Across The Shield: Emeka Egbuka, Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson Score Highlight-Reel Touchdowns, J.K. Dobbins Breaks Denver Broncos’ 100-Yard Rusher Drought

By Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge on September 30, 2025 at 7:35 am
Garrett Wilson making a would-be touchdown catch that was nullified by offensive pass interference in the New York Jets’ loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Sam Navarro – Imagn Images
9 Comments

Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season was full of big games and highlight-reel plays from former Ohio State wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks.

Emeka Egbuka continued his sensational start to his NFL career, Garrett Wilson made a spectacular catch on Monday Night Football, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished strong on Thursday Night Football and Chris Olave caught his first touchdown pass of the season in another big week for alumni of Brian Hartline’s room.

J.K. Dobbins became the first Denver Bronco in nearly three years to rush for 100 yards while fellow former Ohio State running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both scored touchdowns in Week 4.

As for the two NFL quarterbacks from Ohio State, Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud both had their best games of the season to date with Fields delivering one of the week’s top highlights on a spectacular 43-yard touchdown run.

We recap all of their performances and more from Week 4 in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly recap of how former Ohio State players performed throughout the NFL.

Egbuka scores a 77-yard TD

For the third time in four weeks to begin the 2025 NFL season, Across The Shield begins by highlighting a standout performance from Emeka Egbuka.

The wide receiver from Ohio State continued to be the early star of the 2025 rookie class as he scored his fourth touchdown in four games, with his latest touchdown coming on the second-longest offensive play from scrimmage of the NFL season to date. Playing the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 4, Egbuka caught a deep ball from Baker Mayfield behind two Philadelphia Eagles defenders, then strolled the rest of the way to the end zone for a 77-yard touchdown.

The longest reception ever for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie, Egbuka’s 77-yard touchdown propelled him to his first career 100-yard game, as he caught four total passes for 101 yards in the Bucs’ 31-25 loss to the Eagles.

Four weeks into the season, Egbuka is tied for third in the entire NFL with four touchdown catches and ranks 12th in the league with 282 receiving yards on 31 receptions.

His latest standout performance earns Egbuka our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer of the week for the second time in the first four weeks of his pro career.

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
3 Steelers DT Cameron Heyward 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 PD, 4 QB pressures
4 Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 4 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD; 1 rush, 0 yards

Fields, Wilson make highlight-reel plays on MNF

After missing the New York Jets’ third game of the season due to a concussion, Justin Fields came back for their Week 4 Monday night game against the Miami Dolphins and made one of the most spectacular plays of his NFL career.

Nearly sacked in the backfield to start the play, Fields demonstrated his elite athleticism by running away from multiple Dolphins defenders behind the line of scrimmage, then sprinting all the way to the end zone – with multiple sharp cuts along the way to make more defenders miss – for a 43-yard touchdown run.

Fields’ longest run since 2022 came on what was also his best passing game of the season to date as he completed 20 of 27 passing attempts for 226 yards. One of those passes was a 23-yard touchdown thanks to a spectacular catch by fellow Ohio State product Garrett Wilson, who turned his Buckeye brother’s pass into six points with a spinning grab through the arm of Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas.

Wilson, who finished the game with six catches for 82 yards, would have had 100 yards and two touchdown catches if not for a questionable offensive pass interference call. A penalty for briefly placing his hand on the chest of Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones nullified another spectacular grab by Wilson, who got two feet down in bounds just inside the right side of the end zone while fully extending to haul in what would have been an 18-yard touchdown pass from Fields.

Dobbins breaks Broncos’ 100-yard drought

J.K. Dobbins is the first Denver Bronco to run for more than 100 yards in a game in more than two years.

No Bronco ran for 100 yards in a game in the 2023 or 2024 seasons or the first three games of 2025, but Dobbins – who joined the Broncos this offseason after a year with the Los Angeles Chargers – finally ended that 38-game drought as he ran for 101 yards on 16 carries in the Broncos’ 28-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.

