Gators in the NFL: Week 18

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The 2024 NFL regular season has come to a close but for some Gators the hunt for a ring is just beginning.

Each week of the season, FloridaGators.com will cover all of the best moments from the NFL stars who made a name for themselves in Gainesville. Here is how the Orange and Blue fared in Week 18 of NFL play:

Offensive Highlights

It's Slick Rick Season in San Fransisco. For the second week in a row Ricky Pearsall led the 49ers in receiving yards hauling in six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Last week on Monday Night Football Pearsall recorded career highs in catches with eight. His 141 receiving yards were the most by a 49ers rookie WR since Jerry Rice in 1985.

Hometown TD 🙌

📺: #SFvsAZ on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/wMWxoLU0dK
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 5, 2025

On the last weekend of the regular season Dameon Pierce broke free for a 92-yard touchdown rumble, beating out Baltimore's Derrick Henry for the longest rush of the 2024 season. Pierce took full advantage of being Houston's bell cow back Sunday, notching 19 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown.

DAMEON PIERCE 92 YARDS!

📺: #HOUvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/yUGyPppmBQ
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Defensive Highlights

After missing seven games due to a broken forearm, Alex Anzalone returned to action this week leading the Lions with seven tackles while recording a pass deflection and a QB Hit in the process.

After undergoing surgery for a broken forearm seven weeks ago, Lions LB Alex Anzalone played 64-of-65 snaps last night, registered a team-high 7 tackles, one QB hit, one pass defense, and was awarded one of three game balls for his efforts. pic.twitter.com/rtkkua8mzN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2025

Postseason Gators
Twenty three former Gators clinched the playoffs, topping the 22 Gators who made the postseason last year. A complete list of Gators in the playoffs can be seen below:

Kaiir Elam	Buffalo Bills
O'Cyrus Torrence	Buffalo Bills
Richard Gouraige*	Buffalo Bills
Alex Anzalone	Detroit Lions
Kingsley Eguakun*	Detroit Lions
Brenton Cox Jr.	Green Bay Packers
T.J. Slaton	Green Bay Packers
Dameon Pierce	Houston Texans
Tommy Townsend	Houston Texans
Jawaan Taylor	Kansas City Chiefs
DJ Humphries	Kansas City Chiefs
Demarcus Robinson	Los Angeles Rams
Marcus Maye	Los Angeles Chargers
Brandon Powell	Minnesota Vikings
Jonathan Bullard	Minnesota Vikings
Jonathan Greenard	Minnesota Vikings
Fred Johnson	Philadelphia Eagles
C.J. Garnder-Johnson	Philadelphia Eagles
Van Jefferson	Pittsburgh Steelers
Jerimiah Moon	Pittsburgh Steelers
C.J. Henderson	Pittsburgh Steelers
Kyle Trask	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dante Fowler Jr.	Washington Commanders

Atlanta Falcons (ATL 38-44 CAR)
8 - Kyle Pitts - TE - 4th year (2 Catches, 15 Yards)

Buffalo Bills (BUF 16-23 NE)
24 - Kaiir Elam - CB - 3rd year (5 Tackles, 3 Solo)
64 - O'Cyrus Torrence - OL - 2nd year
75 - Richard Gouraige* - OL - 2nd year (Practice squad)

Carolina Panthers (CAR 44-38 ATL)
4 - Eddy Pineiro Jr. - K - 7th year (1/1 FG, Long of 35 yards, 5/5 XPs)

Chicago Bears (CHI 24-22 GB)
99 - Gervon Dexter Sr. - DL - 2nd year (5 Tackles, 1 QB Hit)

Cincinnati Bengals (CIN 19-17 PIT)
2 - Evan McPherson - K - 4th year (Injured /Reserve)
42 - Marco Wilson - CB - 4th year
77 - Trent Brown - OL - 10th year (Injured /Reserve)

Cleveland Browns (CLE 10-35 BAL)
Trey Dean* - DB - 2nd year (Practice Squad)

Dallas Cowboys (DAL 19-23 WAS)
34 - Malik Davis* - RB - 3rd year (Practice Squad)

Detroit Lions (DET 31-9 MIN)
34 - Alex Anzalone - LB - 8th year (7 Tackles, 3 Solo, 1 PD, 1 QB Hit)
65 - Kingsley Eguakun* - OL - Rookie (Practice Squad)

Green Bay Packers (GB 22-24 CHI)
57 - Brenton Cox Jr. - DL - 2nd year
93 - T.J. Slaton - DL - 4th year (3 Tackles, 2 Solo, 1 TFL)

Houston Texans (HOU 23-14 TEN)
6 - Tommy Townsend - P - 5th year (4 Punts, 191 Yards, 2 Inside the 20, Long of 53)
31 - Dameon Pierce - RB - 4th year (19 Carries, 176 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1 Kick return for 34 yards)

Indianapolis Colts (IND 26-23 JAX)
5 - Anthony Richardson - QB - 2nd Year
96 - Taven Bryan - DL - 7th year (2 Tackles, 1 Solo)

Jacksonville Jaguars (JAX 23-26 IND)
51 - Ventrell Miller - LB - 2nd year

Kansas City Chiefs (KC 0-38 DEN)
70 - DJ Humphries - OL - 10th year
74 - Jawaan Taylor - OL - 6th year

Las Vegas Raiders (LV 20-34 LAC)
56 - Amari Burney - LB - 2nd year (4 Tackles, 3 Solo, 1 TFL)
18 - Justin Shorter - TE - 2nd year
93 - Zachary Carter - DL - 3rd year (5 Tackles, 1 Solo, 1 PD)

Los Angeles Chargers (LAC 34-20 LV)
24 - Marcus Maye - S - 8 years (Injured /Reserve)

Los Angeles Rams (LAR 25-30 SEA)
15 - Demarcus Robinson - WR - 9th year (3 Catches, 72 Yards)

Minnesota Vikings (MIN 9-31 DET)
4 - Brandon Powell - WR - 7th year ( 2 Punt Returns, 12 Yards)
58 - Jonathan Greenard - OLB - 5th year (5 Tackles, 4 Solo, 1 Sack, 2 TFLs)
90 - Jonathan Bullard - DL - 9th year (3 Tackles, 1 Solo, 1 Sack, 1 TFL)

Philadelphia Eagles (PHI 20-13 NYG)
8 - C.J. Gardner-Johnson - S - 5th year
74 - Fred Johnson - OL - 6th year

Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT 17-19 CIN)
11 - Van Jefferson - WR - 5th year (3 Catches, 18 Yards)
49 - Jeremiah Moon - LB - 2nd year
33 - CJ Henderson - CB - 5th year (Injured /Reserve)

San Francisco 49ers (SAN 24-47 ARI)
14 - Ricky Pearsall - WR - Rookie (6 Catches, 69 Yards, 1 Touchdown)

Seattle Seahawks (SEA 30-25 LAR)
78 - Stone Forsythe - OL - 4th year (Injured /Reserve)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TB 27-19)
2 - Kyle Trask - QB - 4th year

Washington Commanders (WAS 19-23 DAL)
68 - Dante Fowler Jr. - DE - 10th year (4 Tackles, 2 Solo)

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