NFL Hokies: Week 4 recapNFL Hokies: Week 4 recap
Football

NFL Hokies: Week 4 recap

Joey Slye nails 63-yard field goal marking franchise record

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BLACKSBURG – The fourth week of the NFL season concluded this past Monday, the schedule providing Hokie fans with some intriguing matchups and strong showings from Tech alumnus across the league. In this edition of NFL Hokies, presented by Coca-Cola, we highlight standout performances from the previous week and look forward to some exciting matchups to come in Week 5.  

K Joey Slye 
It was an outstanding week for Hokie kickers both in and out of Blacksburg. In the game against San Francisco, New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye drilled a 63-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. While the Patriots ultimately lost 13-30, Slye’s booming 63-yarder became the longest converted kick in franchise history and the fourth-longest kick in NFL history. The field goal was also Slye’s career high, and it’s the longest Patriots kick since former placekicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 62-yard field goal against the former Oakland Raiders in 2017.

S Chuck Clark 
On the heels of a dominant performance against the New England Patriots, safety Chuck Clark continued to exemplify his defensive presence for the New York Jets this weekend. Against the Denver Broncos, Clark matched his season-high with seven tackles, earning him the second-highest total across the Jets defense. The former Hokie’s 73.9 run defense Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade over four games indicates that Clark has performed well on defense for the Jets this season. 

LT Christian Darrisaw 
Darrisaw’s performance this season has been worthy of his recently signed 4-year, $113 million contract, and his work in Week 4 was no different. In a thrilling 31-29 victory against the Green Bay Packers, Darrisaw allowed only one quarterback hurry and a single quarterback pressure in his 68 offensive snaps at left tackle. The former Hokie’s 81.1 offense and 77.1 pass blocking grades from Pro Football Focus were both season highs for Darrisaw, further emphasizing his ability to protect the white-hot Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. 

LB Tremaine Edmunds 
Edmunds provided another strong showing for the Bears defense in the 24-18 win against the Los Angeles Rams. The Danville, Virginia native tallied a pair of solo tackles, one of which was for a loss. Edmunds was one of six defensive Bears players to play every snap on Sunday, a feat he has now completed every game this season.  

S Chamarri Conner 
Conner was a key part of the reigning Super Bowl champion’s win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. The Jacksonville, Florida native registered three solo tackles in the Chiefs’ 17-10 win, earning himself a strong 79.0 run defense grade by PFF. Conner has been an integral part of the Chiefs defense that ranks seventh-best in points allowed per game this season (18).  

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Notable Week 5 Matchups 

New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings: Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL+ 
The Jets and the Vikings are set to square off in London this Sunday for the first edition of the 2024 London Games. Multiple Hokies will be overseas for the event, including Jets safety Chuck Clark and Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Clark and the Jets defense will be tasked with stopping a red-hot Minnesota team that remains undefeated through four games. 

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears: Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX 
The Bears will host the Panthers at Soldier Field this weekend on the heels of a gritty 24-18 win against the Rams. Keen Tech fans will notice the number of Hokie-on-Hokie matchups in the contest, most notably found through Carolina running back Raheem Blackshear facing Chicago runner Khalil Herbert. Additionally, the Panthers recently signed former first-round cornerback Caleb Farley, giving Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds a competition on defense. Both teams are at young stages in their development, promising an exciting matchup that has some underlying Hokie storylines.  

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots: Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX 
New England will welcome Miami to Gillette Stadium for an AFC East matchup this Sunday. Both teams will field former Hokies in the contest, the Dolphins placing Kendall Fuller at cornerback and New England placing Joey Slye at kicker. Slye is coming off a historic performance in Week 4, and New England could find further success against a Dolphins team that has struggled without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.