Monday’s game was the first time this season that Dobbins didn’t score a touchdown, but it continued a productive start to his Broncos tenure. He’s now rushed for 323 yards, the fourth-most in the league this season, despite ranking just 15th in the NFL in rushing attempts with 57 carries.

A roller-coaster night for Marv

Already facing scrutiny for dropping a wide-open deep ball in the Arizona Cardinals’ Week 3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Marvin Harrison Jr. had a nightmarish first half in the national spotlight on Thursday Night Football.

In the first quarter, Harrison stopped running his route on a deep ball over the middle by Kyler Murray, resulting in an interception for the Seattle Seahawks.

Three drives later, Harrison was at fault for another interception when he failed to secure a catch on a slant route over the middle of the field, allowing the ball to pop up out of his hands and into the hands of Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

But just as the chatter around the former Ohio State superstar being a “bust” started to reach a fever pitch, Harrison reminded everyone why he was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

With the Cardinals attempting to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, Harrison made a spectacular spinning grab over Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon for a 16-yard touchdown. Harrison took a knee in the end zone after the catch, needing a moment to gather his emotions as he was clearly feeling the burden of his mistakes earlier in the game.

Harrison went on to make two more catches, including another spinning catch against Witherspoon for an 18-yard gain, on the Cardinals’ next drive, which ended with a game-tying touchdown.

The Cardinals ultimately lost the game, 23-20, but Harrison’s strong finish to the game – which allowed him to finish the night with a season-high six catches for 66 yards – nonetheless served as redemption and could be exactly what he needed to get back on track as he looks to start living up to the hype that preceded his arrival in the NFL.

JSN continues to shine

One of Harrison’s former teammates in Ohio State’s receiver room was a big reason why the Cardinals’ comeback effort against the Seahawks ultimately came up short.

The game got off to an uncharacteristically quiet start for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who didn’t catch a single pass in the first half. But he came alive in the second half to catch four passes for 79 yards.

Those four catches included a 36-yard deep-ball catch in the fourth quarter on which he roasted Arizona Cardinals cornerback Max Melton with a perfect stutter-step to get open along the right sideline to haul in an over-the-shoulder throw.

That catch set up a 53-yard field goal attempt that could have given the Seahawks a two-score lead with less than five minutes to play, but Jason Myers missed wide right. But after the Cardinals tied the game on their subsequent drive, Smith-Njigba came up big again, catching a 22-yard pass along the sideline. Smith-Njigba showed his situational awareness by smartly touching down out of bounds to stop the clock with 18 seconds remaining, allowing the Seahawks to run one more play to set up a game-winning field goal.

Smith-Njigba has now accumulated 402 receiving yards this season, the second-most in the league, on 26 catches.

Henderson scores first NFL touchdown

TreVeyon Henderson scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 4 as the rookie running back ran for a 5-yard TD in the second quarter of the New England Patriots’ 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers.

While Henderson looked poised to be an immediate star in the preseason, which he started with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown on the very first play of the Patriots’ preseason opener, his regular season has gotten off to a quieter start. The rookie running back from Ohio State has rushed for just 97 yards on 26 carries while adding 13 catches for 87 yards and six kickoff returns for 131 yards in New England’s first four games.

That’s partially because he’s split playing time with fellow Patriots running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, resulting in him playing just 15 offensive snaps against Carolina. He touched the ball on more than half of those snaps, though, running for 32 yards on seven carries and catching two passes for 14 yards.

Judkins scores second TD, tops 100 yards from scrimmage

The other NFL rookie running back from Ohio State also found the end zone in Week 4. Quinshon Judkins scored his second touchdown in as many weeks as he powered into the end zone for a 1-yard score on 4th-and-goal on the Cleveland Browns’ opening drive against the Detroit Lions.

