USC Trojans in the NFL: Week 12
The 2020 NFL season continues to be an anomaly, and week 12 has been the epitome of how this year has gone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the Denver Broncos not having any eligible quarterbacks on Sunday, to the San Francisco 49ers having to move to Arizona as well as the coronavirus outbreak in the Baltimore Ravens organization forcing their Thanksgiving night matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers to be moved to Wednesday, the NFL has had to continue to adjust. Nonetheless, the season churned on and former Trojans took the field. So let’s see how they performed during week 12.
Ronald Jones II, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ronald Jones II bounced back from his poor performance in week 11 and had a strong outing against the Kansas City Chiefs. The former USC running back had nine carries for 66 yards and an epic 37-yard touchdown reception where he hurdled a defender and tip-toed the sideline to get Tampa Bay on the scoreboard. Jones’ touches have declined in recent weeks since the Bucs have been trailing in their last couple of games, but Rojo has continued to produce for coach Bruce Arians and the playoff-bound Buccaneers.
Leonard Williams, DE, New York Giants
At 4-7, the New York Football Giants are in first place in the NFC East. Yes, you read that correctly. The Giants would host a playoff game if the postseason were to start today. While their offense has struggled, the Giants defense, led by Leonard Williams, has been superb. Williams continued his great season against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, finishing with a sack and two tackles as well as a game-sealing fumble recovery. This was his team-leading sixth sack of the year. He also continued his strong run defense, helping hold the Bengals to only 40 yards rushing on the afternoon in the teams 19-17 win. Look for Williams to continue to wreak havoc as his team makes a push for the playoffs.
[Read: 10 Things to Know: USC vs. Washington State]
Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets
In his first game in 28 days due to injury, Jets quarterback Sam Darnold did not perform well. Darnold finished the game 16-for-27 throwing for 197 yards and two interceptions for a QB rating of 51. The former third-overall pick hasn’t thrown a touchdown since week three as him and the whole team continued their extremely bad season in a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Jets are now 0-11 and it seems like this may be Darnold’s last season in New York green.
Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Coming off of a big performance and win on Monday Night Football, Robert Woods had another solid game against Richard Sherman and the San Francisco 49ers. Woods was the best player on offense yet again, finishing with seven receptions for 80 yards. Unfortunately, the Rams lost some ground in the standings with a 23-20 loss to the 49ers.
Devon Kennard, LB, Arizona Cardinals
In his first game in over a month after being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list, Devon Kennard saw less snaps on defense in his return. Kennard finished with only two tackles in Arizona’s loss. Look for Kennard to play more snaps when he gets back into the swing of the game.
[Read: USC Will Play Washington State on Sunday December 6]
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