USC in the NFL: Week Preseason Week 3 Roundup

A week after showing off his skills with a pair of sacks, Leonard Williams terrified fans this past weekend when he went down in pain. He suffered an apparent knee injury against the New York Giants on Saturday.

MORE USC in the NFL: 50 Best NFL Draft Picks in USC Football History

However, despite it being a dreaded knee injury, it’s not believed to be too serious,. An MRI did not show any sort of ligament damage, leading to an official diagnosis of just a muscle strain for Williams. You’re now free to breathe.

Knee injuries have been the talk of the preseason thus far, with the Packers’ Jordy Nelson having been lost for the season, along with former USC running back Silas Redd tearing both his ACL and MCL.

Luckily for Williams, he avoided the fate of the Jaguars’ No. 3 overall pick Dante Fowler, who tore a ligament in his knee during rookie camp.

Three Stars of the Week

Malcolm Smith: Not only is Smith back in a linebacker rotation with the Raiders, his reunion with Ken Norton Jr. seems to be paying off. He had nine total tackles on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Dion Bailey: Another week and another big showing for the Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor fill-in. Bailey had six combined tackles against the Chargers on Saturday, and will presumably start for Seattle should Chancellor’s holdout bleed into the regular season.
Matt Cassel: Though he’s the outside guy in the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback competition, Cassel was 6-of-7 for 38 yards vs. Pittsburgh on Saturday.

More USC in the NFL:

Nelson Agholor: After a couple of solid games for the Eagles, Agholor had two catches for 11 yards on Saturday against the Packers.
Buck Allen: Through three games, rookie running back Buck Allen has had a rough go of it for the Ravens. He had enough big night of action in Week 3, but totaled just 24 yards on 12 carries, while fumbling once.
Matt Barkley: With Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez as the clear cut No. 1 and No. 2 passers in Philly, Barkley is in a battle with Tim Tebow for the third string job. He was 5-of-9 for 28 yards vs. Green Bay, while Tebow was perfect on just two passes, with three runs added in.
Reggie Bush: At long last, Bush appeared in his first game as a member of the 49ers on Saturday against Denver. He touched the ball just one, gaining 21 yards on a sweep to the right before Aqib Talib blew up his attempt at a 2005-esque hurdle.
Allen Bradford: Special teamer extraordinaire Allen Bradford had a pair of big tackles for the Falcons vs. Miami, but still remains a potential cut.
Kevin Graf: When the Eagles made their first round of cuts on Sunday, Graf didn’t make it through.
Kevin Greene: Like Graf, Greene was cut on Sunday by the Chicago Bears.
Devon Kennard: The sophomore linebacker has firmly cemented himself as the Giants’ starting strongside linebacker this preseason. He had three tackles on Saturday against the Jets.
Carson Palmer: Coming off an ACL tear, the 35-year-old Palmer got his biggest dose of preseason action on Sunday, but struggled against the Raiders. He was 8-of-22 for 103 yards with a pair of interceptions.
Mark Sanchez: Though he lost the starting quarterback battle to Sam Bradford, Sanchez turned in a solid effort on Saturday, completing 13-of-19 for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
George Uko: On Sunday, Uko was a casualty of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ cutting spree.
Aundrey Walker: The Dophins’ first round of cut came and went, with Walker still on the roster.
Robert Woods: Sidelined with a hip injury, Woods did not play against the Steelers in Week 3.

More from Reign of Troy

Home/USC ALUMNI NEWS