Monday ProCanes Report: Vernon, Fins Dominate
The Monday Morning #ProCanes report will weed through all the NFL highlights and news to bring you the information you care about the most… what the former University of Miami Hurricanes did during the week prior. Jacksonville rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns had a breakout day for the Jaguars, hauling in career-high totals of seven catches, 112 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s matchup with Cleveland. But Hurns wasn’t the only #ProCane with a breakout game – for the second consecutive week, Minnesota second-year tight end Chase Ford made the report for a five-catch, 66-yard game that included his first NFL touchdown. Is Ford the next great tight end to come out of Coral Gables? Read on for more from across the league.
Allen Hurns (Jacksonville Jaguars) – seven catches, 112 yards, two touchdowns
Jacksonville took two wide receivers in the first three rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft, but neither was named Allen Hurns. Somehow the Carol City HS alum managed to go undrafted this past spring, but he has made an impact through the first nine games of his NFL career. Hurns leads the Jaguars with five touchdowns this season, and he added two more in Sunday’s disappointing loss to Cleveland. Hurns ranks second on the team with 29 catches and 466 yards, but he led Jacksonville with a career-high seven receptions and 112 against the Browns. The 100-yard game was the second of his career and Hurns’ first since his NFL debut in Week 1 of this season.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: 40-Yard TD | Second TD Catch
Chase Ford (Minnesota Vikings) – five catches, 66 yards, one touchdown
Sunday marked a special day for Minnesota second-year tight end Chase Ford, who scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in a win over Washington. Ford also had a big catch during Minnesota’s game-winning drive, finishing with a career-high 66 yards on five receptions. Expected to back up Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph for the season, Ford instead has emerged as one of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s go-to targets since being signed from the practice squad. He has 19 catches and 212 yards despite playing in just six games – including 11 catches and 123 yards over the last two weeks. His touchdown catch was a 20-yard reception just before halftime that cut Washington’s lead to 10-7.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: First Career TD
Olivier Vernon (Miami Dolphins) – one sack, one forced fumble
Sunday was a big day for the Miami Dolphins – on both offense and defense. While Lamar Miller led Miami’s rushing attack with 49 yards on the ground and his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, third-year defensive end Olivier Vernon was a dominant force for the Dolphins defense in the 37-0 win. Vernon forced a fumble of San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers after beating Chargers left tackle King Dunlap on a nice speed rush that resulted in a sack, and he was a constant presence in the San Diego backfield. Vernon has 4.5 sacks through the first eight games of the season, and has 16 sacks combined over his last two seasons.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: OV Causes Sack-Fumble
Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints) – seven catches, 83 yards, one touchdown
Ho-hum. Another primetime game, another big performance for New Orleans’ tight end Jimmy Graham. The fifth-year standout delivered game-high totals of seven catches, 83 yards and one touchdown in New Orleans’ 28-10 romp of divisional foe Carolina. Graham has a whopping total of 46 touchdowns in his career despite playing in just 70 games, and he has 30 touchdowns since the start of the 2012 season. He leads all New Orleans pass catchers in receptions (46), yards (518) and touchdowns (five) this season.
