Tag: Pro Dawgs

Former Washington Huskies star Budda Baker has had a stellar 2024 season.

The 2017 second-round pick signed a three-year, $54 million extension in December as a reward for his standout play at safety for the Arizona Cardinals. On Friday, that play was further recognized by the NFL with a second-team All-Pro selection.

It’s the fourth All-Pro selection for Baker, who has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Cardinals. He was a first-team selection as a rookie in 2017 and again in 2020, and a second-team selection in 2021.

Baker set a career-high in total tackles with 164 this season, which finished second in the NFL behind Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Frankin, including 10 tackles for loss. He also had 5 passes defended, a forced fumble, and 2 sacks and was named to his sixth consecutive and seventh career Pro Bowl.

Baker was joined on the second team by Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton. The first team selections at safety were Kerby Joseph of the Detroit Lions and Xavier McKinney of the Green Bay Packers.

Fellow Huskies alum Trent McDuffie was also named to the second team after his standout season at cornerback with the Kansas City Chiefs. A third former member of Washington’s secondary, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, finished sixth in the voting and narrowly missed out on second-team selection.

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Baltimore Ravens right tackle Roger Rosengarten has been one of the Washington Huskies’ best rookies around the NFL in 2024 and proved it in the final week of the regular season against arguably the league’s toughest competitors.

Every time Rosengarten lined up to take a snap, he looked across the line and saw five-time All-Pro and the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett looking back at him. As the Ravens cruised to an AFC North division title with a 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, Garrett was practically a non-factor.

The 29-year-old tallied just 2 tackles, 1 for loss, as Cleveland’s pass rush failed to do anything to contain quarterback Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP wasn’t sacked once, throwing for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“I’m very proud. It’s a good group, a fun group, and then just all of the things that we went through in the preseason,” center Tyler Linderbaum said of Baltimore’s offensive line. “Losing [offensive line coach] Joe [D’Alessandris] certainly hasn’t been easy, but I think he’d be very proud of us. The way we play, the way we play the game, the way we approach the game, I think, is something he’d be proud of.”

Baltimore also eviscerated the Browns’ defensive front, tallying 220 yards and another 2 scores on the ground. With the win, the Ravens secured the No. 3 seed in the AFC and are set for a wild card weekend showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The Atlanta Falcons need a win and some help from the New Orleans Saints to get into the playoffs. If the Michael Penix Jr.-led Falcons can beat the Carolina Panthers and the Saints can upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta will be crowned the NFC South division champions.

Penix started the game out hot with an impressive 24-yard completion to wide receiver Khaderel Hodge but hasn’t gotten much help from his pass catchers, who have dropped a handful of well-placed throws in the first half.

Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake’s unit wasn’t much help in the first either as the lowly Panthers carved it up for 186 yards and 17 points with 2:48 remaining in the second quarter. Trailing 10-3, Penix led the Falcons on a 10-play, 70-yard drive and took things into his own hands to finish it off.

The Falcons have struggled to convert in the red zone around Penix since he took over as the starter, but on third and goal from the five-yard line, the former Washington Huskies star took the snap and as the pocket collapsed, escaped and dove for the pylon to cap off the drive with a score, celebrating with his signature bow and arrow move.

The Washington Huskies saw three alumni named to the 2024 Pro Bowl but also had possibly the most shocking omission across the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie wasn’t among Washington’s Pro Bowl honorees despite being in the midst of another stellar season.

While at the end of the day, the Pro Bowl is ultimately meaningless, especially to someone like McDuffie, who was honored as a First Team All-Pro cornerback in 2023 and has played in the Super Bowl in each of his first two years in the league, it’s still a solid accolade that signifies a strong season.

McDuffie has had a very strong season for the Chiefs, which could put him in line for a massive contract extension when he’s eligible to receive one after the season. He’s recorded 59 tackles, his first two NFL interceptions, a career-high 13 pass breakups, and a forced fumble, but his impact goes well beyond counting stats.

According to Pro Football Focus, McDuffie has a league-best lockdown rate at 66.7 percent, which measures the amount of times he’s allowed separation to opposing receivers. He’s done that while working against some of the best pass catchers, including Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase, Houston Texans’ rising phenom Nico Collins, and Denver Broncos’ standout Courtland Sutton.

After the Chiefs secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Christmas Day, McDuffie, who should be in the running for an All-Pro selection, may not suit up for Kansas City’s regular season finale against the Denver Broncos as they prepare to attempt the NFL’s first-ever “three-peat.”

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When the Pro Bowl festivities begin in Orlando, Florida, on January 30, three former Washington Huskies will be in attendance. On Thursday, the fan vote results for the NFL’s annual all-star game were announced, with three Washington alumni gracing the defense for the NFC.

DT Vita Vea

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star has been dominant this season, earning the second Pro Bowl nod of his seven-year career. He’s recorded 6 sacks in  2024, 1/2 away from his career-high, and has set a new career-best with 9 tackles for a loss. He’s also been a vital part of the Buccaneers’ run defense, which ranks No. 5 in the NFL in yards allowed.

