Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Who do you like to advance to the NFL conference championships?
The NFL Divisional Playoffs are set and 12 former Notre Dame players are moving on to the second round.
Wild Card weekend saw one great game between the Lions and Rams and five other ones that left quite a bit to be desired.
As the NFL playoff field gets cut nearly in half, so do the amount of former Notre Dame players participating in the postseason. The Irish saw 10 of their 22 former players on playoff teams eliminated this weekend.
So who is left and how did they fare on Wild Card weekend?
Anyone else lose a bet to a friend or coworker this weekend that wasn’t for money?
The only thing that can make a thrilling college football game better is a friendly wager between co-workers.
We’ve all done them before.
Lunch or a case of beer are common, as is having to wear gear supporting the opponent after the fact.
That’s what happened with the Houston Texans between their rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, an Ohio State product, and Kurt Hinish and Jarrett Patterson who both played at Notre Dame.
We all know the result of the game at this point so on Monday it was time to pay up for Hinish and Patterson. Check out that Stroud posted to Instagram below.
Jarrett Patterson, Kurt Hinish and CJ Stroud on Instagram pic.twitter.com/LbFtsdjAgz
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) September 26, 2023
I will say at least the shirt Patterson got stuck wearing looks sweet.
Next time gents, next time…
Just because someone is a three-star doesn’t mean they can’t be great.
In the world of recruiting, rankings clearly matter. It’s no shock that when you look at the best teams nationally, they’re the ones who usually ranked the highest in team recruiting rankings during the previous three or four years. Maybe the top team doesn’t always have the top class, but you can bet they’re in or right there with the top-five nationally.
Another key part of recruiting comes to finding those diamonds in the rough. That isn’t to knock three-star talents, but the hype around them clearly isn’t the same when a five-star prospect visits campus or commits to a program.
We decided to go back and rank the top three-star players Notre Dame brought to campus dating to the start of Brian Kelly’s run at Notre Dame that began with the 2010 recruiting class. Here are the top 25 of those such players in the last roughly dozen years.
The 247Sports composite was used in each player’s star rating for this piece.
Houston Texans DT Kurt Hinish, a former high school teammate of Buffalo Bills S Damar Hamlin, says seeing him collapse on the field was difficult.
Kurt Hinish has known Damar Hamlin for a while.
The Houston Texans defensive tackle was once teammates with the Buffalo Bills safety at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.
“He’s a great football player but an even better person,” Hinish said. “Speaking from my relationship and me observing his relationship with his family, he’s a super family-oriented kind of kid. He obviously chose to stay home in Pittsburgh and go to the University of Pittsburgh to set a great example for his younger brother and everyone else he grew up with in that community. He means a lot to them and will continue to mean a lot to them.”
Hinish says that the example Hamlin set in the community is “second to none.”
The undrafted free agent from Notre Dame was having the Texans’ rookie defensive lineman dinner when Monday Night Football between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals kicked off from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Just as Hinish was walking into the restaurant, he saw it all.
“I literally saw him tackle the guy [receiver Tee Higgins], stand up and then collapse,” said Hinish. “My heart dropped. I didn’t know if he had a concussion, and then it went into the whole fiasco that it turned in to. From what I understand, reading everything, it seems like everything is going in the right direction.”
Hamlin needed CPR on the field and was rushed via ambulance to a nearby hospital where he remains in intensive care — although, the safety is making steady progress in his recovery since Monday night.
The nature of screens, whether on television or smart phones, creates a feeling of disconnection from the rest of humanity. However, the impact of Hamlin’s collapse affected Hinish deeply.
Said Hinish: “It’s one thing when you see something like that happen on TV. It’s another thing when you see something like that happen on TV when you know the person, when you have a relationship with that person. It kind of means more because I play football in the NFL. He plays football in the NFL. It just kind of puts things into perspective. It really hits you harder because you know that person. You know that person’s family. You see his younger brother running around and the role model Damar is for his family. You can only image what’s going on with them.”
For comprehensive coverage on Hamlin and his recovery, visit the Bills Wire.
The Houston Texans have canceled player availability on Tuesday in response to Buffalo Bills S Damar Hamlin’s medical emergency Monday night.
The Houston Texans canceled all media availability for players and team meetings Tuesday.
The move comes in response to the NFL coming to a standstill following the medical emergency of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday night. During the first quarter of the Bills’ game with the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium, Hamlin collapsed to the ground after getting up from making a tackle. Hamlin required CPR and was carried via ambulance to a nearby hospital where he remains in the intensive care unit in critical condition.
Hamlin has at least two former teammates on the Texans in defensive ends Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes, who both played for the Bills last season. Texans defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire was also the Bills’ assistant defensive line coach last season. Defensive tackle Kurt Hinish was also high school teammates with Hamlin at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.
The NFL decided Tuesday the game between the Bills and Bengals will not be resumed this week.
We all need to come together for this man right now.
We at Fighting Irish Wire are incredibly concerned as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin fights for his life in a Cincinnati hospital. Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle during the “Monday Night Football” game against the Bengals. After being administered CPR, he was taken away in an ambulance, and the game was postponed soon after. As of this writing, he is listed as being in critical condition.
Hamlin faced Notre Dame twice while at Pittsburgh. During those games, both won by the Irish, he recorded 14 tackles, deflected one pass and was credited with half a tackle for loss.
