Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL, Week 15: Big Johnathan Hankins goes off

Week 15 kicked off with a divisional Thursday Night Football matchup featuring the Arizona Cardinals against the St. Louis Rams. The Rams were coming off of consecutive shutouts, and the Cardinals were looking to keep their footing in the competitive NFC West. Former Buckeye Ted Ginn, Jr. had one reception for four yards for Arizona, and also added three rushing yards on one carry. Ginn's real impact came, as it often does, in the return game. Ginn had one kick return for 18 yards, and 54 punt return yards on four attempts, including one 42-yard return. For the Rams, James Laurinaitis had five tackles and one assist. The Cardinals won, 12-6.

The Steelers, and their fans, came to Atlanta and handed the Falcons a loss in the Georgia Dome. Former Buckeye Will Allen had one tackle and one assist. Allen also forced a fumble after a Roddy White red zone reception, but the fumble was recovered by Atlanta fullback Patrick DiMarco. Cameron Heyward had one tackle and one assist for the Steelers, and rookie Ryan Shazier contributed two tackles to Pittsburgh's defensive effort. The Steelers won, 27-20.

The Packers, coming off of a short week after beating the Falcons on Monday Night Football to cap off week 14, traveled to Buffalo and lost a tough one on the road. Former Buckeye A.J. Hawk had two tackles and four assists in the Packers' 21-13 loss.

The Panthers pulled off a close win at home against the Buccaneers, and depending on the outcome of the Saints and Bears Monday Night Football matchup, may take sole possession of the lead in the NFC South. Former Buckeye Philly Brown had one reception for ten yards for Carolina in the 19-17 victory.

The Bengals shut out the Browns in Cleveland in Johnny Manziel's first career start. For the Bengals, kicker Mike Nugent was perfect, connecting on three of three PAT attempts and all three field goal attempts. Former Buckeye Donte Whitner contributed three tackles and four assists to the Browns' defensive effort. The Bengals won, 30-0.

Former Buckeye DeVier Posey was active for the Houston Texans today in place of Andre Johnson, who was injured. Posey had one reception for thirty yards for the Texans against the Colts on Sunday. John Simon had one tackle and one assist for the Texans' defense. The Colts, however, were victorious, clinching the AFC South with their 17-10 victory. For Indianapolis, running back Boom Herron continues to enjoy an expanding role. Herron had 60 rushing yards on 11 carries and two receptions for 12 yards for the Colts.

The Raiders fell to the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, and former Buckeye Kurt Coleman contributed one tackle to Kansas City's defensive effort. The final score was 31-13.

Former Buckeye Johnathan Hankins had a big day as his Giants took on Washington at home. Big Hank had five tackles and one assist for the Giants, as well as two and a half sacks which caused Washington to lose 18 yards. Three of Hankins' tackles were for a loss, and he also had a forced fumble and two quarterback hits. The Giants won, 24-13.

Rookie cornerback Bradley Roby is headed to the playoffs, as his Denver Broncos clinched a spot with their win over the Chargers in San Diego on Sunday. Roby contributed four tackles in Denver's 22-10 win.

The 49ers lost to the Seahawks in Seattle, and rookie Carlos Hyde contributed 55 rushing yards on six carries to the Niners' offensive attack. Hyde suffered a back injury and had to leave the game, unfortunately. Hyde will undergo x-rays on Monday to determine the extent of his injury.

On Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys took sole possession of the lead in the NFC East with a win over the Eagles in Philadelphia. Former Buckeye Malcolm Jenkins led the Eagles in solo tackles with seven, one of which was for loss.