Tigers in the NFL: Week 6

Each week during the NFL season, ClemsonTigers.com breaks down how former Clemson standouts are faring in the NFL. The following is a summary of what transpired in Week 6 of the 2019 slate, including a table with updated roster information and statistics.

Week 6 of the 2019 NFL season played host to several standout performances by former Clemson Tigers. In an epic duel of star quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson led his Houston Texans to a victory on the road over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. With the help of Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Watson orchestrated an impressive 31-24 win at Arrowhead Stadium, with Watson coming out on top against Mahomes thanks to a 93-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Other standout performances from erstwhile Tigers included Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander tabbing his first interception and sack of the year and Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaron Brown hauling in a pair of touchdown passes.

Game respect game.@deshaunwatson | @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/fj4PGPsIEL

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2019

"We kept fighting. We kept pushing. We kept encouraging."

Hear from QB Deshaun Watson after today's win. pic.twitter.com/FxdZ68gx7h

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 14, 2019

Watson went 30-of-42 through the air for 280 yards and one touchdown. He also made a significant mark on the Texans’ winning performance with his ground game, as Watson scored two rushing touchdowns and finished with 42 rushing yards on 10 carries. As for Hopkins, he tallied a season-high nine catches for 55 yards and also caught a throw from Watson on the 2-point conversion that followed what proved to be Houston’s game-winning touchdown. Hopkins has now recorded at least five catches in nine consecutive games, which is the third-longest such streak in Texans history.

WR @DeAndreHopkins has recorded at least five receptions in every game this season and nine games in a row dating back to Week 15 of the 2018 season.

Hopkins' streak marks the 2nd-longest active streak in the NFL (Michael Thomas, 11) and the 3rd-longest streak in #Texans history pic.twitter.com/P2OiVQJ9cw

— Texans PR (@TexansPR) October 16, 2019

Hopkins converted seven first downs on Sunday, and two of his most important receptions resulted in first downs on the Texans’ final possession. With Houston clinging to a 7-point lead, the Texans were able to eat up clock late in the game en route to securing their win. “Nuk” was a key factor in making that happen, starting with an 18-yard reception that saw Hopkins spin out of a tackle and race past the first-down marker. Not long after that, Hopkins iced the game with a sliding fourth-down catch that provided the Texans with a first down and enabled Watson to wrap up the hard-fought victory with a couple of kneel-downs.

"It’s a hard atmosphere to come win in and that’s a great team that we beat today."

WR DeAndre Hopkins recaps #HOUvsKC. pic.twitter.com/217Zi5CYve

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 14, 2019

The Texans trailed 17-3 through one quarter of play. However, Watson jumpstarted a second-quarter turnaround with an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Duke Johnson, who caught the pass in the flat and then dove over the goal line, early in the second period.

Reaching for six!

First TD of 2019 for @DukeJohnson_8.#HOUvsKC pic.twitter.com/sWbMimF7l6

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2019

Watson turned the ball over twice via a pair of interceptions, but he made up for those mistakes with his rushing prowess. Registering multiple rushing touchdowns in a game for the second time in his career, Watson scored on rushes of three yards and one yard, respectively. The first rushing score for Watson came in the final minute of the first half. With time running out, the third-year gunslinger weighed his options in the pocket while receiving excellent protection from his offensive line and eventually decided to hustle, untouched, into the end zone for six points.

.@deshaunwatson does it himself!#HOUvsKC pic.twitter.com/vGcL6YWoc7

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2019

Watson’s second touchdown on the ground, which occurred with the Texans trailing by one point, essentially decided the outcome of the contest, as Watson broke the plane after juking a defender and using his momentum to fall across the goal line while being tackled. Staring down the opposing linebacker like a basketball player gearing up to drive down the lane, Watson was able to be just elusive enough to manufacture the go-ahead score at the 6:17 mark of the fourth quarter, thereby capping off an efficient 93-yard possession.

