On Sunday, the Detroit Lions’ special teams weren’t merely special, they were exceptional in a 52-14 rout of the Tennessee Titans. Find out which UFL to NFL players made a difference this week.

Jake Bates -Detroit Lions Kicker


Former Michigan Panthers and current Detroit Lions star kicker Jake Bates continues to have a perfect record nailing 11 out of 11 field goals. Bates was only called upon once for a field goal on Sunday but he made it count. The 51-yard field goal marked his longest NFL kick to date.

Bates also added to the Lions scoring onslaught with seven extra points. Throughout the season, he has only missed one extra point converting 27 out of 28 attempts. Each week, the young kicker proves the Lions were right to be patient and trust in his talent and ability to perform under pressure.

Adding 17 points to the scoreboard, the Lions’ special teams unit exploded for 190 punt return yards. Former Titan Kaliff Raymond might have wanted to show his old team up. Raymond returned a punt in the third quarter for 90 yards and a touchdown. He later added a second receiving touchdown to become the first player in the NFL to record both a punt return and receiving touchdown in the same game.

Brandon Aubrey -Dallas Cowboys Kicker      

Coming off their week 7 bye, the Dallas Cowboys lost another tough game this week 30-24 to the San Francisco 49ers. Brandon Aubrey had a quiet outing with one 29-yard field goal and three extra points. Aubrey continues to prove he is one of the NFL’s best kickers with 18 out of 20 field goals and 12 out of 12 extra points.                                                                                           

KaVontae Turpin -Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver       

It was another frustrating offensive performance for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on Sunday night. Although Dallas had a 10-6 lead at halftime, that soon evaporated with Prescott’s second interception early in the third quarter. The 49er’s offense took command from that point and Dallas couldn’t do anything right. Wide receiver KaVontae Turpin had one reception for 16 yards but missed late in the game with a deep pass that fell incomplete. Turpin also rushed once for 11 yards.

Jalen Dalton -Dallas Cowboys Defensive Lineman

Former San Antonio Brahmas defensive lineman Jalen Dalton was the latest UFL player to be signed to the NFL. Dalton remained on the practice squad for the Dallas Cowboys and did not play in Sunday night’s game.

Dallas will try to get back on track next week with their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Jalen Redmond-Minnesota Vikings Defensive End

After a disappointing 30-20 prime-time loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday evening, former Arlington Renegades DE Jalen Redmond was waived from the 53-man roster to the Vikings practice squad. Redmond recorded one assisted tackle on Thursday evening. It was only the second game Redmond appeared in after his debut against the Houston Texans, where he recorded a sack on quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Dondrea Tillman -Denver Broncos Offensive Lineman

It was another strong outing for rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos who bested the Carolina Panthers by a score of 28-14. Offensive lineman Dondrea Tillman was inactive for the game against the Panthers.

Blake Watson -Denver Broncos Running Back

Newly re-signed Memphis Showboats’ running back Blake Watson remained on the Denver Broncos practice squad and was inactive for the game against the Panthers.

Tucker Addington -New England Patriots Long Snapper

Two weeks ago former USFL Houston Gambler Tucker Addington was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad. Addington was brought on to fill in for injured Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona. But with Cardona active once again, Addington was released earlier in the week ahead of Sunday’s 25-22 victory against the New York Jets.

Adrian Martinez – New York Jets Quarterback

The fortunes of the New York Jets under quarterback Aaron Rodgers are sinking faster than the Titanic. They lost again this week to the New England Patriots. The 1-6 Patriots and their backup quarterback came through with a far more impressive effort than Rodgers and the 2-6 Jets.

It’s obvious to anyone watching that Rodgers is dragging this team down with his lackluster performance and apathetic manner. Instead of leading his team and setting a good example for younger players, Rodgers appears to be mentally checked out.

Perhaps interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich should allow backup quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and former UFL league MVP Adrian Martinez to step in. Some NFL playing time and reps for the talented Martinez might be just what the team needs to put together a few wins and build for the future.

author avatar
Sue Levine
Sue Levine spent the past five years creating and producing a successful weekly health and wellness podcast starring a wonderful iconic woman as the program host. As part of Sue's responsibilities, she scripted every episode and discovered a genuine love of writing. When the podcast ended late last year, she shifted the focus of her writing to covering pro sports. A passionate fan of NFL and UFL football as well as fantasy, she is delighted to be able to share her articles with other football fans.

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