UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
>> Jonah Laulu, Raiders defensive tackle: The seventh-round pick made his first NFL start as Las Vegas started with a 5-man front in the loss to the Rams. He didn’t have a tackle, but his defense helped limit Los Angeles to 115 rushing yards and sacked Matthew Stafford once.
>> Jordan Murray, free agent tight end: Was cut loose by the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday after spending the season on the practice squad.
>> Rigo Sanchez, Colts punter: Booted the ball seven times for a net yardage of 42.7 with none of them inside the 20 and one of them for a touchback in the win over the Dolphins. He also served as holder for Matt Gay’s three field goals and one extra point. He was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time last week.
>> Jahlani Tavai, Patriots linebacker: Started in the win over the Jaguars in London, getting in on seven tackles but was flagged for a neutral zone infraction on an extra point that led to a two-point conversion. New England coach Jerod Mayo called his team “soft” afterward, and Tavai agreed.
“He said it well and we got to look in the mirror and understand what he’s saying,” Tavai said on ESPN.com. “If we’re OK being soft, then some people will fall off, and the rest of us who want to prove that wrong will step up and make sure this doesn’t happen.”
KAHUKU
>> Alohi Gilman, Chargers safety: Will play the Cardinals on Monday Night Football and is expected to make his fourth straight start. It will be his sixth time playing on Monday night, the Chargers are 4-1 in those games. The only other time he played against Arizona he had 10 tackles in a win in 2022.
KAMEHAMEHA
>> Kamu Grugier-Hill, Vikings linebacker: Came off the bench and made a tackle in the loss to the Lions, stopping Tim Patrick on a deep pass in the third quarter. Grugier-Hill’s defensive snaps have dwindled recently with Ivan Pace healthy but he got some run this week with Blake Cashman ruled out.
KEAAU
>> Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ravens offensive lineman: Was released from the roster early in the week and signed with the practice squad as soon as he cleared waivers. Baltimore, which plays Tampa Bay today, made the move to add a linebacker. Aumavae-Laulu has been active for two games this season but still has never taken a snap with the offense.
MILILANI
>> Darius Muasau, Giants linebacker: Came off the bench and had four tackles, two solo, in the loss to the Eagles. His first stop didn’t come until 6:37 was left in the blowout but he made tackles on four straight plays as Philadelphia tried to run out the clock. He hadn’t had a tackle since making his NFL debut in week 1.
PUNAHOU
>> DeForest Buckner, Colts defensive lineman: Was eligible to return return from injured reserve but still sat out the win over the Dolphins, but head coach Shane Steichen says he could return to practice next week.
>> Ka‘imi Fairbairn, Texans kicker: Made three field goals, including a 35-yarder to take the lead with 1:44 left, and an extra point in the loss to the Packers. He also kicked off six times, three of them for touchbacks. He also made a tackle on the opening kickoff, his third of the season after having three stops in the first seven years of his career.
>> Andrei Iosivas, Bengals receiver: Made the fifth start of his career in the win over the Browns, but failed to catch the ball the only time he was targeted on a deep shot in the second quarter. He is still third on the team in targets behind Ja’Mar Chase and Tee Higgins, but he is tied with Zack Moss and only one ahead of Mike Gesicki.
>> Marist Liufau, Cowboys linebacker: Dallas had a bye this week and will take on the 49ers next week. The rookie has not missed a game this season and been on the field for 40% of the team’s defensive snaps and 44% of the special teams snaps. He has only one catch against him and has blitzed 10 times without reaching the quarterback. He is five touchdown passes away from the 100th of his career.
SAINT LOUIS
>> Nick Herbig, Steelers linebacker: Was ruled out for the game against the Jets as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He is expected to be out until week 10 against the Commanders following a bye the week before.
>> Marcus Mariota, Commanders quarterback: Came off the bench when Jayden Daniels was injured, torching Carolina for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. He also carried the ball 11 times for 34 yards. It was Mariota’s first touchdown pass since lest year’s season finale, only 147 players in NFL history have reached that threshold.
>> Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins quarterback: Is still on injured reserve but intends to return to practice on Wednesday and start against the Cardinals in week eight.
“He’s hungry to get back,” backup quarterback Tim Boyle told the Palm Beach Post after Sunday’s game. “He’s been around every meeting, every practice. He’s a bright light for this team right now. I know he’s excited to get back. Hopefully he can do that here soon.”
WAIANAE
>> Kana‘i Mauga, Raiders linebacker: His injury-plagued season continues, as he missed practice all week with a knee injury and was declared inactive for the loss to the Rams. It was the second game the special teams standout has missed this season and 11th since hurting the knee in the middle of last season.
>> Roman Wilson, Steelers receiver: Was declared inactive for the Sunday Night game against the Jets as he deals with a hamstring injury. He made his NFL debut with five snaps last week after missing all of preseason with an ankle injury. With Ricky Pearsall catching a pass for the 49ers on Sunday, Wilson is the only receiver taken in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft to not have a reception yet.
