Idaho connections in the NFL: Former Broncos Mattison, Correa still alive in playoffs
With the NFL playoffs in full swing, Boise State football fans are concerned about two things: the number of touches Alexander Mattison gets as the Minnesota Vikings trudge toward a potential NFC championship berth and Kellen Moore’s employment status.
Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy is taking over in Dallas. Multiple outlets have reported Moore is expected to stay with the Cowboys as offensive coordinator, but no decision has been announced. Whether Moore will be calling plays in the NFL next season may still be up in the air, but one thing for certain is that Mattison and the Vikings are one win from playing for a spot in Super Bowl LIV.
The Vikings — the No. 6 seed in the NFC — travel to No. 1 San Francisco on Saturday. Former Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa and the No. 6 Tennessee Titans face top-seeded Baltimore on Saturday in the AFC’s divisional round.
Boise State and the state of Idaho are well represented every Sunday of the NFL season. Here’s a look at how former Boise State players, Idaho high school stars and former Idaho and Idaho State players fared this season.
BOISE STATE
QB Ryan Finley, No. 5, Cincinnati Bengals — Finley, who ended his college career at North Carolina State, started three games in place of injured Andy Dalton. The Bengals lost all three games, but Finley finished with 474 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
DE DeMarcus Lawrence, No. 90, Dallas Cowboys — Lawrence appeared in 16 games this season and finished with 45 tackles and five sacks. After posting 14.5 sacks in 2017 and 10.5 last season, Lawrence’s sack total took a dip this fall, but he still has 39 sacks since 2015.
OL Charles Leno Jr., No. 72, Chicago Bears— Leno started all 16 games this season at left tackle.
RB Alexander Mattison, No. 25, Minnesota Vikings — Mattison missed the Vikings’ final three games of the regular season with a high ankle sprain. He carried the ball five times for 20 yards in Minnesota’s Wild Card win over New Orleans.
C Matt Paradis (Council High), No. 61, Carolina Panthers — Paradis started all 16 games at center after moving over from the Denver Broncos.
LB Leighton Vander Esch (Salmon River High), No. 55, Dallas Cowboys — Vander Esch was shut down with a neck injury after the Cowboys’ win in week 11 against Detroit. He finished his second season with 72 tackles, a half sack and a forced fumble.
LB Kamalei Correa, No. 44, Tennessee Titans — Correa appeared in all 16 regular-season games this season and made five starts at outside linebacker. He has 37 tackles and five sacks on the season. He also started the playoff opener.
S Darian Thompson, No. 23, Dallas Cowboys — Thompson appeared in 15 games and made two starts. He finished with 45 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
DL Billy Winn, No. 90, Denver Broncos — The Broncos placed Winn on injured reserve Aug. 3 with an arm injury.
ILB Tanner Vallejo, No. 48, Arizona Cardinals — Vallejo appeared in two games this season and finished with eight tackles and one sack.
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., No. 11, Dallas Cowboys — After spending last season on the Cowboys’ practice squad, Wilson was promoted to the active roster in September, but his season ended in December when he was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. He finished the season with five catches for 46 yards.
RB Jeremy McNichols, No. 34, Jacksonville Jaguars — After spending most of the year on the Jaguars’ practice squad, McNichols was promoted to the active roster for the season finale against the Colts.
CB Jamar Taylor, No. 43, Atlanta Falcons — Taylor was waived by the Seahawks in November, but he signed with Atlanta on Dec. 10. He appeared in nine games for Seattle and posted nine tackles. In three appearances for Atlanta, he posted one stop.
CB Donte Deayon, No. 38, Los Angeles Rams — Deayon appeared in three games this season and finished with three tackles.
DL Tyrone Crawford, No. 98, Dallas Cowboys — In December, Crawford’s season ended with surgery to repair a hip injury.
QB Brett Rypien, No. 4, Denver Broncos — Rypien spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad but was active as the Broncos’ backup for three games.
WR Sean Modster, No. 14, Baltimore Ravens — Modster remains on Baltimore’s practice squad.
CB Orlando Scandrick, Philadelphia Eagles — Scandrick appeared in three games, including one start, before he was cut. He returned a fumble for a touchdown.
RB Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles — Ajayi got 10 carries for 30 yards in three games before he was cut.
WR A.J. Richardson, Arizona Cardinals — Richardson is on the Cardinals’ reserve/future list.
IDAHO
G/T Jesse Davis, No. 77, Miami Dolphins — Davis started 15 games this season at guard, and he has 41 starts in the past three seasons.
LB Kaden Elliss, No. 55, New Orleans Saints — A seventh-round pick in 2019 by the Saints, Elliss spent the first three games of his rookie year contributing on special teams, but he suffered a knee injury in September that ended his season.
G Mike Iupati, No. 70, Seattle Seahawks — After five seasons in San Francisco and four in Arizona, Iupati started 15 games at guard this fall for Seattle. He missed the playoff opener with an injury and his status is uncertain this week.
DE Benson Mayowa, No. 91, Oakland Raiders — After spending two seasons in Dallas and last year in Arizona, Mayowa returned to Oakland this fall after having spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Raiders. This season, he appeared in 15 games and finished with 15 tackles and a career-high seven sacks.
RB Elijhaa Penny, No. 39, New York Giants — In his second season with the Giants, Penny appeared in all 16 games and made one start. He finished the season with 15 carries for 39 yards.
IDAHO STATE
TE Josh Hill (Blackfoot High), No. 89, New Orleans Saints — Hill made 11 starts this season and hauled in 25 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns.
HIGH SCHOOLS
QB Taysom Hill (Highland High), No. 7, New Orleans Saints — As he has all season, Hill did a little bit of everything in the Saints’ overtime loss to Minnesota in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. He completed a career-long 50-yard pass, caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 50 yards on four carries. On the year, he completed 6-of-13 passes for 119 yards, carried the ball 64 times for 352 yards and three touchdowns, caught 19 passes for 234 yards and six more scores and recorded three special teams tackles.
DE Porter Gustin (Emmett High), No. 97, Cleveland Browns — Gustin recorded 13 tackles, including a sack, in six games this season.
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
