Boilermakers in the NFL: Week 5

With this year's Boilermaker squad on bye this week, those continuing their careers in the NFL were carrying the flag for the university this weekend.

DE Cliff Avril @cliffavril (Seahawks) - Avril hit Andrew Luck twice in the Seahawks 34-28 loss to the Colts but ended the game with only one tackle and a fumble recovery, picking up the scraps after a Chris Clemons' third quarter sack of Luck.

QB Drew Brees @drewbrees (Saints) - Brees and the Saints continue to cruise on the way to a 5-0 record, beating the Bears 28-16 at Soldier Field, the first win in Chicago under Sean Payton. Brees went for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, the first time the Saints have started 5-0 since 2009, the year they won the Super Bowl. With Tom Brady not recording a touchdown pass Sunday, Brees record of 54 straight games with a touchdown pass remains safe. Brady sat just two games behind Brees before Sunday's loss to the Bengals. The next active streak is Peyton Manning's 28 games.

C Nick Hardwick @hardwina (Chargers) - Hardwick and the Chargers kicked off at 8:35 PT Sunday night as a result of the Oakland A's home playoff game Saturday. Not many were awake to see Hardwick's Chargers fall to the surprising Terrelle Pryor and Co. 26-18 and that's probably for the better. The Chargers picked up a putrid 32 yards on the ground while Pryor came out of the gate with 10 straight completions.

The O.co Coliseum took 18 hours to turn from baseball ready to football ready and you can watch the transformation below.

O.co Coliseum Conversion Time Lapse Video Athletics to Raiders 10.5.13 - 10.6.13 Oakland, CA (via Oracle Arena)

TE Dustin Keller @DUSTINKELLER81 (Dolphins) - Injured Reserve

OT Dennis Kelly @DennisKelly67 (Eagles) - Kelly was once again inactive Sunday.

OLB Ryan Kerrigan @RyanKerrigan91 (Redskins) - The Redskins had a bye week but Kerrigan still sits at 6th in the NFL in sacks (5.0).

LB Mike Neal @mneal96 (Packers) - The Packers held the normally potent Detroit offense to just three field goals Sunday, with Neal picking up six tackles and a sack. Clay Matthews suffered an injury Sunday that figures to keep him out for 3-4 weeks, so the Packers will turn to a combination of Neal and Nick Perry to fill in. Neal also chipped in five hurries and seems to be transitioning to linebacker well.

DE Rob Ninkovich (Patriots) - Ninkovich picked up 3 tackles and .5 a sack Sunday, finally getting on the sack stat sheet after seeing praise as week 4's "Unsung Edge Rusher of Week 4."

G Uche Nwaneri @Chuckwu77 (Jaguars) - The Jaguars struggled again on Sunday but Nwaneri remains outspoken on the Jags struggles. Adult language warning:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/OrangeParkBuzz">@OrangeParkBuzz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jesselwilson">@jesselwilson</a> you are a fucking idiot.</p>&mdash; Uche Nwaneri (@Chukwu77) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chukwu77/statuses/387018097757917184">October 7, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/OrangeParkBuzz">@OrangeParkBuzz</a> my passion runs deeper than your ridiculous logic that leads u to interpret my words as some sort of acceptance of losing...</p>&mdash; Uche Nwaneri (@Chukwu77) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chukwu77/statuses/387018647564468224">October 7, 2013</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/OrangeParkBuzz">@OrangeParkBuzz</a> get a life. Or just stop following me. Accept that.</p>&mdash; Uche Nwaneri (@Chukwu77) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chukwu77/statuses/387018885255282688">October 7, 2013</a></blockquote>

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QB Kyle Orton (Cowboys) - Romo went for over 500 yards and five touchdowns, but he's Tony Romo, so he just can't win with Cowboy fans. A few Twitter GMs have floated the idea of putting Orton in for Romo, but in the meantime, here is Peyton Manning's head photoshopped on Orton's body.

T Michael Otto @amishwizard66 (Titans) - Same old, same old for Otto. Still hanging out as a backup tackle for the 3-2 Titans.

QB Curtis Painter (Giants) - Manning and the Giants continue to struggle, falling to 0-5 with Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Manning leads the league in completions to the wrong color with 12 INTs. He also pulled the rare feat of three intentional grounding penalties in one game. Up until Sunday, no quarterback had committed more than two intentional grounding penalties since the start of the 2001 season. Manning still is in no danger of losing his job to Painter, but he's got to turn it around at some point.

DE Shaun Phillips @ShaunPhillips95 (Broncos) - Phillips is having himself a year, picking up three tackles and two sacks in the Broncos shootout win over the Cowboys, moving past Kerrigan and into 5th place in the NFL in sacks (5.5). Phillips second sack put Romo and the Cowboys in a 2nd and 16 with just a little over 2:30 left in a tie game. The next play, Tony Romo Tony Romo'd and threw an interception that would lead to the Bronco's game-winning field goal.

DB Bernard Pollard @Crushboy31 (Titans) - Pollard once again played all defensive snaps for the Titans (70), picking off an Alex Smith pass while adding seven tackles and another pass deflection.

HB Kory Sheets @Sheets24K (Saskatchewan Roughriders) - Sheets returned to action after missing the Roughriders previous two contests, rushing 14 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The CFL single season rushing record of 2,065 yards is out of sight now, with 190.5 yards per game needed over his last four. The Roughriders single season mark (1,768) is still attainable with 116.5 yards per game needed.

DT Kawann Short @kk_mr93 (Panthers) - Short racked up 5 tackles and .5 sacks in the Panthers loss. Carson Palmer was on the receiving end of two Short hits but the Cardinals pulled out the 22-6 win.

DE Anthony Spencer (Cowboys) - Spencer under went season-ending knee surgery October 3.