Tag: Ji’Ayir Brown

Penn State in the NFL: Best photos from Week 11

These former Penn State stars had some big moments around the NFL in Week 11. Here are some of the best photos form the week.

Penn State fans who may have been watching some NFL football this past weekend likely had some reasons to smile. A handful of former Nittany Lions had some big moments around the league in Week 11 of the NFL’s regular season.

[autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag] got an early jump on the weekend by recording a sack of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the Thursday night win by the Baltimore Ravens. [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] had a big game for the New York Giants as they picked up a win against the Washington Commanders. Barkley rushed for 83 yards on 14 carries and picked up 57 yards on 4 receptions with two touchdown catches in the win.

And on the west coast, rookie safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] came up with a big interception to help the San Francisco 49ers pick up a win against Chris Godwin and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here is a look at some of the best photos from around the NFL of your favorite former Penn State stars in Week 11.

8 takeaways from 49ers’ 27-14 win over Buccaneers

8 takeaways from the #49ers’ win over the Bucs.

The 49ers have a huge three-game stretch coming up with two games against the Seahawks and another against the Eagles. For those games to come with maximum consequence though they needed to take care of business at home against a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad.

They did just that with a 27-14 win where their stars shined once again, and got some help from an unexpected source on defense.

Here are our eight takeaways from the 49ers’ seventh win of the year:

Watch: Rookie Ji’Ayir Brown secures first career interception vs. Bucs

Ji’Ayir Brown has arrived.

After a quiet start to his rookie campaign,  Ji’Ayir Brown’s coming out party came in Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With Talanoa Hufanga leaving the game due to injury, Steve Wilks and the 49ers defense needed to lean on Brown in the secondary against Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and the Bucs.

Despite giving up a gain to Rakim Jarrett, Brown shined when the Bucs were approaching the end zone. After forcing the Bucs off the field with a clutch pass deflection against Evans on fourth down, Brown didn’t wast much time securing the first interception of his NFL career.

Again with the Bucs near the end zone, the former Penn State Nittany Lion came away with an interception on a deflected pass from Baker Mayfield. Behind Brown’s interception, the 49ers ended the Bucs’ hopes of a late comeback on Sunday in Week 11.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Watch: Rookie Ji’Ayir Brown comes up with clutch pass deflection on fourth down vs. Bucs’ Mike Evans

With injuries in the secondary, the 49ers rookie safety came through clutch against the Buccaneers.

With Talanoa Hufanga ruled out due to injury, rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown was trusted into the spotlight against Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense.

With eyes on the rookie, the Penn State product answered the bell when the Bucs were threatening in the red zone. After giving up a long catch to Rakim Jarrett, Brown bounced back when the Bucs were looking to put it in the end zone on fourth down.

With pressure in his face, Baker Mayfield floated a pass toward Evans. Yet, the future Hall of Fame receiver was left empty handed when Brown go in the way for a clutch pass deflection. With the deflection, the 49ers defense gave the ball back to Brock Purdy and the offense with the lead at 27-14.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Worst of the Week for Week 10: Patriots and Giants bottom out, more bad officiating, Frank Reich

Frank Reich, the Patriots and Giants find the bottom, more horrid officiating, and one weird fumble return. It’s time for the NFL’s Worst of the Week!

Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.

But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.

So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.

Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 10 of the 2023 NFL season.

49ers 2023 rookie report card is mostly useless at halfway point

The #49ers rookie report card is … bare.

The 49ers didn’t pick until late in the third round of the 2023 draft. It didn’t seem like a big deal considering they still walked away with a nine-player class that had a chance to fill a couple of key needs.

There was never a realistic possibility the 49ers’ rookie class had a wide swath of contributors. However, the early returns from that group can’t even be labeled as “not promising” because the reality is a vast majority of the players haven’t had any chance to make a real contribution.

We went through the rookie class and dished out “grades” for their first half performances. It won’t take long to notice a pattern:

Penn State in the NFL: Best photos from Week 1

Take a look at this photo gallery of former Penn State players in the NFL from Week 1 of the regular season.

The NFL season finally got underway with a full Week 1 slate of football. Scattered throughout the NFL were 33 Penn State football players on active 53-man rosters as the season officially kicked off, and a number of those players were key players in their season openers.

A number of former Nittany Lions started the season with a new team including wide receiver Allen Robinson and running back Miles Sanders. In all, Penn State has 39 players on NFL rosters if you include practice squad players and players appearing on injured reserve to start the 2023 season.

Here is a look at some of the former Nittany Lions in action during Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season.

