Oklahoma football: Former Sooners star all over the field in NFL Week 2
By John Makuch
The influence of Oklahoma football is widespread throughout the NFL, and offensive players shined yet again in Week 2.
But before the offensive players get their due, former Sooner linebacker Kenneth Murray proved he is a major part of the Los Angeles Charger defensive unit. K9, as he was known at OU (the combination of his first initial and jersey number), had seven tackles on Sunday, including five solo, along with one tackle for loss in a game in which he sat out for a short period due to an injury.
Murray had a solid performance, and many more are to come from the young linebacker.
Last week former OU quarterbacks stole the show. This week, it was the receivers’ time to shine.
CeeDee Lamb put in work in a Dallas Cowboys’ win vs Murray’s Chargers, bringing in eight receptions for 81 yards.
Lamb has begun to find his role in this Dallas offense, and he has become one of Dak Prescott’s most reliable receiving options.
Star slot receiver Sterling Shepard has been playing at a level he has not been at in a few years. After battling with injuries and with rumors of retirement swirling around, Shepard has shut all of that out.
In returning to the jersey No. 3 he wore at Oklahoma, the New York Giants wide receiver has gotten back to the same form he displayed in college career at OU in the first two weeks of the new NFL season.
In Week 2, Shepard finished with nine receptions for 94 yards, and Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones has developed good chemistry with his trusted target.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown got the primetime spot on Sunday night with the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Kansas City Chiefs.
In a wild finish of a game, Brown ended his night with six receptions for 113 yards, including a spectacular 42-yard reception on a pass from Lamar Jackson.
The duo of Brown and Jackson is going to be a problem for Baltimore opponents for years to come, and we are just witnessing the beginning of it.
These guys all needed someone to throw them the ball in college, and the Sooner Air Raid offense delivered just that at Oklahoma.
Brown and Lamb had the opportunity to play with both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and both of these quarterbacks led their team to victories in Week 2.
Mayfield played a gutsy game after suffering a shoulder injury early on against the Houston Texans.
After returning from the locker room Mayfield was sharp and collected, ending his day 19 of 21
passing for 213 yards and touchdown.
While the statistics are not as eye-popping, the gutsiness and toughness in this victory is something Oklahoma saw out of Mayfield game in and game out.
Murray, on the other hand, had some wild stats after the Cardinals’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
The former Heisman winner threw for 400 yards on 29 of 36 passing and three passing touchdowns He also had a rushing touchdown to boot.
Murray had a play that will easily go into his NFL highlight reel on a falling backward deep ball to Christian Kirk on fourth and-five
After just one season starting at Oklahoma, the former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick is earning that value and putting in an early MVP bid for this season.