Across the Shield: Joey Bosa Forces Two Justin Fields Fumbles, Zach Harrison Strip Sacks J.J. McCarthy and Luke Farrell Scores His First NFL Touchdown

By Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge on September 16, 2025 at 7:35 am
Luke Farrell celebrating his touchdown with Mac Jones
Stephen Lew – Imagn Images
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Defensive linemen from Ohio State filled up the highlight reel in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.

Joey Bosa, Zach Harrison, Cameron Heyward and Baron Browning (an edge-rushing linebacker) all made big plays to force turnovers for their teams, while Nick Bosa set a new career-high with nine tackles and Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer began to make their mark on the league.

There were also plenty of standouts from Ohio State at other positions around the league in Week 2 as Luke Farrell scored his first NFL touchdown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his emergence as one of the NFL’s elite receivers, Emeka Egbuka continued his torrid start to his NFL career and Josh Simmons topped a dominant day with a spectacular hustle play. 

We recap all of the best and most notable performances from Buckeyes around the league in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly roundup of how former Ohio State players performed throughout the NFL.

Joey Bosa gets best of Fields

Joey Bosa’s second game as a Buffalo Bill went a lot better than Justin Fields’ second game as a New York Jet.

In Sunday’s matchup between those former Buckeyes, Fields had just one more completion (three) than he had fumbles (two), and both of those fumbles were forced by Bosa.

First, Bosa hit Fields from behind on a first-quarter scramble and knocked the ball out of his hands, resulting in a fumble that fellow Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa recovered.

In the fourth quarter, Bosa forced another fumble on a strip sack of Fields. The Jets recovered that fumble, but Fields suffered a concussion on the play, knocking him out of the game early.

After a promising start for the Jets in which Fields completed 16 of 22 passing attempts for 218 yards and a touchdown, the former Ohio State quarterback completed just three of 11 passing attempts for 27 yards against the Bills. 

Bosa, on the other hand, had a dominant performance. He recorded seven quarterback pressures on just 15 pass-rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus, who gave Bosa the highest game grade (95.8) of any player in the NFL for Week 2.

That earned Bosa our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer for Week 2.

Pro Bucks of the Week
Week Player Stats
1 Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 4 catches, 67 yards, 2 TD; 1 rush, 9 yards
2 Bills DE Joey Bosa 2 tackles, 1 sack, 2 FF, 7 QB pressures

Nick Bosa sets career-high in tackles

It was a great day for both Bosa brothers on Sunday as Joey’s younger Nick also had one of the most productive games of his NFL career.

The former Ohio State defensive end made a career-high nine tackles in the San Francisco 49ers’ 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints. For the second week in a row, Bosa had a crucial fourth-quarter sack in a one-score game when he took down Spencer Rattler for a 5-yard loss on 3rd-and-6 to force the Saints to punt trailing by five with less than four minutes to play in the game.

Like his brother, Nick Bosa got heat on the quarterback throughout the day on Sunday, recording six quarterback pressures. Two weeks into the season, Bosa has been one of the NFL’s best DEs, already recording 15 total tackles with four tackles for loss, two sacks and nine quarterback pressures.

Harrison strip-sacks McCarthy

The first forced fumble of Zach Harrison’s NFL career couldn’t have come against a more fitting opponent.

The former Ohio State defensive end took down J.J. McCarthy – the only quarterback from Michigan currently in the NFL – and knocked the ball out of his hands in the process for a fumble that was recovered by his Atlanta Falcons teammate Divine Deablo on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The strip sack highlighted one of Harrison’s best games to date of his NFL career. Now in his third year with the Falcons, Harrison tied his career-high with five total tackles, including 1.5 sacks, in their 22-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

JSN tops 100 again

Just two players across the NFL topped 100 receiving yards in both Week 1 and Week 2: CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Smith-Njigba, who ranked 12th in the NFL with 1,130 receiving yards in 2024, continued to establish himself as one of the league’s elite receivers in his second game of 2025 as he caught eight passes for 103 yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The former Ohio State wide receiver’s second game of the year was highlighted by a 43-yard catch in the fourth quarter that set up the Seahawks’ final touchdown of the day.

