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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 2 Update

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The duo of Rice football alums suited up for the Pittsburg Steelers had a stellar Week 2, leading the way in this weeks’ NFL Owls update.

There are currently seven former Rice football players on NFL rosters. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 2 results

Falcons 24 – Eagles 20 (Sendejo)
Cowboys 31 (Covington) – Redskins 21
Bears 16 – Broncos 14 (Callahan)
Seahawks 28 (Ellerbee) – Steelers 26 (Boswell, McDonald)
Texans 13 (Gaines) – Jaguars 12

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell was perfect from the field on Sunday, converting two field goals (a long of 41 yards) and two extra points. The Steelers visit the 49ers in Week 3.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

After being listed as questionable to play entering Sunday, Callahan was declared inactive for the Broncos game with the Bears. The Broncos visit the Packers in Week 3.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington did not register any stats in the Cowboys’ defeat of the Redskins. The Cowboys host the Dolphins in Week 3.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee did not register any stats in the Seahawks’ defeat of the Steelers. The Seahawks host the Saints in Week 3.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald had a big day for the black and yellow, hauling in two touchdowns and a team-leading seven receptions. He finished with 38 receiving yards. The Steelers visit the 49ers in Week 3.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo had three tackles (one for a loss) on Sunday Night Football. He had Philadelphia’s lone sack of the night. The Eagles host the Lions in Week 3.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Signed this week, Gaines did not register any stats in the Texans’ victory over the Jaguars. The Texans visit the Chargers in Week 3.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 1 Update

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Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books and several Rice Football alums made big plays. Here’s the latest from each of the NFL Owls.

There are currently six former Rice football players on NFL rosters. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 1 results

Eagles 32 (Sendejo) – Redskins 27
Cowboys 35 (Covington) – Giants 17
Raiders 24 – Broncos 16 (Callahan)
Seahawks 21 (Ellerbee) – Bengals 20
Patriots 33 – Steelers 3 (Boswell, McDonald)

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell converted his only field goal attempt from 19 yards. He scored the Steelers only points of the game. The Steelers host the Seahawks in Week 2.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was questionable to participate in the Broncos’ Monday Night Football appearance against the Raiders. He did not participate. There is currently no timetable for his return. The Broncos host the Bears in Week 2.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington registered two tackles in the Cowboys’ Week 1 victory over the Giants. The Cowboys travel to the Redskins in Week 2.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbe did not log any stats for the Seahawks in their Week 1 game against the Bengals. The Seahawks travel to the Steelers in Week 2

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald had a fairly quiet Sunday night, as did the rest of the Steelers offense. He caught two passes for 40 yards in a loss to the Patriots. The Steelers host the Seahawks in Week 2.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo finished second on the team in total tackles, notching five in the Eagles come from behind victory over the Redskins. The Eagles travel to the Falcons in Week 2 for Sunday Night Football.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Former Rice Football punter Jack Fox released by Chiefs

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Per Dani Welniak, Former Rice Football Jack Fox has been released by the Kansas City Chiefs. What’s next for Fox in his NFL journey?

The NFL is a tough business, particularly for specialists. While wide receivers and offensive lineman view for more than 100 starting jobs and dozens of other backup roles, there are only so many special teams positions open at any one time.

Jack Fox finds himself in the midst of that unfortunate roster crunch. Competing with NFL vet Dustin Colquitt in Kansas City, Fox held his own, matching the long-time pros leg throughout the preseason. When it came time for the Chiefs to make a decision, they opted for the guy that’s been around for a decade.

More: Owls fall short of upset, drop heartbreaker to Army

That puts Fox in an uncomfortable state of limbo, for now. After his release from the Chiefs, Fox was put on waivers. Teams will have until Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET to claim Fox and other players off waivers before teams will begin to construct their practice squads.

As he demonstrated during the preseason, the talent is there for Fox to take another run at a full-time gig. Here are a few things to keep a look on over the weekend.

1. Teams need punters

Kansas City was forced to make a decision between two good punts. Not every NFL squad is that fortunate, and that bodes well for Fox. Teams like the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers had particularly suspect punting games. It’s well within the realm of possibility that Fox is signed to a team like that and given another chance to win a starting job as early as this season.

