Across The Shield: C.J. Stroud Tops 300 Yards, Justin Fields Leads Jets to Emotional Win and Terry McLaurin Makes Two Spectacular Catches

By Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge on October 28, 2025 at 7:35 am
C.J. Stroud
Sean Thomas – Imagn Images
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Both of Ohio State’s NFL quarterbacks led their teams to victory in Week 8 as several other Buckeyes had standout performances around the league.

C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields each had one of their best games this season in winning performances, while Terry McLaurin, J.K. Dobbins, Chase Young and TreVeyon Henderson were among the other Buckeyes who had big games in Week 8. We recap all of their performances and more in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly look at how former Ohio State players are performing throughout the NFL.

Stroud sharp vs. San Francisco

C.J. Stroud had his first 300-yard passing game of the season as he completed 30 of 39 passing attempts – also both season-highs – for 318 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Houston Texans to a 26-15 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

In the midst of what’s been an up-and-down third NFL season for the former Ohio State quarterback, Stroud reminded everyone that he’s one of the league’s most accurate passers when he has time to throw. He had seven passes that went for 17 yards or more on Sunday, including a 44-yard deep ball to Jaylin Noel and a 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Hutchinson.

Stroud’s 318 passing yards were the second-most in the NFL for Week 8, behind only Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who threw for 360 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

His standout performance earns him our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer for Week 8. He’s the second Buckeye to win the award twice this season, joining Emeka Egbuka.

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
5 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 23/27, 244 yards, 4 TD; 1 rush, 30 yards
6 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD
7 Browns RB Quinshon Judkins 25 carries, 84 yards, 3 TD
8 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 30/39, 318 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 carries, 30 yards

Fields leads Jets to emotional first win

Hours after the New York Jets announced the tragic death of former Jets and Ohio State great Nick Mangold, another former Ohio State great led the Jets to their first win of the season.

Justin Fields’ time as the Jets’ starting quarterback looked as though it could be over when he got benched at halftime of their Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Two days later, the former Buckeye star was publicly criticized by Jets owner Woody Johnson, who said “it's hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he's got” and "if we can just complete a pass, it would look good” while talking to reporters at the NFL’s fall owners’ meeting.

But when Tyrod Taylor was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a knee injury, Fields got his chance to redeem himself. He did so by completing 21 passes on 32 attempts for 244 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 31 yards and converting two-point conversions (one via run and one via pass), to lead the Jets to a 39-38 victory.

In an emotional postgame press conference, Fields talked about the toll the week took on him and how he relied on his faith to get him through it, ultimately leading to Sunday’s win in Cincinnati.

“It’s been a lot for me emotionally, spiritually,” Fields said. “When I was on the field, I was damn near about to start crying, not because we won but because of the goodness of God … I mean, shoot, yesterday I started praying like crazy just for a win.

“I’m gonna get pretty vulnerable right here, but this week I found myself in my closet crying on the ground, laying down. Not because of the hardships, not because of the troubles, I felt like I was built to handle that. But in that moment, I was talking to my best friend about how hard it was and not wavering faith-wise, I just had gotten a text from my sister and my step mom and it was just an encouraging text on just keep going and keep spreading the faith … it was just a sign from God for me to keep going and that I’m in the right place.”

Fields was far from the only Jet playing with extra emotion on Sunday as they sought to end their seven-game losing streak to start the season and earn a win in Mangold’s honor. Current Jets center and fellow Ohio State product Josh Myers said “it meant everything” to win the game for Mangold.

“What a devastating story,” Myers said. “I’m from the Dayton area, just like he is, and he’s a legend in Dayton and in Ohio and in Jersey too, everywhere he went. So what a heartbreaking way for that to go, and it meant a ton to everyone in the Jets building to get that win for him.”

The Jets’ other Ohio State products, Jeremy Ruckert (who caught one pass for 24 yards on Sunday) and Garrett Wilson (who was inactive due to a knee injury), each paid tribute to Mangold on social media.

McLaurin, Lattimore make Monday night highlights

Two former Ohio State players made highlight-reel plays for the Washington Commanders on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

First, former Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore made his first interception since Week 1 of 2023 as he picked off Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs’ opening drive.