Two weeks into the season, Smith-Njigba is tied for second in the NFL in both receptions (17) and receiving yards (227).

Farrell scores first NFL touchdown

In his fifth NFL season, Luke Farrell finally scored his first touchdown on Sunday.

Given the opportunity to start at tight end for the 49ers on Sunday with George Kittle sidelined by a hamstring injury, Farrell took advantage. He turned a short pass from Mac Jones into an 11-yard first-quarter touchdown, stiff-arming Saints nickelback Alontae Taylor on his way to the end zone.

Farrell, who signed a three-year contract with the 49ers this offseason after four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, caught two passes for 15 yards in San Francisco’s win in New Orleans. Much like at Ohio State, Farrell has made most of his impact in the NFL as a blocker – but his first career touchdown showed he can be a playmaker when the ball comes his way.

Simmons shines in Super Bowl rematch

Josh Simmons shined in the national spotlight in his second NFL game on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered another loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl, but their rookie left tackle from Ohio State was dominant in pass protection, allowing zero pressures in 36 pass-protection snaps.

Simmons’ biggest highlight of the day, though, came after Patrick Mahomes threw an interception to Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba. The former Texas safety’s hopes of a pick-six were thwarted by Simmons, who showed his spectacular athleticism for an offensive lineman by running down Mukuba for a touchdown-saving tackle along the sideline.

Egbuka scores again

Emeka Egbuka is emerging as an early frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

After scoring two touchdowns with a game-winner in his NFL debut, Egbuka followed that up by scoring another touchdown in his second NFL game. The No. 19 overall pick from Ohio State used his acceleration and shiftiness to turn a screen pass by Baker Mayfield into a 15-yard touchdown that gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 14-10 lead in the second quarter.

Egbuka had four total receptions for 29 yards in the Buccaneers’ 20-19 win. With three touchdowns already this season, Egbuka is tied with Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chicago Bears wideout Rome Odunze and Los Angeles Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston for the league lead in receiving scores.

Rookie watch

Simmons and Egbuka weren’t the only members of Ohio State’s 15-man NFL rookie class to make notable plays in Week 2.

Tyleik Williams batted two passes in the Lions’ 52-21 win over the Bears, including one that forced a turnover on downs on a 4th-and-5 in the third quarter.

Jack Sawyer recorded his first NFL sack and two tackles for loss as part of a five-tackle day in the Steelers’ loss to the Seahawks.

Quinshon Judkins and JT Tuimoloau each made their NFL debuts in Week 2 after not playing in Week 1. Judkins ran for 61 yards on 10 carries and caught three passes for 10 yards in his NFL debut, though the Cleveland Browns suffered a 41-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Denzel Burke made his defensive debut for the Arizona Cardinals and played 67 snaps after starting cornerback Max Melton was knocked out of the game with a knee injury. He recorded three pass breakups in the Cardinals’ 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers.

More highlights

  • Baron Browning made the second interception of his NFL career, snagging a Bryce Young pass that popped up into the air after he was hit hard by Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson. Browning also had two tackles with a tackle for loss and seven quarterback pressures in the Cardinals’ win.
  • Cam Heyward tipped a pass by Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold to set up an interception for his Steelers teammate Nick Herbig. He also had five tackles in the Steelers’ loss.
  • C.J. Stroud threw his first touchdown pass of the season on a perfectly placed 29-yard deep ball to Nico Collins on the opening drive of the Texans’ loss to the Buccaneers.
  • J.K. Dobbins scored his second touchdown in as many games as a Denver Bronco. His  5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of the Broncos’ loss to the Colts was part of a 14-carry, 76-yard day in which he also caught a 9-yard pass.
  • Former Ohio State and Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard, who retired after last season, served as the Bengals’ “Ruler of the Jungle” before their win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Week 2 Stats

Stats for every Buckeye who played in Week 2 can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. The table only includes players who have been on an active roster for at least one game this season and does not include players who started their college careers at Ohio State but transferred elsewhere.

