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NFL Week 15 Recap for Former Tennessee Football Players: Offensive Lineman Shine

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:52 p.m. ET

Fansided, Caleb Calhoun/FanSided via All for Tennessee

Dec 18, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers guard Ramon Foster (73) waits on the line during the second against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Former Tennessee football offensive linemen were the stars of NFL Week 15 among Vols in the pros. And then there was Eric Berry again.

Although they are known as Wide Receiver-U and may have produced the greatest quarterback of all time, the Tennessee Volunteers also have a solid history of producing great players in the trenches at the professional level. That showed during NFL Week 15.

As we get set to once again recap the performances of former Vols playing professional football from this past weekend, there were no sexy statistical standouts.

We did have one usual suspect make the list of star performers, but then a couple of new guys made showings.

At the same time, the list of disappointing outings included multiple players who actually had statistically good games but made key mistakes that they would like to forget.

With two weeks left in the regular season, 16 of the 22 Vols who played during NFL Week 15 are on teams that are either a sure lock to go to the playoffs or are still in the hunt.

One of the two inactive players from this week is also on a playoff team, and there are still four free agents.

So when the regular season ends, it looks like we will still have lots of former Vols to cover. And based on last year, the playoffs are a great time for guys from Rocky Top to shine. But for now, let’s stick with their regular season performances.

Here are the NFL Week 15 star performers among former Tennessee football players.

Dec 18, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (22) and strong safety Eric Berry (29) force a fumble from Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Week 15 Star Performers

Eric Berry, Safety, Kansas City Chiefs

Yes, Eric Berry is back on the list. His team lost to the Tennessee Titans on a last-second field goal, but it was not his fault at all. The pro-bowl safety finished the game with 11 total tackles and was doing everything he could to stop the Tennessee passing game with no help from his cornerbacks.

He even forced a fumble to prevent a sure touchdown drive by the Titans early in the first half and spot the Chiefs a 14-0 lead. Yes, when Berry isn’t getting Pick-Sixes, he is forcing fumbles and ending drives. The guy continues to play like a superstar, and he was once again one this week, even if his team wasn’t.

Chris Scott, Offensive Lineman, Carolina Panthers

Chris Scott was once again forced to move around in the Carolina Panthers starting rotation, but he is beginning to make a name for himself. Sure, he got blown up on one play in his team’s 26-15 Monday Night Football victory over the Washington Redskins, but outside of that he was great.

With a makeshift unit supporting him, Scott and the line mostly protected Cam Newton very well en route to his 300-yard performance, and they also cleared the way for a 100-yard performance by Jonathan Stewart. In fact, they gained 148 rushing yards on 33 carries, and Scott was a major player in that. As a result, he is a surprising former Vol who is an NFL Week 15 star.

Ramon Foster, Offensive Lineman, Pittsburgh Steelers

After missing last week and battling a chest injury this week, Ramon Foster stepped up and resumed his leadership role for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the process, he helped pave the way for a huge comeback victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

One of the reasons for his stardom is his leadership. Foster took control to get his offense and Ben Roethlisberger back in rhythm. In the process, his unit paved the way for 97 rushing yards and only allowed one sack on Roethlisberger, which was barely a sack. So he was a crucial part of the Steelers’ victory and gets to be another star performer…as a blocker.

Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) runs after a catch against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Week 15 Disappointing Outings

Jason Witten, Tight End, Dallas Cowboys

On paper, Jason Witten should have had the perfect game. He caught all 10 passes thrown to him and gained 51 yards, and he once again was an elite blocker for the Cowboys when they needed him, helping his team to a 26-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he also made a critical play that kept the Bucs in the game.

Witten had a rare moment when he lost a fumble in the game, something he never does. That turned this game from a solid one to a terrible one, and an even worse one by his standards. Old Reliable turned into not-so-reliable with that, so we had to put him on our list of former Vols with disappointing outings during NFL Week 15.

Matt Darr, Punter, Miami Dolphins

This is really one by default, but we had to add a third guy in there. Matt Darr deserved to be that third guy, however, by his stats combined with his own standards. Darr had six punts in the Miami Dolphins’ 34-13 win over the New York Jets, but only one went inside the 20.

Even with that, though, he didn’t have a good average, only nailing 42.6 yards a punt. And his long was 46. Luckily, he wasn’t needed much, but he could have been a disaster.

Zach Fulton, Offensive Lineman, Kansas City Chiefs

Zach Fulton is another player, like Jason Witten, who had solid stats on paper but screwed up in key moments. In spite of the offensive lineman spurring a unit that only allowed one sack and paved the way for over five and a half rushing yards per carry, he came up short when needed the most.

