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Russell Wilson, Jonathan Taylor headline big Week 2 for Wisconsin Badgers in the NFL

Former Wisconsin offensive stars had major performances on Sunday, while a couple of big name former Badgers defenders had a quiet Week 2 in the NFL.
Lorin Cox|
Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Former Wisconsin offensive stars had major performances on Sunday, while a couple of big name former Badgers defenders had a quiet Week 2 in the NFL.

Two of them went head-to-head when the New York Giants faced the Dallas Cowboys.

Russell Wilson had struggled in his first game in blue, but he bounced back in a big way this week and looked more like the star that led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl in 2011.

He nearly set a career high with 450 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Giants' overtime loss.

On the other side, former Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson was a big part of the shootout for Dallas.

He had nine catches for 78 yards, and he could have had even more if not for a pair of dropped passes.

Ferguson only reached 78 yards in a game once in his Wisconsin career, when he dominated Nebraska in 2021.

The other ex-Badger who starred on Sunday was Johnathan Taylor, who looked like a vintage Wisconsin running back in a dominant performance.

He rushed for 165 yards on 25 carries, giving him an average of 6.6 yards every time he touched the ball.

Taylor added 50 receiving yards on two catches. That's a nice addition to his skillset, as he never hit 50 receiving yards in a game during his Badgers career.

While the UW skill players shined, the former Wisconsin defensive stars were a lot more quiet.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, outside linebacker T.J. Watt was held without a sack and only registered two pressures as a pass rusher.

Nose tackle Keeanu Benton also had a quiet day, though outside linebacker Nick Herbig made up for it with a big interception on a tipped pass.

It was Herbig's first-career interception. He never had one during his Badgers career.

Fellow linebacker Zack Baun had a solid game for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs, and T.J. Edwards was playing well for the Chicago Bears before he went down with an injury against the Detroit Lions.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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