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Auburn NFL roundup: Cornerbacks shine, offensive prowess lacking

River Wells
·4 min read

With Week 1 is in the books for Auburn players (the Broncos and the Seahawks play Monday night but don’t feature any on their respective rosters) and there are quite a few storylines for former Tigers playing on football’s biggest stage.

Auburn cornerbacks are making a decent case for “DBU”, though its offensive legacy so far leaves a bit to be desired. Tigers are contributing on special teams as well, however, which can be the difference between a good team and a great one.

Here are a few updates on how Auburn football players have been doing in the NFL after its first week began:

Tampa's Tiger tandem strong as ever

(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)

Tampa Bay’s defense locked down the Cowboys in Week 1, and two Auburn cornerbacks were a big part of it.

Both [autotag]Carlton Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag] contributed a pass breakup and nine total tackles in the Buccaneers’ 19-3 win over Dallas on Sunday Night Football. The tandem of Tigers contributed to a Bucs defense that never let the Cowboys cross Tampa’s 31-yard-line. The two will look to help to Tampa Bay’s defense live up to its “Grave Diggers” nickname when it takes on the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.

Roger McCreary impresses in debut

(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

[autotag]Roger McCreary[/autotag] got his first real taste of NFL action on Sunday, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

McCreary only allowed a single catch for five yards in his debut against the New York Giants, playing 28 coverage snaps. McCreary also contributed two tackles to the stat sheet as well — it may have been a loss, but the future is looking bright for the highest-picked Auburn Tigers in last year’s NFL draft.

Jonathan Jones squares off against Tyreek Hill

Palm Beach Post — USA Today

Tyreek Hill is hard to contain, but former Auburn corner [autotag]Jonathan Jones[/autotag] did his part.

Hill managed to get 94 yards on eight receptions, but Jones managed to limit the splash plays Hill is typically known for — Hill’s longest reception was 26 yards. On top of that, Jones also forced a fumble from the former Chiefs star and made a good breakup on a pass intended for him toward the sideline, putting together a good game against him despite a Patriots loss.

Offense dead on arrival

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn’s cornerbacks may have shined, but there wasn’t a lot of offensive legacy for the Tigers in Week 1.

The Tigers’ most significant alumnus in Week 1 was Browns wide receiver [autotag]Anthony Schwartz[/autotag], who had a good reception for 19 yards with a lot of good work to build on against the Carolina Panthers. No other Auburn offensive players contributed, however, with recent Jets pickup [autotag]C.J. Uzomah[/autotag] not getting a target in the Jets loss and wideout [autotag]Darius Slayton[/autotag] not appearing in the Giants’ game against the Titans.

Special teams make special teams

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn’s special teams contributions, however, were noteworthy.

Former Tigers kicker [autotag]Daniel Carlson[/autotag] hit two field goals in the Raiders’ loss on Saturday, keeping them in the game with 23 and 55-yard field goals during the game. On the punt team side of things, Bucs linebacker K.J. Britt contributed to a great special teams performance against the Cowboys, too, as Dallas never started a drive above its own 25-yard-line over the course of the night.

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire