Eli Manning gets healthy serving of Taco Charlton, more Week 2 alumni updates

Cowboy defensive end and Michigan alum Taco Charlton is not only emerging as a force on the edge in Dallas. He’s showing off his sack celebration skills in the process.

In addition to sacking New York quarterback Eli Manning, Charlton recorded three tackles, an additional TFL and a fumble recovery. The former first-rounder is well on his way to barreling past his rookie numbers — 15 tackles and three sacks.

His efforts helped secure a 20-13 victory over the Giants, nabbing Dallas its first win of the season.

Fellow NFC East end Brandon Graham continues to produce, despite easing his way back from an offseason ankle surgery. He compiled four tackles for the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in a 27-21 loss at Tampa Bay.

Graham has yet to earn a quarterback takedown in 2018, but once fully healthy, expect him to add onto his 38.5 career sack total.

Many probably wish Graham would have taken down this guy at least once.

Oakland rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst tallied his first regular-season sack in a last-minute 20-19 loss to the rival Denver Broncos. After finding quarterbacks with some regularity during the preseason, Hurst is continuing his reputation — started at Michigan — of transporting into the backfield into the quarterback’s grill.

While he gets to Case Keenum after a bad snap, watch Hurst at 2:37 burst past a Denver guard to collapse the pocket.

On Monday night, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark collected his second sack of the season in a 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears. He made three total tackles on the night.

Other defensive contributions this weekend came from Baltimore’s Chris Wormley (two tackles, TFL), Cincinnati’s Ryan Glasgow (2 tackles), Oakland’s Leon Hall (5 tackles) and Cleveland’s Jabrill Peppers (5 tackles, TFL).

Peppers also continues to return kicks for the Browns, totaling 82 yards on three kickoffs.

OTHER NOTES

• A couple former Michigan tight ends shined on Sunday. First, rookie Jake Butt continues to make Denver GM John Elway look smart, grabbing four catches for 48 yards.

Going back to the highlights above, he makes critical catches to extend drives at 6:37 and 8:11. Michigans fans witnessed a large and mobile target for four years in Ann Arbor, and now he’s providing the same promise in Colorado.

Carolina’s Devin Funchess — nominally a tight end at Michigan, but now a jumbo receiver for the Panthers — snagged seven catches for 77 yards in a 31-24 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons.

You can see him bail Cam Newton out of various situations below.

• New England suffered a loss in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game, losing decisively to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-20. This was despite the best efforts of Tom Brady.

The 41-year old completed 24-of-35 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, but lost a fumble on a strip-sack deep in Jacksonville territory.

• Vikings punter Matt Wile won’t stop booming punts for Minnesota. averaging an impressive 51-yards per attempt. Though one was blocked, he pinned two inside the 20-yard line, his fifth and sixth times doing that in 2018.
• Practice squad members include: Ben Braden (Jets), Kyle Kalis (Browns), Jake Rudock (Lions), Jeremy Clark (Jets) and Joe Kerridge (Packers).
• Injured Wolverines include:

Amara Darboh (shoulder surgery), who failed a physical for New England and was sent back to the Seahawks.

Willie Henry (hernia), which continues to hold him out in Baltimore.

Delano Hill (hamstring) and Khalid Hill (IR), who looks to return for Seattle against Dallas next Sunday.

Taylor Lewan (concussion), who suffered it after a vicious hit against the Dolphins.

Jake Ryan (ACL), who is out for the year for the Packers.