Local NFL players roundup: Gilmore shines again in Bills secondary

Stephon Gilmore intercepted a pass for the second week in a row as the Buffalo Bills held off Tennessee 14-13.

Gilmore was all over the secondary Sunday, making just one tackle, but breaking up four passes and picking off Titans QB Marcus Mariota’s pass late in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

“It was time to step up and make a play,” Gilmore told the gathered media afterward. “Our mindset was to go in and make a play on the defensive end and win the game.”

Through five weeks of the NFL season, Gilmore and cornerback partner and rookie Ronald Darby are both in the top-3 NFL cornerbacks as graded by Pro Football Focus. The Carolina Panthers’ Josh Norman is the only corner that has graded better than Gilmore and Darby. And, as pointed out by the Bills’ Public Relations Twitter account, Gilmore and Darby also top the league in passes defended with 10 and 11, respectively.

Adams forces fumble during Falcons’ fifth straight win

Rock Hill’s Phillip Adams continues to contribute to the Atlanta defense. The former Bearcat made five tackles and forced a fumble during the Falcons’ 25-19 win over Washington on Sunday.

Watson scores first TD of the season

New Orleans fell to 1-4 but Northwestern’s Ben Watson caught his first touchdown pass of the season. Watson’s 6-yard catch for a TD put the Saints up 7-0 in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it proved to be the high-water mark. Watson finished with three catches for 36 yards.

Clowney solid in Houston loss

Jadeveon Clowney had another solid performance for the Houston Texans last Thursday, making two tackles with one for a loss, but couldn’t prevent his team from falling 27-20 to the Indianapolis Colts. Pro Football Focus gave Clowney a +4.1 grade, the highest of his career and the highest for a Texan last Thursday by a good margin.

It wasn’t all good news, though, for the former South Pointe star, because he’s listed as day-to-day after spraining his ankle. Texans coach Bill O’Brien said he expects Clowney to be ready for next week’s game against Jacksonville, and that the walking boot Clowney was seen in was only precautionary.

Northwestern’s Johnathan Joseph again started at cornerback for the Texans, making three tackles and breaking up a pass in the loss to the Colts.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Local NFL players roundup: Gilmore shines again in Bills secondary."