Former Boise State players Rypien, Wilson turn heads in Week 3 of the NFL season
Former Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien saw his first action in a regular-season NFL game on Sunday in the Denver Broncos’ 28-10 loss to Tampa Bay.
Jeff Driskel started the game for the Broncos in place of Drew Lock, who is out with a shoulder injury. Rypien replaced Driskel with Denver trailing 28-10 in the fourth quarter and went the rest of the way, completing 8-of-9 passes for 53 yards and an interception.
Rypien is in the mix to start Thursday night at the New York Jets because recent signee Blake Bortles won’t be ready yet, coach Vic Fangio told reporters Monday.
Rypien is the third former Boise State starting quarterback to appear in an NFL game, following Kellen Moore and Ryan Finley.
Moore appeared in three games for Dallas in 2015 before joining the Cowboys’ coaching staff and eventually being promoted to offensive coordinator. Finley, who ended his college career at North Carolina State, appeared in three games last season for Cincinnati.
Rypien signed with the Broncos last year as an undrafted free agent and spent much of the season on the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster for three games to serve as Brandon Allen’s backup with both Joe Flacco and Lock injured.
The Broncos waived Rypien earlier this month, but he was re-signed to the practice squad. And on Friday, he was promoted to the active roster.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Spokane, Washington, native finished his college career as the Mountain West’s all-time leader in passing yards (13,581), completions (1,036) and 300-yard passing games (21). He also passed Moore on Boise State’s all-time 300-yard passing list with 17 such performances.
Cowboys’ Wilson breaks out
Former Boise State wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. may have posted what turns out to be his breakout performance Sunday in the Cowboys’ 38-31 loss to Seattle.
After battling injuries the past two seasons, Wilson is finally healthy and it showed. The Memphis, Tennessee, native caught five passes for 107 yards and the first two touchdowns of his NFL career.
Wilson’s first touchdown began as a simple slant, but he easily beat Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright on the route and outran the defense for a 40-yard score, which left the Cowboys trailing 16-15 in the second quarter.
He beat Seattle cornerback Shaquill Griffin for his second score — a 42-yard touchdown, which cut the Seahawks’ lead to 30-22 in the third.
Wilson, a former high school quarterback and junior college transfer, spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Boise State, where he amassed 2,640 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Cowboys selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft, but his rookie season was cut short by a shoulder injury, and knee and concussion issues cost him much of last season.
Here’s how some other former Broncos fared in Week 3 of the NFL season:
Alexander Mattison, RB, Vikings — 8 carries, 27 yards
Jeremy McNichols, RB, Titans — 1 catch, 5 yards
John Hightower, WR, Eagles — 2 catches, 19 yards
Darian Thompson, S, Cowboys — 3 tackles, 1 assist
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys — 1 tackle
Tyrone Crawford, DL, Cowboys — 0.5 tackles.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
