Your Weekly Michigan State Spartans in the NFL

Keshawn Martin made his mark on both offense and special teams for the Texans in Houston’s exciting 43-37 overtime triumph over the Jaguars. The wideout

Keshawn Martin made his mark on both offense and special teams for the Texans in Houston’s exciting 43-37 overtime triumph over the Jaguars. The wideout scored the first touchdown of his young NFL career on a nine-yard reception from Matt Schuab on the first drive of the game. Martin also made an impact on special teams. He returned two punts for 76 yards, and five kickoffs for an average of 32.4 yards, including one for 54 yards. The rookie had an amazing 71-yard punt return, which included a spectacular cut to evade Jacksonville’s Jeremy Cain, that might have been a touchdown if not for Jaguars punter Bryan Anger. “I was mad. That's the fastest punter I've ever seen in my life,” Martin told KHOU 11 News in Houston after the game. The full story on Martin’s great day can be found here: http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2012/11/former_michigan_state_spartan.html

Linebacker Greg Jones of the Jaguars, making his season debut after being signed on November 12th, made a special teams tackle on a Martin kickoff return. Jones had been given the opportunity to work out for Jacksonville previously, but the team was not able to sign him until after his second visit. “That was a little bit of a roller coaster, but it worked out,” Jones told the Associated Press. “I'm adjusting pretty well. This whole thing has been a blessing for me. Now I'm just focused on learning this defense, contributing and helping the team win.” The rest of Jones’ story can be found here: http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/11/15/12/Jags-figure-two-Greg-Jones-are-better-th/landing_jaguars.html?blockID=820445&feedID=3720

Eric Smith had a stellar performance at safety for the Jets, playing a major role in New York’s 27-13 victory over the Rams. The talented defensive back racked up three tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed. Smith also intercepted his first pass of the season, the sixth of his career, returning the pick for five yards.

Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko tallied two tackles and a quarterback hit in his team’s 28-6 win over the reeling Chiefs.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Redskins did not play in Washington’s dominating 31-6 victory over the Eagles.

Given the spotlight on Thursday night football, Brandon Fields delivered for the Dolphins, but Miami still lost to the Bills, 19-14. Fields punted six times for an average of 49.8 yards, pinning Buffalo inside its 20 yard line twice.

Defensive tackle Jerel Worthy saw his first action for the Packers in three weeks (he suffered a concussion in week 8), but did not have any stats in a 24-21 win over the Lions.

Kevin Vickerson of the Broncos played well at defensive tackle, notching three tackles to help Denver snag a 30-23 win over the Chargers.

Colts backup quarterback Drew Stanton watched from the sidelines as the Patriots trounced Indianapolis, 59-24.

The Monday Night Football matchup this week featured a faceoff between two of the best defenses in the league in the 49ers and the Bears. Garrett Celek, Trenton Robinson and the 49ers routed Kellen Davis and the Bears, 32-7. Celek saw time at tight end, but had no stats, while Robinson was not active for San Francisco. For Chicago, Davis recorded two catches for 20 yards.

On the Injury Front:

Center Kyle Cook still has no timetable for his return from a severe ankle injury. The Bengals placed Cook on a designated injured reserve list earlier in the season, allowing for him to return as early as week 11, but there is no telling when the center will return to action.

On the Free Agent Front:

With a banged-up roster following their Sunday night showdown with the Ravens, the Steelers began searching for players to fill out their depth chart on Monday. Among those contacted were quarterback Brian Hoyer and wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Hoyer, who was cut in August by the Patriots, received workouts from other teams this season but not any job offers until Tuesday. As announced on the Steelers’ official Twitter feed, Pittsburgh signed the quarterback to a one year deal. Hoyer is currently the second string signal caller behind 37 year old Charlie Batch. Pittsburgh is currently without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger, who is out with shoulder and rib injuries, and backup Byron Leftwich, who is out with a rib injury.

Plaxico Burress was also signed to a one year deal by the Steelers on Tuesday. Drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft, Burress stayed with the team through the 2004 season. During his time with the Steelers, Burress had 261 receptions for 4,164 yards and 22 touchdowns. The wideout played for the Jets last season, recording 45 catches for 612 yards and eight touchdowns, but was released by the team before the start of the season. For the full details of the Steelers’ signings, check out this article: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/steelers-bring-plaxico-burress-back-home-sign-brian-190028346--nfl.html