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— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 29, 2024

CB Byron Murphy Jr.

As the Minnesota Vikings have established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL, so too has Murphy as one of the league’s best defensive backs. He’s set new career-highs in interceptions (6), pass breakups (14), and tackles for a loss (5), while his interception and PBU numbers rank No. 3 and No. 7 in the league respectively, and resulted in the first Pro Bowl of his career.

S Budda Baker

Baker, who is on his way to his seventh Pro Bowl, has had one of the best seasons of his impressive eight-year career, for which the Arizona Cardinals rewarded him with a hefty contract extension. He ranks No. 2 in the NFL with 155 tackles, a career-high, and has also set a new personal best with 9 tackles for a loss.

After former Washington Huskies tight end Devin Culp put on an impressive showing at the NFL Combine, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the seventh round, pairing him with his college teammate Cade Otton.

With Otton in the midst of a breakout season, Culp has spent the majority of the season on Tampa Bay’s inactive list. Coming into Sunday, he had played in just three games during his rookie year, but Otton missed the game against the Carolina Panthers with a knee injury, thrusting Culp into action.

Midway through the first quarter, quarterback Baker Mayfield got the rookie involved. On Tampa Bay’s second drive of the game, he connected with Culp on a deep out route to pick up 26 yards for his first career reception.

Three plays later, Mayfield rifled a ball over the middle to Culp for a 17-yard gain, moving the Buccaneers deep into the red zone. Tampa Bay would cap the drive off with a field goal that put them ahead for good in what turned into a 48-14 rout.

Culp finished the game with 3 catches for 52 yards and earned some praise from his quarterback after the game.

“Devin is obviously extremely talented in the passing game,” Mayfield said. He’s able to catch the ball, he’s super explosive, it was good to get him involved.”

Even though former Oregon running back Bucky Irving helped lift the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 48-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers with 190 scrimmage yards, former Washington Huskies star Jalen McMillan refused to say anything nice about his school’s mascot.

In a viral moment, a duck wandered onto the field in the third quarter and the game was briefly halted as members of the on-field crew had to get the bird off the field. Shortly after, it got to take in a touchdown from the best seats in the house as former Husky Joe Tryon-Shoyinka blocked a punt that linebacker J.J. Russell took 23 yards to the end zone in the rout.

After the game, some Buccaneers called it a good luck duck, but McMillan wasn’t among them.

“It was one of the bad moments of the game,” McMillan told members of the media. “It’s not a good luck duck. Ducks aren’t good luck, they’re weird. I hate ducks”

McMillan didn’t need any luck on Sunday, as his strong connection with quarterback Baker Mayfield continued. He hauled in 5 catches for 51 yards and 2 touchdowns, running his total to 6 scores in Tampa Bay’s last four games.

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Michael Penix Jr. overcame a slow start in the best way possible. After the Atlanta Falcons’ rookie quarterback threw an interception on the opening drive of Sunday Night Football, he rebounded in the biggest moment.

As defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake’s defense struggled to get off the field in the second half, the Washington Commanders took a 24-17 lead before Penix took the field with 4:25 to play and a chance to tie the game. The drive got off to a rocky start, but the former Washington star was able to keep it alive with a 31-yard strike to Drake London on fourth and 11.

Then, after the Falcons were able to get the ball into the red zone, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson called a wildcat run for running back Bijan Robinson, but the snap went over his head, forcing Atlanta into a second-and-goal situation from the 26-yard line.

After Penix found London on second down for 13 yards and missed him in the end zone on third down, he trusted tight end Kyle Pitts on fourth-and-goal from the 13-yard line after the former No. 4 overall pick caused his first career interception in a win over the New York Giants last Sunday.

Penix threw a perfect ball, reminiscent of his days on Montlake, splitting two defenders and putting it in a spot where only Pitts could get it. The 13-yard score capped off a 12-play, 68-yard drive and kept the game and Atlanta’s playoff hopes alive with 1:19 to play.

Jalen McMillan is quickly turning into a star for not just the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but for fantasy football players as well. Early in Week 17, which is championship weekend for most fantasy leagues, the former Washington Huskies standout gave his newfound fans plenty to cheer about.

With a little over a minute remaining in the first half against the Carolina Panthers, quarterback Baker Mayfield looked towards the end zone and found the rookie who the Buccaneers selected in the third round of April’s draft for a 10-yard score.

The touchdown extended Tampa Bay’s lead to 27-6 over their division rivals as they fight to keep their playoff hopes alive in the NFC South. It was also McMillan’s only catch of the first half.

In the absence of All-Pro wide receiver Chris Godwin and another former Husky, tight end Cade Otton, McMillan has established himself as one of Mayfield’s go-to targets. While he’s becoming a reliable target, he has a long way to go to usurp Tampa Bay’s top receiver, All-Pro Mike Evans, who scored twice in the first half.

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