Idaho ties in the NFL: Kellen Moore praise continues; former Bronco scores another TD
There is a portrait of beloved quarterback Kellen Moore fashioned out of mosaic tile in Boise State’s Bleymaier Football Center.
He remains the king of Boise State football since compiling a 50-3 record as the Broncos’ starting quarterback from 2008 to 2011. Moore has already been inducted into the Boise State Athletics Hall of Fame, and he’s on the ballot for the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame.
In just his second season as the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, Moore is a popular pick for the assistant most likely to receive his first NFL head coaching gig — and it’s irking longtime NFL writer Peter King, who writes the column Football Morning in America for NBC Sports.
“Is there some rule that, daily, some Dallas exec or coach or player, pumps offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for an NFL head-coaching job?” King wrote. “Lord, I’ve never seen or heard such a collective push in September for a guy to get a head-coaching job.”
The Cowboys handed previously unbeaten Carolina a 36-28 loss on Sunday as Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns and the Cowboys racked up 245 rushing yards on 34 carries. Moore called a triple-option play to move the chains and seal the win in the fourth quarter, and Twitter was awash with praise.
“Kellen Moore should be a head coach. Maybe *ducks and starts whispering* it should be of the Dallas Cowboys,” the Ringer’s Kevin Clark wrote.
Added Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw: “The Zeke pitch to Pollard may have just sealed it … that Kellen Moore won’t be in Dallas next year.”
From Patrik Walker of CBS Sports: “And make no mistake about it, Moore isn’t simply adapting. He’s calling plays with the goal of setting up other plays, in a high-level chess match usually reserved for the minds of coaches like Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. That means the Cowboys offensive weaponry, as overpowered as it is, doesn’t stop at the out of bounds markers. It continues onto the sideline, where Moore continues to orchestrate a symphony impressive enough to make Ludwig van Beethoven blush in his grave.”
Fifteen players with Idaho ties saw playing time in Week 4 of the NFL regular season. Below is a look at how they did.
BOISE STATE
TE, John Bates, No. 87 Washington Football Team: Came off the bench and played 16 snaps on offense (24%) and 10 on special teams (37%) but did not record any stats in Washington’s 34-30 win over Atlanta.
G, Ezra Cleveland, No. 72 Minnesota Vikings: Started at left guard and played all 67 snaps on offense and one on special teams in the Vikings’ 14-7 loss to Cleveland.
CB, Dont’e Deayon, No. 21 Los Angeles Rams: Deayon is a member of the Rams’ practice squad and was not called up for their 37-20 loss to Arizona.
WR, John Hightower, No. 82 Philadelphia Eagles: Hightower is a member of the Eagles’ practice squad and was not called up for their 42-30 loss to Kansas City.
DE, DeMarcus Lawrence, No. 90 Dallas Cowboys: Lawrence is expected to miss six to eight weeks after fracturing a foot during practice on Sept. 15.
OT, Charles Leno Jr., No. 72 Washington Football Team: Started at left tackle and played all 67 offensive snaps and four on special teams (15%) in Washington’s 34-30 win against Atlanta. He is expected to make his 100th consecutive NFL start on Sunday when Washington hosts New Orleans.
“A big smile not only because it’s victory Monday, but because 6 years ago today, I made my first NFL start,” Leno wrote in a recent Twitter post. “This coming Sunday I will take the field for my 100th consecutive start (including playoffs). I turn 30 on Saturday & I can’t imagine a better birthday present than that.”
RB, Alexander Mattison, No. 25 Minnesota Vikings: Came off the bench and totaled 10 carries for 20 yards while playing 23 snaps on offense (34%).
RB, Jeremy McNichols, No. 28 Tennessee Titans: Came off the bench and had one carry for 11 yards while leading the Titans in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (74). His receptions of 27 and 23 yards were the Titans’ two longest plays of the game and came on third-and-21 in the first quarter and second-and-13 in the third, respectively. McNichols participated in 40 snaps on offense (40%) as Tennessee lost 27-24 in overtime to the lowly N.Y. Jets. Titans receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones were both sidelined.
“When those opportunities come, you have to make them,” McNichols told TitansWire.com. “I’m all about winning. Whatever it takes to win at the end of the day, that’s my job, and that’s why I’m here.
“Losing always hurts, no matter what. We just have to execute, not just in overtime, but the whole game. When we get the opportunities, we have to capitalize and obviously just finish the game.”
DT, David Moa, No. 96 New York Giants: Moa is a member of the Giants’ practice squad and was not called up for their 27-21 overtime win against New Orleans.
G, John Molchon, No. 75 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Remained on injured reserve with a leg injury for the fourth straight week.
C, Matt Paradis (Council High), No. 61 Carolina Panthers: Started at center and played all 70 offensive snaps in the Panthers’ 36-28 loss to Dallas.
QB, Brett Rypien, No. 4 Denver Broncos: After being called up from the practice squad, Rypien was listed as inactive for the Broncos’ 23-7 loss to Baltimore.