Then, in the final minute of the first half, Terry McLaurin – in his first game back after missing four weeks with a quadriceps injury – made a spectacular game-tying touchdown catch, dragging his toes to get both feet in down in bounds for an 11-yard score. The catch was initially ruled incomplete on the field, but replay showed McLaurin had possession of the ball with both feet down in the end zone before he stepped out of bounds.

McLaurin made another spectacular catch in the third quarter – which was once again ruled incomplete before a replay review – when he dove for a 25-yard catch and got his inside leg down in bounds to establish possession despite having his back arm grabbed by Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.

After making those catches, however, McLaurin left the game early after aggravating his quad injury. The Commanders went on to lose the game, 28-7, falling to 3-5 on the season.

Dobbins runs all over Dallas

After breaking the Denver Broncos’ 38-game drought without a 100-yard rusher earlier this season, Dobbins had his second 100-yard game of the season in Week 8, rushing for 111 yards on 15 carries in the Broncos’ 44-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Dobbins has now rushed for 634 yards this season – the third-most in the NFL – and four touchdowns on 120 carries. Following the 6-2 Broncos’ fifth straight win on Sunday, Dobbins – who started his career with the Baltimore Ravens and signed with the Broncos this offseason after a one-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers – found himself feeling grateful that he landed in Denver.

“I’m proving myself right that I made the right decision to come here,” Dobbins told reporters after the game. “Maybe I was born to be a Bronco – it just took a little time to get here.”

Strip sack highlights big day for Young

The New Orleans Saints suffered a 23-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, but not due to any lack of effort from Chase Young.

In his third game appearance of the year after missing the start of the season with a calf injury, Young recorded four tackles with a pass deflection and 1.5 sacks, including a strip-sack on which he recovered his own fumble.

Per Pro Football Focus, Young has been one of the best defensive ends in the NFL since his return from injury. “The Predator” has an overall grade of 90.5 for the season, tied for the fifth-best grade among NFL edge defenders who have played at least 100 snaps.

Henderson outduels Judkins

While Quinshon Judkins has had the better rookie year so far among the two running backs from Ohio State’s national championship team, TreVeyon Henderson had the better day between them as they went head-to-head in New England on Saturday.

After running for just 153 yards on 43 carries in his first seven NFL games, Henderson had his most productive game by far against the Cleveland Browns, rushing for 75 yards on 10 carries in the Patriots’ 32-13 win.

Henderson also had two kickoff returns for 55 yards against the Browns. The day ended on a sour note for Henderson, as he fumbled the ball just before the goal line on his final carry of the game, but he still received praise from Patriots coach and fellow former Buckeye Mike Vrabel after the game.

Judkins, on the other hand, ran for a season-low 19 yards on nine carries before he was knocked out of the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Judkins suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder and is considered day-to-day.

Quick Hits

  • Jonathon Cooper had two pass breakups in a game for the first time in his career in the Broncos’ win over the Cowboys.
  • Dre’Mont Jones recorded a sack for the third consecutive week in the Tennessee Titans’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
  • Jordan Hancock had a career-high five tackles in the Buffalo Bills’ 40-9 win over the Carolina Panthers.
  • Lathan Ransom recorded his first NFL tackle for loss in the Panthers’ loss to the Bills.
  • Cameron Heyward had a season-high seven tackles in the Steelers’ loss to the Packers.