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 2 STATS SEASON STATS
JEROME BAKER LB BROWNS 2 tackles 3 tackles
JOEY BOSA DE BILLS 2 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 QB hits, 2 FF 4 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 3 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS 9 tackles, 1 sack (5 yards), 2 QB hits 15 tackles, 2 sacks (9 yards), 4 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS 1 catch, 9 yards 3 catches, 36 yards
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 1 PD 5 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 1 PD
DENZEL BURKE CB CARDINALS 3 PD 3 PD
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 4 tackles, 1 TFL 6 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 TFL
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 2 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB BRONCOS 14 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 9 yards 30 carries, 139 yards, 2 TD; 3 catches, 14 yards
EMEKA EGBUKA WR BUCCANEERS 4 catches, 29 yards, 1 TD 8 catches, 96 yards, 3 TD; 1 carry, 9 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS 1 tackle 3 tackles
LUKE FARRELL TE 49ERS 2 catches, 15 yards, 1 TD 3 catches, 19 yards, 1 TD
JUSTIN FIELDS QB JETS 3/11, 27 yards; 5 carries, 49 yards 19/33, 245 yards, 1 TD; 17 carries, 97 yards, 2 TD
JOSH FRYAR OL CARDINALS Played on special teams Played on special teams
JORDAN FULLER S FALCONS Injured reserve (knee) 1 start at safety
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS Inactive Inactive
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 4 tackles 4 tackles
TY HAMILTON DT RAMS 2 tackles 2 tackles
JORDAN HANCOCK S BILLS Inactive Inactive
MALIK HARRISON LB STEELERS Injured reserve (knee) Played at LB
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks (10.5 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 FF 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks (10.5 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 FF
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS 2 catches, 27 yards 7 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB PATRIOTS 3 carries, 10 yards; 2 catches, 30 yards 8 carries, 37 yards; 8 catches, 54 yards; 2 KR, 43 yards
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 5 tackles, 1 PD 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PD
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 4 tackles  9 tackles, 1 PD
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 4 tackles 13 tackles
DONOVAN JACKSON OL VIKINGS Started at LG 2 starts at LG
JONAH JACKSON OG BEARS Started at RG 2 starts at RG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Started at LT 2 starts at LT
DAWAND JONES OT BROWNS Started at LT 2 starts at LT
DRE'MONT JONES DE TITANS 2 tackles, 1 TFL 4 tackles, 1 TFL
MICHAEL JORDAN LG BUCCANEERS Started at LG 2 starts at LG
QUINSHON JUDKINS RB BROWNS 10 carries, 61 yards; 3 catches, 10 yards 10 carries, 61 yards; 3 catches, 10 yards
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS 6 tackles, 1 PD 9 tackles, 2 PD
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS 1 PD 1 tackle, 1 PD
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 2 games played at LS
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 5 catches, 48 yards 7 catches, 75 yards
JOSH MYERS C JETS Started at C 2 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB VIKINGS Inactive 2 tackles
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS 6 catches, 54 yards 13 catches, 108 yards
LATHAN RANSOM S PANTHERS 4 tackles 5 tackles
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS 1 catch, 5 yards 3 catches, 21 yards
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS Inactive Inactive
JACK SAWYER LB STEELERS 5 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit 6 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit
JOSH SIMMONS OT CHIEFS Started at LT 2 starts at LT
CODY SIMON LB CARDINALS Inactive 1 tackle
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 8 catches, 103 yards 17 catches, 227 yards
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS Injured reserve (foot) 4 catches, 22 yards
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 13/24, 207 yards, 1 TD; 4 carries, 27 yards 32/51, 395 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 9 carries, 59 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS Inactive Inactive
JT TUIMOLOAU DE COLTS Played at DE Played at DE
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS 1 tackle 3 tackles, 1 PD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PD 14 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 PD
TYLEIK WILLIAMS DL LIONS 2 PD 2 tackles, 2 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS 4 catches, 50 yards 11 catches, 145 yards, 1 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Played on special teams Played at C
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS Inactive Inactive
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