Local NFL players roundup: former Northwestern Trojans shine on Sunday

It was an unusual sight seeing Cordarrelle Patterson take a handoff during the Oakland Raiders’ 45-20 blowout of the New York Jets, in part because he’s normally a receiver and kick returner, and in part because he raced across the dirt baseball infield at Oakland Coliseum before finding plenty of green grass en route to a 43-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.

The Raiders’ offensive line opened a wide running lane for Patterson, who beat one Jets tackler and took off to the end zone.

“We did it all week in practice and get in the game and it’s unbelievable how it worked out,” said the former Northwestern Trojan.

Patterson carried the ball three times for 57 yards and also caught one pass for six more yards. He also returned three kickoffs for 70 total yards, with a long of 31. Patterson played 27 snaps on offense, about half the available plays.

Patterson’s quarterback, Derek Carr, posts a weekly recap of each Raiders’ game. In this week’s video he said, “We tried to keep it a secret, but you can’t keep it a secret for too long: Cordarelle is someone who can play every position.”

Benjamin Watson, Baltimore - Watson turned back the clock with a huge performance during the Ravens’ 23-10 win over Cleveland. Watson, the 13-year NFL veteran, caught all eight balls thrown his direction for 91 yards. The former Northwestern Trojan, who started at tight end for the Ravens for the second straight week after missing last season with an Achilles injury, has caught 442 passes in his 165-game career.

Jadeveon Clowney, Houston - Clowney had four tackles (three solos) and a fumble recovery during the Texans’ 13-9 win over Cincinnati last Thursday night. Clowney followed the play as the Bengals ran a wide receiver reverse to the left sideline. Houston’s Kareem Jackson decked John Ross and the ball flew up in the air right into Clowney’s mitts. He wheeled and raced down the sideline, showing his speed until Bengals QB Andy Dalton flung himself into the former South Pointe Stallions’ legs after a 43-yard return.

Johnathan Joseph, Houston - Joseph left Houston’s win over Cincinnati before halftime with a shoulder injury. The NFL veteran and former Northwestern Trojan made a pair of tackles as the Texans defense kept the Bengals out of the end zone before heading to the locker room to have his shoulder checked out. As of Tuesday afternoon, there was no update on Joseph’s status for this week.

Check out information about Joseph’s plan to give money to Habitat for Humanity based on his production this season, here.

Stephon Gilmore, New England - South Pointe’s Gilmore made a pair of tackles as New England cruised past New Orleans, 45-20. Gilmore started at cornerback and was one of three Patriots to play all 65 defensive snaps.

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Local NFL players roundup: former Northwestern Trojans shine on Sunday."