Scarlet Knights in the NFL - Week 12: Thanksgiving edition! WRs put on a scoring clinic.

The current team may have had some trouble getting points on Saturday, but Carroo, Coleman, and Britt all did so on Sunday.

Thanksgiving edition: One former Scarlet Knight took the field during the first game of the holiday, the Lions’ Michael Burton. Detroit broke a first place tie with the Vikings with the shocking late win 16-13. Burton did not accumulate any stats but the Lions won again, a far cry from the team featured in our flashback below.

Sunday Early games: Kenny Britt’s Rams matched up for the second straight week against another former Scarlet Knights star receiver. This time it was Brandon Coleman and the New Orleans Saints. Coleman evened the scoring with a TD in the first quarter, his second consecutive game in the endzone. Not to be outdone Britt scored to answer and put the Rams back ahead. The Saints would soon explode and put the game out of reach.

Jason McCourty and the Titans continued their surprising season with a 27-21 win at Chicago to even their record at 6-6. McCourty made 5 tackles in a game that was 27-7 late in the 4th quarter.

Jeremy Zuttah and the Ravens hosted Clark Harris and Tyler Kroft of Cincinnati, the second of three matchups in the 1 pm EST slate saw between Rutgers alums. It was a slugfest Baltimore pulled up 19-14 to remain atop the AFC North. Kroft was in on one special teams tackle.

Mohamed Sanu saw his former teammate Marcus Cooper across the line of scrimmage. This game also was a see-saw battle before Atlanta poured it on in the second half, where Sanu led the winners with 8 catches totaling 65 yards; most of it after halftime. Cooper led the Cardinals with 9 tackles (all solo) or this game could have been even more out of hand.

Leonte Carroo and the Dolphins played a team from California for the 3rd straight week, finally at home. Earlier in the game he drew two defenders to pull the safety out of position allowing Kenny Stills to catch a ball and take it 43 yards for a TD. Then he took a short pass and took it 15 yards for his first career TD, the third RU alum TD of the day. Congrats to he and the Dolphins who won their sixth straight, their longest win streak in over a decade.

Across the state, the late games began with the Bucs and Seahawks. Andrew DePaola snapped on two successful XPs and all four punts by the Bucs ended up inside the 20 which was key to win this defensive struggle. The Bucs are now 6-5.

The Patriots returned back East to face the Jets at MetLife stadium. The three DBs, Duron Harmon, Devin McCourty, and Logan Ryan returned to New Jersey, Ryan being the only one who actually went to HS in NJ. The Patriots trailed by 10 in the first half and then late in the fourth quarter before Brady led them to victory (what’s new?) The Jets offense who moved the ball in the first half only managed one scoring drive in the second half. Ryan led the team in tackles with 7 and also added two passes defended. McCourty added 4 tackles as well. Harmon only played 19 snaps as the Jets personnel didn’t dictate much use of the Pats “big nickel” package that includes 3 safeties.

For the second straight week, no one who finished their career on the banks participated in Sunday Night Football or Monday Night football. I held out hope Quentin Gause may be activated off the practice squad, but he did not play in the OT thriller won by KC on a field goal that ricocheted of one upright and through as time expired.

NOTES: Injured Reserve tracker (Freeny, Wright, Johnson).

Knights in the pros FLASHBACK ... 2001 ... Thanksgiving. An unknown rookie from Rutgers who had thrown only 5 career passes, Mike McMahon came off the bench and led a furious comeback by the Detroit Lions against Green Bay. The Pontiac Silverdome hosting its final Thanksgiving contest saw the winless Lions in home throwback uniforms trail 29-13 with only 7:06 to play in the game. Then the magic happened.

McMahon led the Lions on an 18 play, 71 yard touchdown drive culminating in a successful two point conversion to pull them within 8 with only 1:20 to play. After recovering an onside kick, Detroit was positioned well at the Detroit 31 yard line. On a 4th down an 8, McMahon connected with Scotty Anderson (no relation) for a 29 yard TD with only 10 seconds left on the clock making the score 29-27. After the teams traded timeouts, Detroit lined up for the two point conversion to tie the game, but McMahon’s pass was incomplete. The Packers recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Lions dropped to 0-10.