7 players we’re excited to watch in 49ers preseason opener

Here’s a look at seven players that should be exciting to watch in the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Raiders on Sunday.

It’s not Christmas, but it’s close. On Sunday, The 49ers will open the preseason in Sin City against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It’s not a mirage in the desert, the 49ers will officially be on the field in uniform on Sunday for the first time since their loss in the NFC Championship to the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s likely most of the starters and familiar faces for the 49ers will be on the sideline watching on Sunday. But, what’s exciting about the preseason is getting a look at some of the new faces for the first time in red and gold.

Players with chatter around their name — good and bad — will get the chance to make an impression on the fan base and coaching staff under the bright lights for the first time.

Heading into Sunday’s contest, here’s a look at seven players Niners Wire is excited to watch against the Raiders in the preseason.

49ers rookie S Ji’Ayir Brown can’t wait to tackle somebody

49ers rookie S Ji’Ayir Brown hasn’t tackled somebody since December of last year. He’s ready to get back to it.

There haven’t been a ton of splash plays through the first nine days of training camp for 49ers rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown. His skill set may be better geared toward game scenarios though where his tackling ability can be on full display.

Brown won’t have to wait long to hit a player who isn’t a teammate though. San Francisco has a pair of joint practices with the Raiders on August 10 and 11 before they face each other on Aug. 13 in their preseason opener. That’s why the rookie is looking forward to those practices and a game where he feels the full breadth of his skill set will shine.

“Absolutely. I haven’t tackled nobody since December of last year,” Brown said after Saturday’s practice. “So, definitely looking forward to getting back to it and show off my tackling ability to the team and let them see what I’m all about.”

His nose for the football is apparent in his college tape, and his aggressive, downhill style is something he believes will fit in quickly with San Francisco’s defense.

“That’s just my game,” he said. “I think that’s everybody’s game on the team. You know, this is an aggressive defense. I think the most aggressive defense in the league, so, I have to live up to that standard with those guys. And my football style is just like theirs so it’s definitely gonna be a game of physicality.”

That physicality doesn’t get to stand out in practice where the health of teammates is paramount and the goal is to avoid players going to the ground. Pads will pop, but the tackling isn’t full speed particularly in the secondary where Brown figures to do most of his roaming.

Brown told reporters he believes his long-term future with the team will require him to follow the leaders in the middle of their defense who set the aggressive tone.

“Just mentality. These guys, they hunt,” Brown said. “Guys like Fred (Warner) leading the pack, (Dre) Greenlaw — these guys hunt. They set the example. And if you ain’t out there hunting you can’t be with them. So I just join in on that hunt, I hunt with those guys.”

How the 49ers will deploy Brown in his rookie campaign remains to be seen. He could conceivably start at free safety alongside Talanoa Hufanga, though a more realistic projection is that he’ll play as a third safety or de facto third linebacker in some personnel groupings. Either way his playing time will ride heavily on how the aggressiveness and tackling ability he hangs his helmet on translates in games.

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Charvarius Ward praises 49ers rookie DB, expects big things in preseason

The #49ers veteran corner is expecting big things from rookie Ji’Ayir Brown in the preseason.

With training camp heating up, the San Francisco 49ers’ first preseason game is approaching.

Although he has yet to have the chance to officially suit up and make his debut, Charvarius Ward already has lofty expectations for one rookie when the 49ers take the field in the preseason.

After practice at training camp on Thursday, the veteran corner praised rookie Ji’Ayir Brown. Ward told reporters he believes Brown will be “smacking people around” in the preseason.

I think he’s (Brown) a grown man. Like, you look at him, and he looks like he’s been in the league already for a couple of years. I definitely think in the preseason, when the pads come on, he is going to smacking people around. His game is really going to show real good.

In practice, he might not making a lot of plays right now, but I know on gameday – Sunday, whoever we play, he is going to be a dog. He’s a dog, for sure.

His body type, his mentality, like you look at him, and he kind of looks mad. But he’s a happy person. On the field, he’s aggressive and he plays hard. That’s what I get from him; he plays hard, and he plays fast.

Via @NBCS49ers on Twitter:

The 49ers drafted Brown in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft out of Penn State. At Penn State, Brown earned All-Big Ten third-team honors twice. In 2023 Brown was named the defensive Most Valuable Player of the Rose Bowl. Against the Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl, Brown had a game-high eight tackles and an interception.

In 13 games in 2022, Brown had 56 tackles, seven for loss, along with a team-high four interceptions. In 2021, Brown had a career-high six interceptions.

Brown will get the chance to make his debut with the Niners in the preseason on Sunday, August 13, against the Las Vegas Raiders in Sin City.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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