Longhorns in the NFL — Week 7: Earl Thomas defeats former team in return to Seattle

See below which former Texas players impacted the outcome of their matchup throughout this past weekend’s slate of NFL games.

Notable Week 7 Performances and Highlights

• In his return to Seattle, safety Earl Thomas and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens defense held Russell Wilson under 250 passing yards en route to a double-digit road victory. Thomas recorded three tackles and was seen jawing at his former head coach Pete Carroll after the Ravens sealed the win on a fumble return for a touchdown.

After the game, Thomas said, “it’s the best feeling in the world,” on coming away with the victory in his first game in Seattle.

Thomas shared a moment and swapped jerseys with his former quarterback after the game.

• Defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway notched his second sack as an Eagle before exiting Sunday night’s game against Dallas with an ankle injury. The injury turned out to be more severe than Philadelphia had hoped for — Ridgeway was placed on their injured reserve list on Tuesday. The defensive tackle will likely endure another change of scenery before he sees the field again, as he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
• Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor made a statement on Thursday night. He notched four tackles, two sacks (including a strip sack), and totaled three quarterback pressures in his team’s 30-6 victory.
• Cardinals middle linebacker Jordan Hicks intercepted his first pass since 2016 off rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. Hicks currently ranks second in the NFL in total tackles with 70.

• Just over a year after Quandre Diggs signed a contract extension with the Detroit Lions, the team traded their team captain to the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round draft pick on Tuesday.

It’s evident that the departure of Diggs will be an even bigger loss off the field with the way his teammates reacted on Twitter to the trade news. He was a key cog and played a big role in that Detroit locker room.

On a more positive note, Diggs gets to reunite with former teammates Poona Ford, Ziggy Ansah, and his best friend Tyler Lockett in Seattle while competing for a NFC Championship — a stage the Lions have failed to reach for over half a century. Diggs will wear No. 37 in Seattle.

Week 8 Games to Watch

• Diggs debut with Seahawks (Sunday 12:00 CT — Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons)
• Alex Okafor in primetime for the second straight week (Sunday 7:20 CT NBC — Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers)
• Veteran safety Kenny Vaccaro faces off against Tampa Bay’s pass heavy attack (Sunday 12:00 CT — Tennessee Titans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)