Badgers in the NFL Update
December 13, 2006 | Football
Below is UWBADGERS.COM's weekly look at how some former Badgers fared in their NFL games. For a complete list of former UW players in the NFL, please click the "Badgers in the NFL" link on the right-hand side of the main football page.
Evans Continues Career Season
In their 31-13 road victory Sunday over the New York Jets, Buffalo wide receiver Lee Evans hauled in two catches for 91 yards, giving him 67 receptions and 1,016 yards for the season, both career highs.
"It's big," Evans told The Buffalo News. "You never know how things are going to work out. To get your first 1,000-yard season, it certainly means a lot."
In the victory, Bills quarterback J.P. Losman connected with Evans on a 77-yard touchdown catch that gave the Bills a second-quarter lead they would never relinquish. On the play, Evans executed a perfect pump-and-go to get the cornerback and safety to bite. Evans then flashed his deep speed to get behind the defenders before Losman hit the third-year veteran in stride. It was Evans' third touchdown catch of 70-plus yards for the season, tying a Bills' record set by Eric Moulds.
"The Jets were expecting another route," Evans said. "It was a double move, kind of a pump-and-go. The safety and the corner both bit on it and I was running wide open. '
Evans previous best season was his rookie campaign, when he had 48 receptions for 843 yards and nine touchdowns. With three games left this season, Evans has a shot of breaking Moulds' single-season franchise record of 1,368 yards set in 2002.
Dayne Has Another Big Day
On the heels of his 95 yard rushing performance last week against Oakland, Houston running back Ron Dayne turned in another solid effort Sunday in a 26-20 defeat at home against Tennessee. The seven-year veteran had 21 rushes for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the day, the first time he has found the end zone this season. Plagued by a variety of injuries earlier in the year, a healthy Dayne is now showing why the Texans' traded for him this offseason.
While he did receive 21 carries against Tennessee, Texans' head coach Gary Kubiak said following the loss that perhaps it was not enough.
'Once again, we probably should have fed him some more,' Kubiak told houstontexans.com. 'The kid has done some good stuff. He's been a reason why we had a chance to win last week and we had a chance to win today. He's done a good job and hopefully will continue to do that.'
Fletcher Takes it to the House
While Detroit cornerback Jamar Fletcher regularly found the end zone during his career at Wisconsin, Sunday marked the first time the six-year veteran scored in the NFL. In the second quarter of a 30-20 home loss to Minnesota, Fletcher provided one of the few bright spots of the game for the Lions when he picked off Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson and returned it 88 yards to give Detroit its first points of the game.
It was Fletcher's second interception of the season. In the game Fletcher also had a tackle, giving him 29 on the season, only six shy of his career mark he set in Miami in 2002.
Weekly Roundup
Buffalo safety Jim Leonhard notched seven tackles in a starting role in the Bills ' 31-13 victory over the New York Jets ' Detroit linebacker Alex Lewis had five tackles as the
Lions dropped a 30-20 contest against Minnesota ' Jacksonville cornerback Scott Starks had a tackle in the Jaguars' 44-17 win over Indianapolis ' Kansas City running back Michael Bennett carried six times for five yards and caught one pass for 14 yards in a 20-10 loss to Baltimore ' San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Williams returned three kicks for 89 yards and three punts for 35 yards in the 49ers ' 30-19 loss to Green Bay ' Houston tight end Owen Daniels caught two passes for 25 yards in the Texans' loss to Tennessee ' Oakland defensive tackle Anttaj Hawthorne had two tackles in the Raiders' 27-10 loss to Cincinnati ' Miami wide receiver Chris Chambers caught three passes for 11 yards in the Dolphins' 21-0 upset victory over New England