2. The Chiefs aren’t off limits

It’s also possible that Kansas City liked what they saw in their rookie punter. The extended audition through the preseason might not have been enough for him to win the job outright, but the Chiefs may be open to keeping a close eye on Fox to see how he develops throughout the season. Another team could claim him from the practice squad or he could get another shot at battling Colquitt in the future.

3. Injuries and performance issues

There’s no circumstance where anyone would root for a player to be hurt, but the NFL is a dangerous business. The same 32 punters who begin the year might not make it through the season healthy, opening the door for others like Fox. Beyond that, those who remain healthy might not perform to expectations.

Similar possibilities exist for Fox’s former teammate, Austin Walter, who was released by the 49ers this weekend.

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Rice Football: Jack Fox shines in NFL debut

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Week 1 of the NFL Preseason is in the books and former Rice Football punter Jack Fox is among the league leaders at the punter position.

There have been 170 punts thus far in the NFL Preseason. Jack Fox kicked just two of those in his professional debut on Saturday. His first outing was superb by all measures, but perhaps even more importantly, Fox has propelled himself into the ranks of the league’s best punters.

Among the 47 punters who have kicked so far, Fox ranks fifth in Net Punting Average. He’s tied for second in return yardage allowed (zero). All of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line, making him one of five punters to accomplish that feat.

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Dustin Colquitt, the Chiefs’ incumbent punter, had a great game. Both players had two opportunities, but it was the rookie who outperformed the vet. Fox punted for 93 yards to Colquitt’s 79. Fox put one more punt inside the 20-yard line and had one fewer punt returned.

Fox more than held his own through the first preseason game. He’ll have three more chances to prove himself before the Chiefs are forced to make a challenging decision.

The financials (per Spotrac) are another point in Fox’s favor. An undrafted free agent, Fox will count $3,333 against Kansas City’s cap this season. Colquitt, who recently signed a lucrative extension, brings with him a $3.15 Million cap hit. With the contracts of superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Tyreke Hill looming, the Chiefs likely wouldn’t be opposed to saving money wherever they can.

The Chiefs play their next game on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 17. Fox and Colquitt are expected to split the punting duties once again.

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Jack Fox vs Dustin Colquitt: Evaluating the Kansas City Chiefs punters

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Undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jack Fox signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’ll battle veteran Dustin Colquitt for the punting job.

Jack Fox made waves with his impressive senior season at Rice. Now he’s on to the NFL where he’ll attempt to earn himself a spot on the roster of the Kansas City Chiefs. The limited roster room leads few NFL teams to carry multiple punters. If Fox is going to stay on with the Chiefs, he’ll most likely have to beat out veteran punter Dustin Colquitt.

Colquitt has 15 years of NFL experience, all with the Chiefs, and recently signed a 3-year, $7.5 Million extension in 2018. He’s due $4.5 Million over the next two seasons; Fox signed a 3-year deal which will pay him $1.765 Million over the next three seasons. From a purely financial perspective, Fox has a much more affordable deal.

More: The incredible story of Jack Fox

Fox has a good financial case, but that’s only going to come into play if he can produce on the field in camp. The Chiefs will get a look at both guys in person, for now, we’ll have to settle with a snapshot of how each player faired last season — Colquitt with Kansas City and Fox with Rice.

2018 Stats

Player Colquitt Fox
Games 16 13
Punts 45 80
Yards 2,021 3,636
Avg 44.9 45.5
Long 67 76
TB 5 13
In20 21 31
Net 40.5 40.1

The Kansas City offense was so effective last year Colquitt posted a career-low 45 punts. The Rice offense was not as efficient, providing Fox plenty of opportunities. Fox led the nation in punting yardage and matched up favorably with Colquitt across the board in most major statistics.

On paper, Fox absolutely has a chance to make the team. The Chiefs gave him guaranteed money, which indicates they think he’s got a good shot to stick around. If he doesn’t make the roster, he’ll be a practice squad player and have more opportunities to kick in the NFL down the road.

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