We’re one-third of the way through the 2025 NFL regular season, and as teams start to take shape and playoff contenders start to emerge, many former Michigan Wolverines are helping their teams win games.
Perhaps no one impacted a win more than a Wolverine who was cut by the team that drafted him just over a month ago.
Jake Moody makes game-winning kick on MNF
Last month was not a great one for Jake Moody. After going 1-of-3 on field goals in Week 1, Moody was cut by the San Francisco 49ers — the team that drafted him — the following week. After what had to be a rough week for the former Michigan kicker, he signed with the Chicago Bears practice squad and made his Bears debut in primetime on Monday night.
In a win over the Washington Commanders, Moody went 4-of-5 on field goals, with a long of 48 yards and a game-winner as the game expired.
It’s nice to see Moody bounce back and nail the 38-yarder to win the game. Hopefully he can stick with the Bears and stay in the league a while.
In that same game, cornerback Mike Sainristil had three tackles and a pass defensed.
Two UM pass rushers make presence felt
Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson, teammates and good friends at Michigan, both made highlight plays in Week 6. In a win over the Arizona Cardinals, Paye posted his first two-sack game of the season, racking up seven tackles.
In that same game, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Will Johnson had three tackles.
In a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, Hutchinson had another dominant performance for the Detroit Lions, forcing a fumble on a sack in the second quarter.
Hutchinson had two tackles, including that sack and forced fumble. On Pro Football Focus, he’s ranked as the second-best edge defender in the NFL (92.3 defense grade).
Meanwhile, Lions center Graham Glasgow was part of a Lions front that struggled in the run game (98 yards rushing) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna had two tackles and a quarterback hit.
Other notable performances
- In a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Kenneth Grant’s lone tackle for the Miami Dolphins was a sack, giving him 1.5 sacks on the season.
Per PFF, Grant has been one of the worst interior defenders in football through six weeks (32.4 grade, 119th out of 121 defenders).
In that same game, Hassan Haskins had six carries for 14 yards and a catch for nine yards.
- In a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner had three catches for 71 yards, with most of those yards coming on this big play.
In that same game, running back Zach Charbonnet had 12 carries for 24 yards and a catch for 13 yards.
- In a win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday night, New York Giants guard Jon Runyan Jr. helped his team rush for 172 yards and four touchdowns while the unit gave up two sacks. In that same game, Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche had a tackle.
- In a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush led his team with nine tackles, including two tackles for loss. He continues to be one of the highest-ranked linebackers on PFF (85.1 defense grade, sixth out of 76 linebackers). In that same game, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers had a tackle.
- In a win over the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum had five carries for 23 yards.
- In a loss to the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals safety Dax Hill and cornerback DJ Turner II combined for 13 tackles, with Turner posting a tackle for loss and five passes defensed. In that same game, Rashan Gary had a tackle and two quarterback hits for the Packers.
- In a loss to the New England Patriots, New Orleans guard Cesar Ruiz helped the Saints rush for just 73 yards and a touchdown while giving up two sacks. He did earn some praise after returning from a high ankle sprain, and his PFF grade (48.5, 67th of 79 guards) is slowly improving.
- In a loss to the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker had one catch for eight yards.
