Category: Knights in the NFL

Knights in the NFL: Isiah Pacheco carries the Chiefs to a Week 17 victory

On New Year’s Eve, ex-Rutgers running back Isiah Pacheco carried the Kansas City Chiefs to a Week 17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

On New Year’s Eve, former Rutgers running back Isiah Pacheco carried the Kansas City Chiefs to a Week 17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Pacheco and the Chiefs defeated the Bengals 25-17 to secure their tenth win of the season.

The former Scarlet Knight had a strong performance on Sunday, recording 18 carries for a career-best 130 rushing yards, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. The 2022 seventh-round pick registered the game’s longest rush, recording a 37-yard run. Along with his strong performance on the ground, Pacheco added seven catches out of the backfield for 35 yards and a touchdown.

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Through Week 17, Pacheco has logged 205 carries for 935 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. The second-year pro has registered his third 100+ rushing performance in 2023 and is the lead back for the Chiefs as they inch closer to the playoffs. Also, in the passing game, Pacheco has developed into a sure-handed receiver out of the backfield, recording 44 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns this season.

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According to ESPN, the former Rutgers’ team captain is No. 10 in the NFL for rushing yards (935 yards) and No. 14 for rushing touchdowns (7 touchdowns). With their win over the Bengals, the Chiefs secured the No. 3 seed in the AFC conference as they wrap up the regular season next week against the Chargers.

 

Rutgers in the NFL: Bo Melton gets his first touchdown with the Green Bay Packers

Bo Melton got his first career-touchdown with the Green Bay Packers this week.

Bo Melton grabbed his first career touchdown on Sunday as the Green Bay Packers rolled to a big Week 16 win. The former Rutgers football wide receiver having a strong overall Sunday for the Packers.

In a 33-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Melton had six catches for 105 yards with a touchdown.

Melton has emerged over the past couple of weeks as a significant contributor to the Packers offense. On the year (four games, he has 11 receptions for 156 yards with a touchdown).

A former All-Big Ten selection at Rutgers, Melton was a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2022 NFL draft.

Here is a look at his first career NFL touchdown, which came late in the third quarter to give the Packers a 30-3 lead over the Vikings:

 

On Nov. 22, the Packers elevated Melton from the practice squad to the active roster.

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In 2020, his final season at Rutgers, Melton finished with 47 catches for 638 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Former Rutgers football running back Gus Edwards got another touchdown this week

On Christmas night, former Rutgers football running back Gus Edwards recorded his 12th touchdown of the season while playing with the Baltimore Ravens.

On Christmas night, former Rutgers running back Gus Edwards recorded his twelfth touchdown of the 2023-24 season while playing with the Baltimore Ravens. Against the San Fransico 49ers, Edwards logged a one-yard rushing touchdown to extend the Ravens’ lead 10-5 early in the second quarter.

The 6-foot-1, 238-pound running back has recorded 172 carries for 694 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns through 15 games, averaging four yards per attempt this season. Edwards’ 12 rushing touchdowns rank him No. 5 in the NFL, according to ESPN. Also, the former Scarlet Knight has logged 12 catches out of the backfield for 180 receiving yards, averaging 15 yards per catch this season.

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12th touchdown of the season for Gus the Bus 🚌

Edwards, the six-year pro, has played five seasons in Baltimore, recording 673 carries for 3,279 rushing yards with 25 touchdowns in 67 games. The Staten Island, New York native is on pace to break his career-high 723 rushing yards with two games remaining.

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The 28-year-old running back registered his best performance of the season in Week 8 against the Cardinals when he recorded 19 carries for 80 yards and three rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt in a 31-24 victory.

As a senior with Rutgers, Edwards received Honorable Mention Big Ten (Coaches) honors and the Homer Hazel Award in 2017.

 

Watch: Isiah Pacheco scores a touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs out of the Wild Knight…Wildcat…

Isiah Pacheco has a nice highlight play on Monday night.

