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Penn State in the NFL Week 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley sustained a torn ACL and is out for the season.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State in the NFL Week 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Penn State in the NFL Week 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Week 2 in the NFL was brutal for injuries, particularly for Penn State fans, who watched Saquon Barkley sustain the first major setback of his career.

With the Las Vegas Raiders (and defensive end Carl Nassib) still set to host New Orleans on Monday Night Football, here's a look at the good, bad and ugly of Penn State's weekend in the NFL.

The Ugly

Running back Saquon Barkley has been durable throughout his career, dating even to his time at Whitehall High School. He missed only a handful of games (including two his freshman year) at Penn State with ankle injuries and scared fans about a knee injury before the 2016 Big Ten title game, in which he was predictably spectacular.

On Monday, though, the New York Giants confirmed that Barkley's third season had ended because of an ACL tear. The Giants said he will undergo surgery soon.

Barkley no doubt will be back for the Giants' 2021 opener. As Bob Hartman, his athletic director at Whitehall (Pa.) High School, said in 2017, "His head’s not as big as his legs, because his heart’s bigger than both."

The Good

Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki had a career day, catching eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in a 31-28 loss to Buffalo. Gesicki's afternoon included this gem.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders mostly looked sharp in his first game of the season, rushing 20 times for 95 yards and a touchdown in a 37-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. We'll get to the bad in a moment.

Rookie KJ Hamler made his NFL debut for the Denver Broncos, getting three catches for 47 yards. He also snapped this alumni shot with former Lions Marcus Allen and DaeSean Hamilton.

New York Jets receiver Chris Hogan, who played lacrosse at Penn State, caught six passes but was hurt in a loss to San Francisco.

The Bad

Sanders fumbled on the Eagles' opening series, leading to a Rams touchdown.

Washington safety Troy Apke had a rough day, including this snap against Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, who beat him twice for touchdowns.

Tough weekend all around for the former Lions on active NFL rosters, whose teams went 6-9.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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