Week 8 Stats

Week 8 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 8 STATS SEASON STATS
DAMON ARNETTE CB TEXANS Practice squad 2 tackles
JEROME BAKER LB BROWNS 2 tackles 17 tackles, 1 sack (10 yards), 1 TFL, 1 FF
JOEY BOSA DE BILLS 2 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 2 QB hits 16 tackles, 3 sacks (22 yards), 3 TFL, 7 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 Injured reserve (groin) 3 catches, 36 yards
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS Bye 11 tackles, 2 sacks (13 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR
DENZEL BURKE CB CARDINALS Bye 7 tackles, 3 PD
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR COWBOYS Practice squad 1 tackle
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 4 tackles, 1 QB hits, 2 PD 25 tackles, 6 sacks (40 yards), 4 TFL, 9 QB hits, 4 PD
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Bye 5 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB BRONCOS 15 carries, 111 yards; 2 catches, 10 yards 120 carries, 634 yards, 4 TD; 9 catches, 32 yards
EMEKA EGBUKA WR BUCCANEERS 3 catches, 35 yards 34 catches, 562 yards, 5 TD; 2 carries, 9 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS Bye 8 tackles
LUKE FARRELL TE 49ERS Played at TE 7 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD
JUSTIN FIELDS QB JETS 21/32, 244 yards, 1 TD; 11 carries, 31 yards 107/167, 1,089 yards, 5 TD; 53 carries, 282 yards, 3 TD
JOSH FRYAR OL CARDINALS Bye 4 games played
JORDAN FULLER S FALCONS 1 tackle 1 tackle
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS Played at DT 1 game played
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS Bye 17 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits
TY HAMILTON DT RAMS Bye 5 tackles, 1 QB hit
JORDAN HANCOCK S BILLS 5 tackles 7 tackles
MALIK HARRISON LB STEELERS Injured reserve (knee) 1 game played
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS Inactive 17 tackles, 3.5 sacks (15.5 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 FF, 1 PD
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS Bye 24 catches, 395 yards, 2 TD
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB PATRIOTS 10 carries, 75 yards; 2 KR, 55 yards 53 carries, 228 yards, 1 TD; 16 catches, 99 yards; 9 KR, 209 yards
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 7 tackles 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks (4 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 8 tackles 49 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
JALYN HOLMES DE COMMANDERS 4 tackles 13 tackles, 1 QB hit
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS Injured reserve (toe) 20 tackles
DONOVAN JACKSON OL VIKINGS Started at LG 5 starts at LG
JONAH JACKSON OG BEARS Started at RG 7 starts at RG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Bye 6 starts at LT
CAMERON JOHNSTON P BILLS Injured reserve (knee) 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 2 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 2 QB hits 22 tackles, 3 sacks (21 yards), 3 TFL, 5 QB hits, 1 FR
MICHAEL JORDAN LG BUCCANEERS Did not play 3 starts at LG
QUINSHON JUDKINS RB BROWNS 9 carries, 19 yards; 3 catches, -2 yards 118 carries, 486 yards, 5 TD; 12 catches, 60 yards
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS 1 INT, 1 PD 23 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PD, 1 FR
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS Inactive 7 tackles, 3 sacks (18 yards), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 PD
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 6 games played at LS
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 3 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD 13 catches, 203 yards, 1TD
JOSH MYERS C JETS Started at C 7 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB VIKINGS 2 tackles 14 tackles, 1 FR
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS 8 catches, 63 yards; 1 carry, -3 yards 52 catches, 503 yards, 3 TD; 1 carry, -3 yards; 0/1 passing, 1 INT
LATHAN RANSOM S PANTHERS 1 tackle, 1 TFL 21 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS 1 catch, 24 yards 9 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS 1 KR, 23 yards 3 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD; 7 KR, 189 yards
JACK SAWYER LB STEELERS Played at LB 13 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 PD
KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB DOLPHINS 1 tackle 1 tackle
JOSH SIMMONS OT CHIEFS Inactive 5 starts at LT
CODY SIMON LB CARDINALS Bye 6 tackles
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS Bye 50 catches, 819 yards, 4 TD; 3 carries, 11 yards
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS Injured reserve (foot) 4 catches, 22 yards
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 30/39, 318 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 carries, 30 yards 155/232, 1,623 yards, 11 TD, 5 INT; 27 carries, 177 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 1 QB hit 11 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 PD
JT TUIMOLOAU DE COLTS 1 QB hit 2 tackles, 3 QB hits
NICK VANNETT TE VIKINGS Practice squad 3 games played
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS 5 tackles 25 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 4 tackles 52 tackles, 2 sacks (1 yard), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 2 PD, 1 FR
TYLEIK WILLIAMS DL LIONS Bye 4 tackles, 1 QB hit, 3 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS Inactive 36 catches, 395 yards, 4 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Played on special teams 1 start at T, 8 games played
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks (14.5 yards), 2 QB hits, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR 8 tackles, 2 sack (18.5 yards), 1 TFL, 5 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
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