Slime for the camera. 🐍 @budlight | #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/vbqZvrgvGl

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2019

Playing on the defensive side of the ball for the Texans, nose tackle D.J. Reader notched three solo tackles, one of which was a tackle for loss. Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who competed alongside Hopkins and Reader at Clemson, was forced to face off against the Texans’ high-powered offense, but the veteran defensive back did well, compiling six total tackles.

Keeping it in the secondary, Alexander made a splash in the Vikings’ 38-20 triumph versus the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Eagles trailing and backed up deep in their own territory, Alexander made matters worse for Philadelphia by picking off Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz for Alexander’s second career interception. Alexander, who attained three tackles, was also in on a sack, splitting it with linebacker Eric Kendricks, that resulted in a loss of nine yards and forced an Eagles punt. Fellow Vikings defensive back Jayron Kearse made an impact, too, with the safety garnering three combined tackles.

BRINGING THE 🔥🔥🔥! pic.twitter.com/XfTvBL9Lrp

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 13, 2019

On top of coming up with the second 2-touchdown showing of his career, Brown, who had zero touchdowns coming into Week 6, showed off his dance moves. Prior to the Seahawks’ clash with the Cleveland Browns, Brown was captured on video engaging in a dance-off of sorts with other members of the Seahawks’ receiving corps. Later, after Brown caught a 17-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the Seattle receiving unit put its preparation to good use by performing a flawless rendition of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” dance as part of a well-choreographed touchdown celebration.

WOOTS out here groovin’. 😂#GoHawks x #SEAvsCLE pic.twitter.com/fK72vBsDNV

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 13, 2019

There we go! 🙌

Touchdown, @jaronbrown13! #GoHawks x #SEAvsCLE pic.twitter.com/8yD2Swwwrx

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 13, 2019

WRs said bye bye bye! 👋😂#BudLightCelly x @budlight pic.twitter.com/1X1vGvccft

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 13, 2019

Brown proceeded to score another touchdown when he caught a dart thrown by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in the third quarter, with the 6-yard touchdown pass giving Seattle the lead. In total, Brown made three catches for 29 receiving yards and was a pivotal contributor to the Seahawks’ 32-28 win. Also on the receiving front, Tennessee Titans wideout Adam Humphries, who gloved six catches for 47 yards, led his team in both receptions and receiving yardage. Additionally, Humphries returned three punts for a total of 19 yards.

JARON BROWN FOR 6️⃣, AGAIN! #GoHawks x #SEAvsCLE pic.twitter.com/PdHY9jLWMs

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 13, 2019

Road win ☑️#GoHawks x @jaronbrown13 pic.twitter.com/1xHBwNHZpF

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 13, 2019

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams made the most of his five receptions, with each of them resulting in a first down. Two of Williams’ catches were maximum-effort plays. On a third-down catch in the second quarter, Williams left his feet for a leaping grab that moved the chains. During the fourth quarter, Williams, who racked up 72 receiving yards in all, turned a short pass into a 13-yard gain by sloughing off a would-be tackler and making another defender miss with a superb shake-and-bake move.

goodness, @darealmike_dub. pic.twitter.com/nFWSQtKEG4

— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) October 14, 2019

Defensively, Green Bay Packers linebacker B.J. Goodson amassed five tackles, three of which were of the solo variety, while defensive tackles Grady Jarrett, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, and Dexter Lawrence, who suits up for the New York Giants, obtained six tackles and four tackles, respectively. Also of note, cornerback Coty Sensabaugh made his season debut with the Denver Broncos. The 30-year-old Sensabaugh, who entered the NFL in 2012, spent the first five weeks of the regular season as a free agent, but the Broncos opted to bolster their secondary by signing the seasoned veteran in advance of their Week 6 matchup. Sensabaugh previously played for the Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

We’ve signed CB Coty Sensabaugh and placed CB De’Vante Bausby on injured reserve.

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 8, 2019

Tigers making their ❗ MARK ❗ on the NFL #ClemsonFamily

cc: @deshaunwatson @jaronbrown13 @Djread98 @darealmike_dub @MackAlexander20 pic.twitter.com/6QL7thg2xG

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) October 15, 2019