Hamlin also was a teammate of Houston Texans rookie and former Irish defensive lineman [autotag]Kurt Hinish[/autotag] at Central Catholic in Pittsburgh, and Hinish tweeted his prayers for a man he once played with:
Praying for you brother❤️ @HamlinIsland
— KURT HINISH (@Truk_sauce) January 3, 2023
Everyone send the best vibes and prayers that you possibly can to Hamlin. He needs all of them right now. Let’s hope we have some good news very soon.
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Hinish has been an underrated part of the #Texans’ defense, and secured the first sack of his career against the #Eagles in Week 9
While the Houston Texans’ Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a downer for fans who just want to see the team win a game after a 1-6-1 start, not all was lost for one member of the defense who recorded his first career sack in the Thursday night matchup.
Defensive lineman Kurt Hinish got in the backfield to pressure Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter, marking the initial sack of what looks to be a promising career for the first-year pass rusher. The play may not have changed the outcome of the game, but given the Texans’ situation, any production and improvement is positive momentum heading into the team’s looming rebuild in 2023.
Hinish signed with Houston after going undrafted back in April and has made an impact for the Texans in the seven games he has been active for. The Week 9 matchup against the Eagles marked the most action he has seen for the team so far, as he notched 40 defensive downs played and combined for three tackles to go along with the big sack.
His success should not come as a surprise to anyone who watched him play for his alma mater at Notre Dame, where he was a standout for the Fighting Irish since the 2017 season. Hinish was an underrated part of the program’s success, and while he may not have been the most well-known contributor to their defense, he certainly showed that he could hold his own against the top-level talent on the Irish’s schedules over the years.
Whether he will turn into a defensive star for Houston like he did for Notre Dame is unclear at this juncture, but the pieces certainly seem to be there for him to become one of the team’s most impactful linemen as a hard-nosed run stuffer that has the flexibility to get after the quarterback. Time will tell just how high his ceiling is, but for a team that needs any spark they can get, Hinish is in an enviable position on the Texans’ defense heading into Week 10.
The Houston Texans released their inactives for Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, and injuries played a big part.
Today's inactives for #HOUvsCHI. pic.twitter.com/2XmZGR0H3T
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 25, 2022
The Houston Texans released their inactives ahead of their Week 3 encounter with the Chicago Bears Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Soldier Field.
Injuries play a big part in determining who was up and who was down on the game day roster.
Defensive tackle Kurt Hinish (foot), tackle Austin Deculus (ankle), cornerback Isaac Yiadom (thigh), and tight end Brevin Jordan (ankle) were inactive due to injury. The only healthy scratches were linebacker Jake Hansen, and receiver Tyler Johnson.
For the Bears, receiver Velus Jones (hamstring), defensive back Jaylon Johnson, offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter, linebacker Matt Adams (hamstring), defensive back Dane Cruikshank (hamstring), and former Texans tight end Ryan Griffin (Achilles) were declared inactive.
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The Houston Texans will be without DT Kurt Hinish against the Chicago Bears in Week 3 as the rookie recovers from a foot injury.
The Houston Texans will be without one of their undrafted free agents when they take on the Chicago Bears Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from Soldier Field.
The Texans downgraded defensive tackle Kurt Hinish to out before the team charter left for Chicago.
Hinish appeared on the Texans’ injury report Thursday and was a non-participant. On Friday, Hinish was again a non-participant and given the questionable designation.
On Sept. 1, Hinish told reporters that, even though he still made the team as an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, he still sought to prove himself daily.
“I’m still making this team every single day,” said Hinish. “I don’t show up to the facility thinking just because I made the 53 I can relax. I’m here to work every single day. I’ve got to earn my spot here everyday, just like everyone else here.”
Hinish has three combined tackles and a tackle for loss through two games.
The Houston Texans had two rookies make Pro Football Focus’ list of top-15 rookies for Week 2.
The Houston Texans’ 16-9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 2 was deflating as the offense failed to convert third downs, going 2-13 in the process, was 0-2 in the red zone, and went four-and-out on a potential game-tying drive.
However, there were bright spots for the future of the Texans, pending they can get the offense figured out.
According to Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus, the Texans had two rookies make their list of top-15 rookies for Week 2. The first was defensive lineman Kurt Hinish, who posted a 69.6 PFF grade against the Broncos.
The Texans could use all the reasons for hope they can get. Hinish getting snaps as an undrafted free agent was impressive to begin with, but it didn’t stop there for the rookie. He notched two hurries and a run stop on 26 defensive stops.
The second rookie who was outstanding in Denver was fourth-round running back Dameon Pierce.
Pierce was maximizing every opportunity he got against the Broncos. There weren’t many rushing holes, but he still picked up 69 yards on 15 attempts to go along with six broken tackles. Of his 4.6 yards per carry, 3.7 came after contact.
Coach Lovie Smith told reporters Sept. 19 that he appreciated the way Pierce ran the ball against the Broncos.
“We got him more involved and that’ll continue,” said Smith. “I thought he ran hard, did some good things.”
The Texans may not be stacking wins at the moment, but if their rookies continue to impress, it means their player personnel department has been winning in the offseason, and completing the rebuild may not be that far off.
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