VFL Standouts in NFL Week 5
Ranging from a Browns-Chargers game that saw 89 total points scored to the Chiefs not having anything for the Bills at home on Sunday night to a Colts-Ravens Monday night thriller, NFL's Week 5 slate of games delivered on the entertainment front.
And so did multiple VFLs, specifically the New Orleans Vols in Alvin Kamara and Marquez Callaway.
Kamara and Callaway exploded in Week 5 against the Washington Football Team, combining for four of New Orleans' five touchdowns in the 33-22 win.
The VFLs in NOLA weren't the only former Vols who had excellent Sundays, however, as Falcons RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson continued his high-level play and Jalen Reeves-Maybin made a game-changing play.
Read about all four standout performances below:
RB Alvin Kamara, Saints
Just like in last week's 'VFL Standouts,' expect to see Alvin Kamara spotlighted quite a lot.
Week in and week out, 'AK' further proves that he is among the top running backs in the NFL, and in Week 5's win against Washington, Kamara did just that.
In Week 4, Kamara played a workhorse role for New Orleans, carrying the ball 26 times but not catching a pass. This week saw the return of the Kamara NFL fans are used to seeing, as the VFL rusher ran for 71 yards on 16 totes with a score while also adding five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Kamara's receiving ability was key in the Saints win, as it was the VFL's receiving score that put the game away with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The touchdown can be seen below via New Orleans Saints twitter:
Kamara's first touchdown of the day came early in the second quarter on a 23-yard rush, his longest carry of the day.
It was as if Kamara was shot out of a cannon on the play that knotted the two teams at 13. The play can be seen below:
Kamara's high level of play has made him the centerpiece of the Saints' offense, and the VFL will get a week to rest before having to head to Seattle for his first Monday Night Football game of the year in Week 7.
WR Marquez Callaway, Saints
Like Kamara, VFL Marquez Callaway was a big part of the Saints win over Washington in Week 5. While Kamara is an integral part of the offense and racks up plenty of yards week in and week out, Callaway serves as more of a big play threat for quarterback Jameis Winston, which he showed on Sunday.
Callaway finished the day with four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns, his first multi-touchdown performance of his career.
Callaway secured his first scoring grab on an incredible 49-yard Hail Mary to close out the first half. Callaway got in good position to make a play on the ball, and Winston's heave landed in the arms of the VFL. The miraculous play can be seen below:
The 'Hail Mar... Quez' was not the only score Callaway had, as the VFL had an early fourth quarter 12-yard touchdown catch on a 3rd and 7 to give the Saints a commanding 11-point lead. The play that saw Winston find a wide open Callaway can be seen below:
Callaway continues to come on strong for New Orleans in star wide receiver Michael Thomas' absence, especially in the last three games, as no. 1 has 18 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns across that span.
RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons
As mentioned earlier, Alvin Kamara will frequent 'VFL Standouts' quite often. And now, maybe the same should be said about Cordarrelle Patterson.
Patterson has been one of the biggest surprises of this NFL season, coming to life as an offensive weapon for the Falcons and seemingly finding a perfect fit for his talents for the first time in his career.
Patterson is doing his typical thing as a kick returner this season, maintaining an average above 25 yards, but his presence in the running game and passing attack for Atlanta has been the surprise.
Patterson continued his dominant play in those departments in Atlanta's 27-20 win against the Jets on Sunday in London, rushing for 54 yards on 14 carries and adding seven catches on nine targets for 60 yards.
Although Patterson did not score in Week 5, a feat he has done five times on the season, there was no jet-lag for the VFL. The Rock Hill, South Carolina native recorded season highs in carries and catches, doubling his previous highest rushing attempt total of seven.
Like the New Orleans Vols, Patterson will get a week of rest during his Week 6 bye before heading to Miami in Week 7 to take on a Dolphins defense that just allowed a huge performance from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense.
Patterson was not flashy in his productive Week 5 performance, but the VFL enjoyed his time across the pond. Take a look below to hear some of the former Vol's mic'd up moments in Atlanta's second win on the season.
LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Lions
A VFL that has not been spotlighted so far this season on 'VFL Standouts' is Detroit Lions LB and Special Teams captain Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
Reeves-Maybin balled out for Detroit on Sunday in the Lions' 19-17 loss to division foe Minnesota.
Not only did the VFL record a season-high in tackles with five against the Vikings, he also forced and recovered a fumble from Minnesota running back Alexander Mattison, setting Detroit up for a potential game winning drive.
Reeves-Maybin's game changing play can be seen below:
Ultimately, the Lions capitalized on the VFL's forced turnover and scored a touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion to go up 17-16 with just over 30 seconds remaining in the game.
However, the Lions allowed the Vikings to get in field-goal range, which led to a Greg Joseph game-winning kick, dropping the Lions record to 0-5. It marks the second time in three weeks that the Lions have lost on a last-second field goal over 50 yards, as Justin Tucker knocked an NFL record 66-yarder through the uprights in the final seconds of Week 3's Ravens-Lions game.
Regardless, Reeves-Maybin delivered in a big way for the Lions, and the Clarksville, Tennessee native will look to build off of his solid performance when the Lions take on the Bengals in Week 6.
A full list of all the VFLs who saw NFL action in Week 5 can be seen below:
DE Derek Barnett, Eagles- Recorded three tackles in Philadelphia's 21-18 upset win over Carolina.
DB Justin Coleman, Dolphins- Made one tackle against the defending super bowl champions Buccaneers in the 45-17 loss.
P Dustin Colquitt, Falcons- The VFL punter made his season debut for Atlanta in the Falcons' 27-20 win in London, with his lone punt being downed inside the 20
LS Morgan Cox, Titans- Snapped one field goal and three punts in Tennessee's 37-19 division win over Jacksonville
DT Malik Jackson, Browns- Recorded one tackle in Cleveland's 47-42 loss to the Chargers
LB Alexander Johnson, Broncos- The VFL Bronco had a solid day in Denver's 27-19 loss to the Steelers, recording his first fumble recovery in 2021 while also making six tackles and one pass breakup
FB Jakob Johnson, Patriots- Was called on for 16 snaps at fullback in New England's 25-22 victory over the Texans
CB Emmanuel Moseley, 49ers- Made his third straight start for San Francisco and recorded five tackles along with one pass breakup in the 17-10 to the unbeaten Cardinals
P Michael Palardy, Dolphins- Made four punts, with one being downed inside the 20, for a total of 154 in the blowout loss against the Bucs
WR Josh Palmer, Chargers- Recorded two catches for 12 yards in the shootout win over the Browns, tying his season-high of two catches
OG Trey Smith, Chiefs- Played 86 snaps in the Chiefs' 38-20 loss to Buffalo and his second Sunday Night game
DE Darrell Taylor, Seahawks- Sacked quarterback Matthew Stafford one time on Seattle's 26-17 Thursday Night Football loss, his third straight with a sack
DL Shy Tuttle, Saints- Recorded three assisted tackles in the Saints' 33-22 road win over Washington
**VFLs DB Bryce Thompson and WR Josh Malone have been signed to the Saints and Browns practice squads in the past week, respectively.**
NOTE: Stats provided by Tennessee Athletics Communications
Final active VFL Record from NFL Week 5: 9-8
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