Former Rutgers football running back Isiah Pacheco scored a touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a bright spot for Pacheco and the Chiefs in what was a rough all-around game for both the player and his team.

The 12-yard touchdown run gave Kansas City a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter. On the play and in the Wildcat formation, Pacheco faked a reverse and ran 12 yards into the end zone.

It has been a tough spell for Pacheco, who returned to the Chiefs’ gameday roster after missing the previous two weeks with a shoulder injury.

Pacheco’s game was not so swell. He had 11 carries for 26 yards and suffered a concussion that could shelve him for the remainder of the regular season.

Plus, the Chiefs lost 20-14 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

 

The loss drops the Chiefs to 9-6 on the year. They have three losses in their last four games but they retain their lead in the AFC West.

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On the season, Pacheco has 805 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

Pacheco’s alma mater, Rutgers, is preparing to play in the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday against Miami.

 

Former Scarlet Knight Sebastian Joseph-Day was released by the LA Chargers

After starting 14 games for the LA Chargers this season, former Rutgers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day was waived on Friday.

After starting 14 games for the Los Angeles Chargers this season, former Rutgers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day was waived on Friday.

The Chargers’ former team captain signed a three-year, $24 million contract with LA in the 2022 offseason, recording 32 tackles and three sacks this season. In the last five games, Joseph-Day logged 11 tackles and one sack. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive lineman played two seasons with the Chargers, recording 88 tackles, five sacks, one force fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception in 30 games.

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Joseph-Day was drafted into the NFL in 2018 when the Los Angeles Rams drafted him in the sixth round (195th overall). While with the Rams, the Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania native registered 137 tackles, six sacks, and one forced fumble in 39 games during his three seasons in Los Angeles.

Before entering the NFL Draft in 2018, Joseph-Day played five seasons with Rutgers from 2013 to 2017. The former Scarlet Knight recorded 97 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 50 games. After the conclusion of his senior season, Joseph-Day received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches) honors while capturing the 2017 Homer Hazel Award and the David Bender Trophy. Also, in his final season with the Scarlet Knights Joseph-Day received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

 

Former Rutgers defensive back Christian Izien is the highest graded rookie safety in the NFL

In Week 13 of the NFL season, former Rutgers defensive back Christian Izien received the highest grade among rookie safeties in the NFL. 

In Week 13 of the 2023-23 NFL season, former Rutgers defensive back Christian Izien received the highest grade among rookie safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Izien has appeared in 12 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his rookie campaign, recording 40 total tackles, one force fumble, two pass breakups, and two interceptions.

While attending Rutgers University, Izien started in seven games in 2019, recording 78 tackles and three pass breakups in 12 appearances. As a senior in 2022, Izien logged 84 tackles, five tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks, and four pass breakups, receiving honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors for his efforts.

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After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, Izien got signed by the Bucs as an undrafted free agent. During the off-season, the former Scarlet Knight made an impression around the organization and made the final roster. Throughout the season, Izien started in the Bucs’ nickel package, recording interceptions in his first two games, becoming only the fourth undrafted player in NFL history to reach that milestone.

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Izien shone in his Week 3 matchup against the Eagles, recording six tackles for loss and two assisted tackles.

 

Former Rutgers wide receiver Paul Woods declared for the NFL Draft

On Tuesday, former Rutgers wide receiver Paul Woods announced on his social media accounts that he will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

On Tuesday, former Rutgers wide receiver Paul Woods announced on his social media accounts that he will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. Woods joined Rutgers football in 2019 and played 16 games with the Scarlet Knights before transferring to the University of Rhode Island in 2021 and then Hampton University in 2023.

While with the Scarlet Knights, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver recorded 14 receptions for 75 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per catch in two seasons. As a sophomore in 2019, Woods played in 11 games with one start at wide receiver, recording nine catches for 48 yards. In 2020, Woods’s production went down, logging only five receptions for 27 yards in five games.

