Penn State in the NFL: Week 1

Old teammates were turned into new rivals as several former Nittany Lions made their NFL debuts in the first games of the season.

Here’s a recap of what many Penn Staters did in the opening weekend of the NFL.

Sean Clifford, QB, Green Bay Packers

To the surprise of many, Clifford was drafted in the fifth round by the Packers as the inevitable backup to Jordan Love.

Against the Bears, the green and yellow dominated, and Clifford entered an NFL game for the first time in his career for the final Packer possession.

While he might not see much playing time, it was a milestone moment for the quarterback who led the Nittany Lions to a Rose Bowl victory this past January.

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys

Parsons has become one of the biggest threats at linebacker in the league, recording 13+ sacks in his first two NFL seasons.

Against the Giants on Sunday Night Football, Parsons immediately pounced through opponents and got right back to work — he finished with one sack and three tackles, two solo.

Dallas’ defense prevented the Giants from scoring and caused several turnovers en route to a 40-0 week one victory.

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Coming off a career year, Barkley got off to a slow start for the likes of Giants fans. Daniel Jones and the offense failed to score against the Cowboys.

In an attempt to ignite the offense with the running game, Barkley had 12 carries but only 51 yards. On a short pass attempt, Trevon Diggs forced a turnover that was brought back into the endzone for a touchdown.

There’s a lot of improvement needed for New York, but Barkley can typically be a player the Giants can rely on.

Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers

After having a career year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanders signed a 4-year $25 million deal with the Panthers.

Against the Falcons, the team fell short 24-10, but in his first game wearing the Carolina blue, Sanders rushed for 72 yards on 18 carries.

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers offense looks slightly different with Baker Mayfield at quarterback this year, but Tampa Bay gutted out a 20-17 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Godwin was targeted six times, making five completions for 51 yards on the day. His most pivotal catch was the first play out of the two-minute warning: it was third-and-10, and the Bucs needed the first down to ice the game and run out the clock.

Mayfield dished it 11 yards to an extended Godwin, who was able to get both feet in bounds to secure the catch.

Amanda Vogt is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email amandaevogt@gmail.com