professional level. With plenty of maroon and orange scattered across the league, there continues to be opportunity after opportunity to see a multitude of Hokies perform on Sunday's in the fall.
What's on-tap for Week 17? For a full rundown, read Thursday's edition of NFL Hokies, presented by Coca-Cola.
Notable Week 16 Performances
OT Christian Darrisaw
Minnesota standout offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw had quite the day at the office in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the New York Giants on Saturday afternoon.
The 2021 first-round draft pick played all 72 snaps in the three-point victory, posting an impressive 83.0 grade in both the overall and pass-blocking categories, according to Pro Football Focus, and marking one of his better performances on the offensive line up in Minneapolis in the 2022 campaign.
Up next for Darrisaw and the rest of the 2022 NFC North champions, a trip to Green Bay this upcoming Sunday to face off against fellow offensive linemen Yosh Nijman, the newly-debuted Luke Tenuta and the playoff-hopeful Packers inside Lambeau Field. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET with the game being televised on CBS.
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OT Duane Brown
15-year veteran Duane Brown continued to add on to his respectable 2022 season in the New York Jets' 19-3 setback to Jacksonville this past Thursday evening.
The first-year member of the Jets' offensive line still hasn't missed a single snap on the offensive end since returning from an unspecified injury that kept him sidelined the first four weeks of 2022, seeing the field on all 59 offensive plays and totaling a team-best 85.2 pass-blocking grade, good for his second-highest of the year.
Brown and company will look to get back to their winning ways this upcoming weekend when they hit the road for Seattle for a date with the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. with the game set to air on FOX.
RB Raheem Blackshear
First-year running back Raheem Blackshear found the end zone for the third time this season in the Carolina Panthers' 37-23 triumph over the Detroit Lions this past Saturday afternoon.
The 2022 undrafted free agent rushed for three yards on three carries in the two-score victory, including a seven-yard scamper that went to the house, and a 12-yard reception to help move Carolina into striking distance of a potential division title in the NFC South.
Up next for Blackshear, Amaré Barno and the rest of the Panthers, a crucial showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a de facto divisional title game at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with the game being televised on FOX.
Now that's a start! pic.twitter.com/wUflHN6LAm
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 24, 2022
More Week 17 Matchups
Thursday, Dec. 29
Dallas at Tennessee - 8:15 p.m. - Amazon Prime Video
New Dallas offensive lineman Brock Hoffman saw the field for the second consecutive week in the Cowboys' 40-34 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday afternoon.
Hoffman, a 2022 undrafted free agent that was recently plucked off Cleveland's practice squad a little under two weeks ago, participated in eight special teams snaps in the divisional defeat, and will look to keep making an impact when the team heads to Tennessee to take on the Titans in this week's edition of Thursday Night Football.
Sunday, Jan. 1
Arizona at Atlanta - 1 p.m. - FOX
Rookie offensive guard Lecitus Smith and the Arizona Cardinals eye their first victory in nearly two months when they make the trip to Atlanta to take on the Falcons to ring in the new year in 2023.
Smith, a sixth-round pick in this past April's NFL Draft, saw action on four special teams snaps in the team's overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Christmas night at State Farm Stadium, and will aim to finish his rookie season on a high note while serving as a valuable option in Arizona's offensive line room the rest of the way this season.
Chicago at Detroit - 1 p.m. - FOX
Fellow first-year James Mitchell and the Detroit Lions set to embark on a huge matchup this upcoming Sunday when they play host to Khalil "Juice" Herbert and the Chicago Bears in hopes of securing that final playoff spot still up for grabs in the NFC.
Mitchell, a former fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, hauled in two receptions for a career-high 31 yards in the Lions' 37-23 loss to Carolina over the weekend, including a 22-yard catch that spearheaded a 13-play, 82-yard drive that resulted in a trip to the Detroit red zone just a few plays later at Bank of America Stadium.
Herbert, meanwhile, returned to the fold after being shelved with a hip injury for the past four games dating back to Nov. 13. A former college teammate of Mitchell's during their time in Blacksburg, Herbert carried the ball six times for seven yards in the team's 35-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills this past Saturday, and will be eyeing picking up where he left off earlier this season when the two face off at Ford Field this Sunday afternoon.
Indianapolis at N.Y. Giants - 1 p.m. - CBS
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the New York Giants look to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016 when Brandon Facyson and the Indianapolis Colts come to the Big Apple in hopes of snapping a five-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
Facyson, a first-year member of the Colts' secondary, totaled three total tackles in the team's 20-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in last week's edition of Monday Night Football, additionally recording a tackle for loss that marked his first of the 2022 campaign.
Taylor, a former three-time ACC champion during his time with the Hokies, didn't see any action in the Giants' 27-24 loss to the Vikings over the weekend, but has shown the ability to come through in big situations for a perennial contender in the NFC East.
Cleveland at Washington - 1 p.m. - FOX
Tight end Logan Thomas, cornerback Kendall Fuller, placekicker Joey Slye and the rest of the Washington Commanders aim to take one step closer towards a potential playoff berth in the NFC when they welcome in offensive guard Wyatt Teller and the Cleveland Browns into FedEx Field on Sunday afternoon.
Thomas' efforts certainly didn't go unnoticed in the team's 37-20 setback to the San Francisco 49er's over the weekend. The ninth-year pro caught six passes for 35 yards in the Christmas Eve loss, with Slye booting through both of his extra point attempts to help add on to arguably his best season in his professional career.
Teller, on the other hand, played all 70 snaps in the team's 17-10 loss to the Saints back on Saturday afternoon, garnering a solid 84.0 pass-blocking grade that tied for the team lead and stood as his personal second-best put up so far this season.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore - 8:20 p.m. - NBC
Starting safety Terrell Edmunds and the Pittsburgh Steelers target an outside shot at a playoff berth in the AFC North when they head south to the Charm City to square off with former teammate Chuck Clark and the Baltimore Ravens in a key matchup for both at M&T Bank Stadium.
Edmunds, a former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, secured four total tackles in the team's thrilling 13-10 victory over the Raiders on Christmas Eve night, adding 0.5 tackles for loss to help contribute to a strong defensive showing for the black and gold up in the Steel City.
Clark finished his day with seven total tackles (3 solo) in the Ravens' 17-9 win over Atlanta back on Saturday afternoon, additionally reeling in 0.5 tackles for loss to round out another notable performance for the sixth-year member of the purple and black.
Monday, Jan. 2
Buffalo at Cincinnati - 8:30 p.m. - ABC/ESPN
Star linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, defensive tackle Tim Settle and the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills eye their 13th victory of 2022 when they travel to Paul Brown Stadium to take on the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals in this week's edition of ESPN's Monday Night Football.
Edmunds, a former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, racked up a remarkable nine total tackles, with five solo stops, in the team's 35-13 victory over Chicago this past weekend to lead the way for the Bills defensively in the 22-point win.
Settle also certainly made an impact as well. The first-year member of the Buffalo front managed two total tackles, with one solo, while also falling on top of some loose change to achieve his first fumble recovery of his Bills career.