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The Buffalo, New York native decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal, joining the University of Rhode Island in 2021. While playing for the Rams, Woods recorded 24 catches for a career-high 423 receiving yards and one touchdown in his first season at Rhode Island. Again in 2022, Woods saw his production go down, only logging eight catches for 83 yards and one touchdown in 11 games.

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Woods elected to enter the NCAA transfer portal again, joining the Hampton Pirates this past season. Woods’s production increased while playing with the Pirates in 2023, recording 26 receptions for 327 yards and two touchdowns in ten games. He averaged 12.6 yards per catch and 32.7 yards per game while starting ten games for the Pirates.

 

 

Watch: Former Rutgers football star Isiah Pacheco’s classy move for Kansas City Chiefs fans

Isiah Pacheco makes a nice gesture to NFL fans in Europe.

Following a win from the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, star running back Isiah Pacheco returned to the field to sign autographs nearly two hours after the game was over. It was a moment of appreciation from Pacheco, a former Rutgers football standout, to acknowledge the NFL’s fanbase in Europe.

Pacheco, a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers in the 2022 NFL draft, had 66 rushing yards on 16 carries in the Chiefs’ win.

Sunday’s 21-14 win by the Chiefs over the Miami Dolphins was played in Frankfurt, Germany. The passionate and growing fanbase in Europe has supported these games well, and Germany in particular has developed an appreciation for the American version of football.

So Pacheco’s gesture of stopping by and signing autographs for fans well after the game was over was a nice gesture as the league looks to expand its footprint globally.

 

With the win, Kansas City is now 7-2 on the season.

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Pacheco leads Kansas City with 525 rushing yards and is well on his way to eclipse his rushing total as a rookie. His 24 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown have already bettered his receiving total from a year ago.

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On Saturday, his alma mater put together a credible performance, as Rutgers held a halftime lead on No. 1 Ohio State before falling 31-16.

Watch: Isiah Pacheco scores for the Kansas City Chiefs (and yes, Taylor Swift celebrates)

Isiah Pacheco impresses on Sunday night football with a 48-yard touchdown run for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A homecoming of sorts for Isiah Pacheco as the Kansas City Chiefs running back is certainly enjoying his return to New Jersey. The former Rutgers football running back put the Chiefs up 10-0 midway through the first quarter and set Taylor Swift into celebrations.

Pacheco’s run of 48 yards against the New York Jets saw the former seventh-round pick nearly get stuffed in the backfield. But he cut and then with his typical angry running style, got quickly into the second level for his second touchdown of the season.

From Vineland, New Jersey, Pacheco is a former All-Big Ten selection at Rutgers. He certainly seems to be enjoying the home cooking on Saturday night as this is his first game in New Jersey since he entered the league.

Check out the play from Pacheco here and yes, for a quick glimpse of Taylor Swift:

 

Pacheco now has consecutive games with a rushing touchdown for the third time in his NFL career.

Watch: Taylor Swift celebrates an Isiah Pacheco touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs

Taylor Swift celebrates an Isiah Pacheco touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco scored on Sunday, leading to a celebration from Taylor Swift. Yes, that Taylor Swift. Apparently, Swift is a huge Rutgers football fan. That has to be the connection, right?

Also, if you didn’t know, Swift was at Sunday’s Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears. She was there, apparently because of Travis Kelce.

Don’t ask us if Kelce and Swift are dating. We’re only here for the SEO engagement. Put Swift in a headline, and we can feed our families for a week.

Now, with that aside, here is the good news: Pacheco, a former Rutgers running back, got his first touchdown of the season on Sunday. And, shortly after he got in the end zone, the cameras went over to Swift:

 

Have to admit, it is kind of cool to see the talented Swift get so into football and the Chiefs because of Kelce.

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As for Rutgers fans, they’ll always have Kelsey Grammer.