These former Wisconsin football players will play in NFL playoffs divisional round

These former Wisconsin football players will play in NFL playoffs Divisional Round

Twelve former Wisconsin Badgers advanced to the 2024 NFL playoffs. Only eight remain alive after Wild Card Weekend.

That first weekend saw several notable stories develop, including the Houston Texans surprise with a blowout win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Philadelphia Eagles handle a dangerous Green Bay Packers team and the Washington Commanders defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a last-second field goal.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ lopsided loss to the Baltimore Ravens also matters for these purposes. Several former Badgers were quiet in the loss. T.J. Watt (zero statistics recorded) leads that headline.

With those results in the books, the NFL divisional round schedule is as follows:

  • Texans at Chiefs (4:30 p.m. ET Saturday)
  • Commanders at Lions (8 p.m. ET Saturday)
  • Rams at Eagles (3 p.m. ET Sunday)
  • Ravens at Bills (6:30 p.m. ET Sunday)

Here are those eight former Badgers who will be in action this weekend:

Regular Season Stats: 30 carries, 112 rushing yards, 19 receptions, 28 receiving yards, one touchdown

Wild Card Stats: One carry, five rushing yards, one special teams tackle

Ogunbowale is the Texans’ third-string running back at this stage of the season. He still sees a few touches per game, depending on the play of starter Joe Mixon and backup Dameon Pierce. The former Badger is arguably the team’s top special teams player. He still impacts the game, even if he doesn’t touch the ball.

Regular Season Stats: 60 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, three forced fumbles, three pass deflections

Wild Card Stats: N/A (bye)

Chenal and the Chiefs look for their third straight Super Bowl starting with a home game against Houston. Chenal’s numbers dipped after a strong 2023 campaign. He still remains one of the team’s more important defensive players.

Regular Season Stats: 16 starts at right guard

Wild Card Stats: N/A (bye)

Zeitler’s improbable longevity continues into the 2024 playoffs. The former Badger entered the NFL in 2012 with the Bengals. He’s played in 198 total regular season games in that time, plus seven playoff matchups. His teams are just 1-6 in the postseason — that one win coming with the Ravens last season.

Regular Season Stats: 15 starts at center

Wild Card Stats: Started at center

Biadasz has been an underrated terrific pickup for Washington. He brought much-needed stability to its offensive line, which has led to an all-time rookie season from QB Jayden Daniels.

The Commanders defeated the Buccaneers on a last-season field goal last weekend. They’ll look to continue a miracle run on the road at Detroit.

Regular Season Stats: Two starts

Wild Card Stats: N/A (did not play)

Deiter did not play in Washington’s win over Tampa Bay. He’s the Commanders’ primary backup center behind Biadasz. The veteran started 10 games for the Texans in 2023 and 15 for the Dolphins as a rookie in 2019. Otherwise, he’s spent most of his career as a primary backup.

Regular Season Stats: 151 tackles, 11 1/2 tackles for loss, 3 1/2 sacks, five quarterback hits, four pass deflections, five forced fumbles, one interception

Wild Card Stats: Eight tackles, four solo tackles, one pass deflection, one interception

Baun’s out-of-nowhere amazing season continued in the Eagles’ win over the Packers. He tallied eight tackles, intercepted Jordan Love and deflected a pass. His performance led a defensive unit that allowed just 10 total points to a strong Packers offense.

Regular Season Stats: 11 starts at right tackle

Wild Card Stats: Started at right tackle

Havenstein has been a mainstay on the Rams’ defensive line for the last decade — his first year was when they were still the ‘St. Louis Rams.’ The former Badger helped lead the team to a lopsided victory over the Vikings on Monday night. They now travel to Philadelphia for a Divisional Round matchup.

Regular Season Stats: 16 starts at left guard

Wild Card Stats: Started at left guard

Edwards blocked for a Bills offense that scored 31 points on a strong Broncos defense. The team and MVP favorite Josh Allen now host the Baltimore Ravens in arguably the game of the weekend.

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