Gators in NFL: Jefferson Scores Late, Fred Johnson Steps Up in Week 11

NFL Week 11 wasn’t a big offensive one for former University of Florida players, with Ricky Pearsall held to one catch for no yards, Kyle Pitts limited to two receptions and Chimere Dike exiting early. Still, several players made meaningful contributions elsewhere across the league.

Chicago safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson provided one of the strongest performances of the week in the Bears’ 19-17 win against Minnesota. He recorded four tackles, a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss while playing every defensive snap. His effort earned him the fourth-highest defensive grade on the Bears for the week from Pro Football Focus at 69.0. It was just his second game with the team after a whirlwind season that has already included three games with Houston and a short stint on Baltimore’s practice squad.

Dallas linebacker Shemar James continued his steady rookie campaign in the Cowboys’ 33-16 win against the Raiders and Detroit linebacker Alex Anzalone added six total tackles and a tackle for loss in the Lions’ 16-9 loss to Philadelphia. 

On the Eagles’ sideline, Fred Johnson stepped in at right tackle after Lane Johnson exited in the first quarter with a Lisfranc sprain expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks. Johnson delivered a clean outing, allowing no sacks and spoke afterward about the responsibility of filling in for a future Hall of Famer. 

“I just can’t let Lane down …  I can’t make Lane feel like he’s the reason why we lost. So I gotta be my brother’s keeper,” he said. “That’s just what I choose to do. I want Lane to heal up. I want Lane to come back ready to go. Until he comes back, I’m going to hold down the fort.”

San Francisco kicker Eddy Piñeiro remained perfect on field goals this season, connecting from 48, 47 and 47 yards in the 49ers’ 44-22 win against the Cardinals. He improved to 22-for-22 on the year, though he went 2-for-4 on extra points.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s Evan McPherson also turned in a reliable performance, drilling both of his field-goal attempts from 43 and 48 yards in the Bengals’ 34-12 loss to the Steelers.

Tennessee wideout Van Jefferson provided the lone meaningful offensive spark from a former UF player, finishing with three receptions for 22 yards and a game-tying touchdown in a 16-13 loss to Houston. His score knotted the game at 13-13 with 1:35 remaining before the Texans marched downfield and kicked a field goal as time expired.

Coincidentally, that kick was held by former Florida punter Tommy Townsend, who punted five times in the game with four of them pinning the Titans inside the 20 and a long of 51. With Calvin Ridley out for the season and multiple receivers injured, Jefferson could be in line for expanded opportunities.

His teammate Chimere Dike left the game after taking a hard hit on a punt return. He initially cleared concussion protocol but was later diagnosed with a chest injury. Before exiting, he caught two passes for 14 yards. Despite missing time, he continues to lead the NFL in kick return yards with 1,108 and ranks first in punt return average at 17.7 yards on 11 attempts.

Category: Football, Former Gators, Gator Sports, Gators Football, NFL