Badgers in the NFL: Week 6
As the Wisconsin football team continues to roll, Badgers in the NFL have also been at a high level. From MVP frontrunners to rookies making names for themselves, the Wisconsin way has been imprinted throughout the league.
Here are three of the top performances from former UW players in week 6:
Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson continues to dominate the National Football League through six weeks. In a clutch performance on the road in Cleveland, the MVP frontrunner completed 23-of-33 pass attempts for 295 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks star also added 31 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Wilson leads the league in passer rating at 124.7 through Week 6 of the season. The second closest player is the now-injured Patrick Mahomes at 111.9.
More importantly, his Seahawks stand at 5-1 despite having faced adversity with injuries to key contributors such as wide receiver Doug Baldwin. Wilson has put himself firmly at the front of the MVP conversation through impressive stats and winning.
Alex Erickson, wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Remember former Badgers star Alex Erickson? The former UW walk-on and current fourth-year pro had his best game of the season this past Sunday against Baltimore. The Darlington native caught four balls on six targets and recorded 47 total yards through the air. He also had one carry for a gain of 17 yards. While his Bengals continue to struggle, Erickson has steadily carved out a role for himself.
The six targets were two times more than he has seen all season, and the 64 total yards in Week 6 outnumbered his yards total from the first five combined (62).
T.J. Watt, linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers defense impressed on Sunday night in primetime, notably in the first half. Badger alum T.J. Watt was at the center of it all, finishing with a sack, three quarterback hits as well as a deflected pass. The Pewaukee native wasn't the only member of the Watt family on the field Sunday night as brother and fellow Badger alum Derek Watt was active for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The reunion of brothers was a bit sweeter for T.J. as his Steelers improved to 2-4 with a 24-17 win.