Buckeyes in the NFL, Week 10: Devin Smith Fumbles Away Opportunity to Exit Doghouse

By Mike Young on November 16, 2015 at 10:10 am
Looks like Devin Smith only has one leg in this picture
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A prevailing narrative during Ohio State's 2015 season revolves around Devin Smith's absence. J.T. Barrett and the coaching staff would like to have his deep play abilities back. The way Smith's rookie season is going, it's safe to assume he misses Columbus, as well.

Smith barely started training camp before breaking his ribs and missing the rest of camp. Before week eight, he sprained his ankle. 

"We need Devin Smith," said wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell, via the New York Daily News. "We need Devin Smith to hurry his growth (to get him) entrenched in our offense and get him to a level where he’s confident in what he’s doing."

Clearly, that hasn't happened yet. He isn't heavily featured in the offense and is returning kicks for the Jets – something which he isn't particularly experienced at. Well, he was returning kicks for New York until fumbling one, Thursday, directly leading to a Bills touchdown.

Now the New York Post sports section has reached its tipping point with Smith.

"This isn’t the kind of impact the Jets envisioned Smith making when they spent a second-round pick on the speedster," wrote columnist Brian Lewis

The good news for Smith is about six percent of men suffer from red-green colorblindness, so maybe someone on the Jets staff thinks the Bills fumbled that kickoff return.

Play of the WeEk

Buckeye secondary play has never been stronger at the pro level. Bradley Roby is in the midst of an excellent second year in the league,  Malcolm Jenkins is Pro Football Focus' top rated safety and Kurt Coleman is among the league's most surprising players on an undefeated Panthers team.

Coleman wasn't particularly well-liked in Philadelphia – only fictional athletes are. He bounced from the Eagles to the Vikings to the Chiefs, but finally found a good fit for him. Not only does Carolina have many familiar faces, he also gets to work with the best corner this season in Josh Norman. 

Here's Coleman grabbing his third interception of 2015 against the Titans.

How They Fared in Week 10

Player Team Position Stats/Notes
Mike Adams Pittsburgh Steelers OL Still on PUP list, no update on his status from Mike Tomlin
Will Allen Pittsburgh Steelers S 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 awkward photo in win over Browns
Michael Bennett Jacksonville Jaguars DT Inactive for win over Ravens due to a hamstring injury
Alex Boone San Francisco 49ers OL 49ers on bye
Philly Brown Carolina Panthers WR/KR/PR 1 reception, 8 yards in win over Titans
Kurt Coleman Carolina Panthers S 5 tackles, 1 interception in win over Titans
Nate Ebner New England Patriots DB/ST Played more snaps at safety in win over Giants
Ted Ginn Jr. Carolina Panthers WR 4 receptions, 45 yards in win over Titans
Doran Grant Pittsburgh Steelers CB Active but did not play in win over Browns
Johnathan Hankins New York Giants DT Placed on IR due to torn pectoral muscle
Brian Hartline Cleveland Browns WR 6 receptions, 77 yards in loss to Steelers
A.J. Hawk Cincinnati Bengals LB Plays tonight vs Texans
Boom Herron Buffalo Bills RB 1 kick return for 22 yards in win over Jets
Cameron Heyward Pittsburgh Steelers DE 3 tackles, 1 sack, blew up Cam Erving in win over Browns
Carlos Hyde San Francisco 49ers RB 49ers on bye
Malcolm Jenkins Philadelphia Eagles S Team-leading 10 tackles in loss to Dolphins
James Laurinaitis St. Louis Rams LB 6 tackles in loss to Bears
Corey Linsley Green Bay Packers C Packers threw 61 times in loss to Lions
Nick Mangold New York Jets C Jets run for over 100 yards, kept QB clean against tough Bills front
Jake McQuaide St. Louis Rams LS Rams kick 2 field goals in loss to Bears
Jack Mewhort Indianapolis Colts OL Colts on bye
Andrew Norwell Carolina Panthers OL Inactive for win over Titans due to hamstring injury
Mike Nugent Cincinnati Bengals K Plays tonight vs Texans
Bradley Roby Denver Broncos CB 4 tackles in loss to Chiefs
Ryan Shazier Pittsburgh Steelers LB 6 tackles, 1 sack in win over Browns
John Simon Houston Texans LB Plays tonight vs Bengals
Devin Smith New York Jets WR 1 reception 22 yards, 1 fumbled kickoff return
Rod Smith Dallas Cowboys RB 1 kickoff return, 26 yards in loss to Bucs
Jake Stoneburner Miami Dolphins TE Active but did not record a reception in win over Eagles
Donte Whitner Cleveland Browns S Inactive for loss to Steelers due to concussion
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