The game went downhill from there for the Browns, who lost the game 34-10, but Judkins was productive throughout the day, rushing for 82 yards on 21 carries and catching four passes for 33 yards.

Despite missing the Browns’ season opener, Judkins now has the third-most yards from scrimmage among all NFL rookies – only behind Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty and Egbuka – as he’s accumulated 281 total rushing and receiving yards in just three games.

Stroud leads Texans to first win

Like Harrison, C.J. Stroud came out of Week 3 facing plenty of scrutiny after an 0-3 start to the season in which he threw more interceptions (three) than touchdowns (two). But the former Ohio State quarterback started to find his groove in Week 4.

Stroud led the Houston Texans to a 26-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans by completing 22 of his 28 passing attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns. His highlights included a 37-yard deep ball to Nico Collins and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins.

With his strong showing against the team that formerly called Houston home, Stroud has now completed 67.5% of his passes (79 of 117) for 832 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions through four games in his third NFL season.

Olave scores TD, throws INT

Chris Olave caught his first touchdown pass of the 2025 NFL season on the same day he threw an interception on the first passing attempt of his NFL career.

The interception came late in the first half when the New Orleans Saints dialed up a trick-play attempt. Looking to take the lead against the Buffalo Bills, the Saints dialed up the famous “Philly Special” play, pitching the ball to Olave to throw a pass to Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler on 3rd-and-goal. The wide receiver’s first NFL pass attempt hung up in the air too long, however, allowing Bills safety Cole Bishop to undercut the pass for an interception.

A pass from Rattler to Olave in the same area of the field in the third quarter achieved a better result, as Olave caught a 3-yard touchdown pass for his first score of 2025.

Olave finished the game with three catches for 20 yards, bringing him to 26 catches for 185 yards this season. The Saints ultimately lost the game, 31-19, to fall to 0-4 for the year.

Quick Hits

  • Joey Bosa strip-sacked Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler for his fourth forced fumble of the season, extending his league lead. No other NFL player has more than two forced fumbles this season.
  • Denzel Ward made his first interception of the season and 18th interception of his NFL career by picking off a deep heave from Jared Goff in the Browns’ loss to the Lions.
  • The Browns signed Thayer Munford to replace fellow former Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones on their roster after placing Jones on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. Munford, who was on the Patriots’ practice squad before the Browns picked him up, was inactive for their loss to the Lions. 
  • Cameron Johnston suffered a lower-leg injury after a defender crashed into his leg on a punt in the Bills’ win over the Saints. Bills coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Johnston will “miss some time,” though he didn’t put a specific timetable on his recovery.
  • Curtis Samuel made his season debut for the Bills. He caught one pass for nine yards and had three kickoff returns for 82 yards.
  • JT Tuimoloau made his first career tackle in the Indianapolis Colts’ 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Week 4 Stats

Week 4 and season stats for every Buckeye around the NFL 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 who finished their college careers at Ohio State.

