Week 3 NFL recap: Mississippi State’s Kelly plays key role in Arizona win

Despite missing starting quarterback Carson Palmer, the Arizona Cardinals managed to knock off the San Francisco 49ers 23-14 Sunday to move into a tie for first place atop the NFC West standings. Former Mississippi State defensive lineman Tommy Kelly played a big role in Arizona’s victory, recording two tackles and blocking a 49ers field goal to help keep the Cardinals in front early in the fourth quarter.

Arizona led 20-14 at the time, and Kelly’s timely play kept the Cardinals ahead by six, forcing San Fran to chase a touchdown late in the game rather than another field goal. It was the second blocked field goal of Kelley’s 11-year NFL career.

Here’s what some other former Bulldogs accomplished around the NFL this weeknd:

• Johnthan Banks: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ cornerback made two tackles in a humiliating 56-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football last week.
• Josh Boyd: Boyd, a defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, made three tackles in a 19-7 loss on the road against the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon.
• Fletcher Cox: Cox, who made a big impact for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football last week, recorded two tackles in a 37-34 win over the Washington Redskins.
• Anthony Dixon: Dixon played a marginal role in the Buffalo Bills’ 22-10 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. He did not carry the ball on offense, and played primarily special teams in the loss.
• Gabe Jackson: Mississippi State’s former All-SEC guard started his fourth straight game on the Oakland Raiders’ offensive line to begin his NFL career. The Raiders dropped a 16-9 heartbreaker to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
• Cameron Lawrence: Lawrence made just one tackle for the Dallas Cowboys in their thrilling 34-31 comeback victory over the St. Louis Rams.
• Pernell McPhee: The Ravens’ defensive lineman made one tackle and one stuff at the line of scrimmage in a dramatic 23-21 win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon.
• Deontae Skinner: Skinner saw some time on defense for the New England Patriots, but did not record a tackle in the Pats’ narrow win over the Oakland Raiders.
• Darius Slay: Slay made plays all over the field from the back-end of the Detroit Lions’ secondary. The former Mississippi State defensive back recorded six tackles and a pass defended in a 19-7 win over the Green Bay Packers Sunday.
• Chris White: The New England Patriots’ linebacker saw time on defense and special teams in a win over the Oakland Raiders, but he did not record any stats by game’s end.
• K.J. Wright: Wright made eight tackles and a stuff at the line of scrimmage for the Seattle Seahawks in their overtime victory over the Denver Broncos. The Seattle defense held a potent Denver offense to just 20 points in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl, which the Seahawks won 43-8.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.