S, Darian Thompson, No. 23 Dallas Cowboys: Thompson is a member of the Cowboys’ practice squad and is currently listed as injured.
ILB, Tanner Vallejo, No. 51 Arizona Cardinals: Came off the bench and played two snaps on defense (3%) and 20 on special teams (71%) but did not record any stats in the Cardinals’ 37-20 win over the L.A. Rams.
LB, Leighton Vander Esch (Salmon River High), No. 55 Dallas Cowboys: Started at outside linebacker and finished third on the team with five tackles in the Cowboys’ 36-28 win over Carolina. He played 40 snaps on defense (57%) and six on special teams (21%).
DE, Curtis Weaver, No. 59 Cleveland Browns: Weaver is a member of the Browns’ practice squad and was not called up for their 14-7 win over Minnesota.
CB, Avery Williams, No. 35 Atlanta Falcons: Came off the bench and returned two punts for 6 yards and added six tackles and a QB hurry on defense. Williams played 50 snaps on defense (75%) and 23 on special teams (85%) in Atlanta’s 34-30 loss to Washington.
WR, Cedrick Wilson, No. 1 Dallas Cowboys: Came off the bench and caught a touchdown pass for the second straight week. Wilson scored on a 23-yard reception from Dak Prescott with 2:17 left in the third quarter for the fourth TD of his NFL career. He finished with two catches for 30 yards and made one fair catch on a punt return. He played 35 snaps on offense (57%) and five on special teams (17%). Wilson has seen more playing time as Michael Gallup recovers from a calf injury.
“It feels good to get in there and help the guys,” Wilson told DallasCowboys.com. “(Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Gallup) are the big three, and they go in there and make plays, too. It’s my job to make it when one of them is down or can’t go.”
IDAHO
WR, Jeff Cotton, No. 88 Jacksonville Jaguars: Cotton is a member of the Jags’ practice squad and was not called up for their 24-21 loss to Cincinnati.
G/T, Jesse Davis, No. 77 Miami Dolphins: Started at left guard and played all 52 snaps on offense and three on special teams (11%) in the Dolphins’ 27-17 loss to Indianapolis.
LB, Christian Elliss, No. 53 Philadelphia Eagles: Elliss is a member of the Eagles’ practice squad and was not called up for their 42-30 loss to Kansas City.
LB, Kaden Elliss, No. 55 New Orleans Saints: Came off the bench and finished with three tackles and a QB hurry while playing 27 snaps on defense (43%) and 21 on special teams (84%) in the Saints’ 27-21 overtime loss to the N.Y. Giants.
DE, Benson Mayowa, No. 10 Seattle Seahawks: Mayowa was not on the Seahawks’ active roster for the second straight week because of a neck injury. Mayowa was listed as a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice heading into a Week 5 matchup against the L.A. Rams.
RB, Elijhaa Penny, No. 39 New York Giants: Started at fullback and played four snaps on offense (6%) and 15 on special teams (60%) as the Giants beat New Orleans 27-21 in overtime.
HIGH SCHOOLS
DE, Porter Gustin (Emmett High), No. 94 Cleveland Browns: Gustin is a member of the Browns’ practice squad and was not called up for their 14-7 win over Minnesota.
QB, Taysom Hill (Highland High), No. 7 New Orleans Saints: Started on offense and scored two rushing touchdowns on a pair of 8-yard runs. Hill gained 28 yards on six carries, completed 2-of-3 pass attempts for 9 yards with an interception, and caught two passes for 26 yards. He played 34 snaps on offense (50%) and three on special teams (12%) as the Saints lost 27-21 in overtime to the previously winless N.Y. Giants.
Hill, who has returned to his role as an offensive Swiss Army knife after he lost out to Jameis Winston in training camp for the starting QB spot, broke at least five tackles on a TD run that gave the Saints a 14-7 lead.
“Hill catches the shotgun snap, then essentially disappears into an absolute pile of enormous, hungry Giants defenders,” Yahoo.com’s Liz Roscher wrote. “Then he somehow reappears from the pile in one piece, ball still in hand, and keeps on running toward the end zone. But it’s still not over! He’s tackled two more times and has to spin out of the grip of another Giants player before finally crossing into the end zone.”
OL, Tristen Hoge (Highland High), Cleveland Browns: Hoge is a member of the Browns’ practice squad and was not called up for their 14-7 win over Minnesota.
DT, Tommy Togiai (Highland High), No. 93 Cleveland Browns: Togiai was not on the Browns’ active roster for the fourth straight game.
DL, Jonah Williams (Rocky Mountain High), No. 92 Los Angeles Rams: Came off the bench and made one tackle while playing nine snaps on defense (12%) and seven on special teams (25%) in the Rams’ 37-20 loss to Arizona.
Note: There are currently no players from Idaho State listed on an NFL roster.
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 4:08 PM.