The first time was when the Chiefs, inside the one-yard line, had two chances to get a touchdown. His line failed to get a push on both plays. Then, only needing four yards late for a first down to run out the clock and win the game, he could not bring them home on another running play. Add in the fact that the rushing averages are skewed by a 68-yard Tyreek Hill run, and it’s clear that he had a bad day.

Dec 18, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson (90) and defensive tackle Sen

Other Former Vols Who Saw Significant Action During NFL Week 15

Dustin Colquitt, Punter, Kansas City Chiefs

Dustin Colquitt, like Eric Berry, had a solid day for the Kansas City Chiefs despite their 19-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He finished with six punts for 45.5 yards per punt on average, nailed two inside the 20, and had a 57-yarder.

Malik Jackson, Defensive Tackle, Jacksonville Jaguars

As he continues to be, Malik Jackson was a solid player in a losing effort for the Jacksonville Jaguars thanks to atrocious play from Blake Bortles. Jackson finished with three tackles in the game and helped force the benching of Brock Osweiler. With a new coach and possibly new quarterback next year, maybe he’ll be a part of more wins.

Daniel McCullers, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers

Daniel McCullers stepped up in a huge way for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they came back to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-20 by picking up three tackles. He is making a name for himself as part of the Steel Curtain and deserves credit for it.

Robert Ayers, Defensive End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It wasn’t his usual superstar performance of the past few weeks, but Robert Ayers was still solid in a losing effort with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 26-20. He had three tackles as well.

Dan Williams, Defensive Tackle, Oakland Raiders

Dan Williams played almost the whole game for the Oakland Raiders in their 19-16 victory over the San Diego Chargers and finished with a tackle.

Ja’Wuan James, Offensive Lineman, Miami Dolphins

Ja’Wuan James blocked for a Miami Dolphins offense that could barely move the ball on the ground, but it only allowed one sack for no yards lost on Matt Moore and helped propel the team to a 34-13 victory.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings

Cordarrelle Patterson had a very good day for the Minnesota Vikings, but lots of it was garbage yardage as they lost 34-6 to the Indianapolis Colts. He finished with five receptions for 49 yards and added four kickoff returns for an average of 31 yards a return, including a 40-yard return.

Michael Palardy, Punter, Carolina Panthers

Michael Palardy has become a random and pleasant surprise for the Carolina Panthers ever since they signed him off the couch a few weeks ago. In his team’s 26-15 victory over the Washington Redskins, he finished with six punts with a low average of 34.7 yards per punt, but he nailed three inside the 20.

Britton Colquitt, Punter, Cleveland Browns

Britton Colquitt returned to normal as a solid punter this past week, but he still wasn’t great for the Cleveland Browns…or as great as he used to be. He finished with five punts for an average of 44.4 yards per punt but nailed only one inside the 20-yard line as his team fell to 0-14 in a 33-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Dec 18, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans strong safety Corey Moore (43) tackles Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Alex Ellis (48) during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Former Vols Who Saw Limited Action During NFL Week 15

Luke Stocker, Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Luke Stocker returned from injury in his team’s 26-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and barely saw any action in the game, including not making a catch. But he did play.

Mychal Rivera, Tight End, Oakland Raiders

Mychal Rivera didn’t play much in the Oakland Raiders’ 19-16 victory over the San Diego Chargers but did have two targets and one catch for 15 yards.

Justin Hunter, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills

Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills may be giving up on Justin Hunter, as he finished with only one catch for 16 yards and had only three targets in his team’s 33-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Morgan Cox, Long-Snapper, Baltimore Ravens

Morgan Cox still held the ball for Justin Tucker has he went two-for-two on field goals Sunday, including a 53-yarder in the rain, while also going three-for-three on extra points in the Baltimore Ravens’ 27-26 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Alex Ellis, Tight End, Jacksonville Jaguars

Alex Ellis had his first official catch of his NFL career in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 21-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. But it only went for a yard, and he still really only played on special teams.

Tony McDaniel, Defensive Tackle, Seattle Seahawks

Tony McDaniel barely saw action for the Seattle Seahawks in their 24-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, and he racked up no stats in the process.

Justin Coleman, Cornerback, New England Patriots

Justin Coleman racked up no stats and saw limited action only on special teams for the New England Patriots in their NFL Week 15 16-3 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Inactive Players During NFL Week 15

Tyler Bray, Quarterback, Kansas City Chefs

Tyler Bray was inactive for the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday in their 19-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Curt Maggitt, Outside Linebacker, Indianapolis Colts

Curt Maggitt was placed back on injured reserve for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday as they dominated the Minnesota Vikings 34-6.

Former Vols Still Free Agents NFL Week 15

Rajion Neal, Running Back

Marquez North, Wide Receiver

Brian Randolph, Safety

Dallas Thomas, Offensive Lineman