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 4 STATS SEASON STATS
JEROME BAKER LB BROWNS 5 tackles 9 tackles
JOEY BOSA DE BILLS 3 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 FF 8 tackles, 2 sacks (15 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 4 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS Injured reserve (knee) 17 tackles, 2 sacks (9 yards), 4 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS Inactive 3 catches, 36 yards
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 1 tackle 7 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD
DENZEL BURKE CB CARDINALS 4 tackles 6 tackles, 3 PD
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 2 tackles, 0.5 sack (3 yards), 2 QB hits, 1 PD 12 tackles, 2.5 sacks (16 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 PD
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 4 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB BRONCOS 16 carries, 101 yards; 1 catch, 4 yards 57 carries, 323 yards, 3 TD; 5 catches, 18 yards
EMEKA EGBUKA WR BUCCANEERS 4 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 0 yards 18 catches, 282 yards, 4 TD; 2 carries, 9 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS 3 tackles 6 tackles
LUKE FARRELL TE 49ERS 2 catches, 20 yards 5 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD
JUSTIN FIELDS QB JETS 20/27, 226 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD 39/60, 471 yards, 2 TD; 24 carries, 172 yards, 3 TD
JOSH FRYAR OL CARDINALS Played on special teams 4 games played
JORDAN FULLER S FALCONS Injured reserve (knee) 1 start at safety
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS Inactive Inactive
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 4 tackles 8 tackles, 1 QB hit
TY HAMILTON DT RAMS 1 tackle 3 tackles
JORDAN HANCOCK S BILLS 1 tackle 1 tackle
MALIK HARRISON LB STEELERS Injured reserve (knee) 1 game played
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS 1 sack (3 yards) 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks (13.5 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 FF
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS 6 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD 16 catches, 208 yards, 2 TD
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB PATRIOTS 7 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 14 yards; 1 KR, 20 yards 26 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD; 13 catches, 87 yards; 6 KR, 131 yards
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 1 QB hit 14 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 9 tackles 22 tackles, 1 PD
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 4 tackles 20 tackles
DONOVAN JACKSON OL VIKINGS Inactive 3 starts at LG
JONAH JACKSON OG BEARS Started at RG 4 starts at RG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Started at LT 3 starts at LT
CAMERON JOHNSTON P BILLS 2 punts, 41.5 average 7 punts, 44.0 average, 2 inside 20
DAWAND JONES OT BROWNS Injured reserve (knee) 2 starts at LT, 1 start at RT
DRE'MONT JONES DE TITANS 3 tackles 9 tackles, 1 TFL
MICHAEL JORDAN LG BUCCANEERS Practice squad 2 starts at LG
QUINSHON JUDKINS RB BROWNS 21 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 33 yards 49 carries, 237 yards, 2 TD; 8 catches, 44 yards
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS 6 tackles, 1 TFL 18 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 PD
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS Played at DE 4 tackles, 2 sacks (7 yards), 3 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 PD
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 4 games played at LS
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS Inactive 10 catches, 149 yards
THAYER MUNFORD OT BROWNS Inactive Inactive
JOSH MYERS C JETS Started at C 4 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB VIKINGS 1 tackle 6 tackles, 1 FR
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS 3 catches, 20 yards, 1 TD; 0/1 passing, 1 INT 26 catches, 185 yards, 1 TD
LATHAN RANSOM S PANTHERS 2 tackles 12 tackles, 1 FF
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS 1 catch, 23 yards 4 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS 1 catch, 9 yards; 3 KOR, 82 yards 1 catch, 9 yards; 3 KOR, 82 yards
JACK SAWYER LB STEELERS 2 tackles, 1 PD 12 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 PD
JOSH SIMMONS OT CHIEFS Started at LT 4 starts at LT
CODY SIMON LB CARDINALS 1 tackle 4 tackles
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 4 catches, 79 yards; 3 carries, 11 yards 26 catches, 402 yards; 3 carries, 11 yards
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS Injured reserve (foot) 4 catches, 22 yards
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 22/28, 233 yards, 2 TD; 4 carries, 11 yards 79/117, 832 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT; 17 carries, 92 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD
JT TUIMOLOAU DE COLTS 1 tackle 1 tackle
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS 2 tackles, 1 INT 10 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 3 tackles 30 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 PD, 1 FR
TYLEIK WILLIAMS DL LIONS Started at DL 2 tackles, 2 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS 6 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD 27 catches, 311 yards, 3 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Played at C 4 games played
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS Inactive Inactive
9 Comments

Ryan Day Says Washington Game Plan Was Methodical By Design, Caden Curry an Example of “Resilience” Paying Off

Ryan Day

This Week in Our Dumb, Beautiful Sport: James Franklin Strikes Again, Lane Kiffin Trolls LSU, and the Return of Bobby Petrino

Dan Lanning and James Franklin embrace after Oregon's double-overtime win at Penn State on Saturday, September 26, 2025
View 9 Comments