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Tennessee football Week 6 NFL recap: DE finally emerges

By Caleb Calhoun

Aug 26, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) reacts to a play in the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) reacts to a play in the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Partially due to injuries piling up, Tennessee football didn’t have that effective of a Week 6 in the pros. Nobody from the Vols found the end zone, something that’s not common at all, and very few had significant impact. No week made it more clear that this is not your father’s NFL that was once littered with former Vols.

As we get set to break down the players from Rocky Top in the pros, it actually became difficult to find out who the stars were. That’s because we try to do two stars a week, and honestly, being a significant contributor was enough to make players stars in this one.

Yes, while Tennessee football is back from the dead at the college level, the 15 years of futility that preceded it are showing up more than ever now. However, this isn’t static, and things could change in the future. Injuries are making it worse. Let’s dive in on the NFL players from UT during Week 6, starting with those who had a bye.

The sixth week of the 2022 NFL season saw one established Tennessee football Volunteers star stand out and one who may finally be emerging.

Players who were on a bye week

Matthew Butler – DT – Las Vegas Raiders

Mogan Cox – LS – Tennessee Titans

Jakob Johnson – FB – Las Vegas Raiders

Jalen Reeves-Maybin – Houston Texans – LB

Kendal Vickers – DT – Las Vegas Raiders

Here’s probably the best explanation as to why this was a quiet week. Numerous players who maybe could have had an impact just so happened to be on teams who are on a bye week. Obviously, Morgan Cox is never going to be a star, but he’s a pro bowl long snapper, so he will consistently be in on key plays.

Jakob Johnson is used effectively at fullback, and Kendal Vickers and Matthew Butler are always dangerous in the middle for the Las Vegas Raiders. Jalen Reeves-Maybin has seen his snaps decrease this year compared to last year with the Detroit Lions, but he can still be effective with the Houston Texans.

Simply put, Tennessee football’s combination of injuries and players on a bye limited the number of Vols who could be stars this week. To be fair, though, none of these players were likely to be stars. They all just had the chance to be significant contributors.

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