Jordan Love and other players with Utah ties who could impact wild-card weekend
This year’s NFL playoffs features 27 players with Utah ties on postseason rosters.
Over the next several weeks, that group will compete for the right to advance to Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and that journey begins this weekend with the wild-card round.
From a former Utah State quarterback making his first playoff start to rookies from BYU and Utah hoping to impact their team’s chances for victory, here’s a look at how these Utah ties could play a role in this weekend’s action.
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Saturday’s games
Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. MST.
Venue: NRG Stadium.
TV: NBC.
Utah impact: Former Bingham High tight end Dalton Schultz is making a strong impact with his new team, the Texans, after five seasons with Dallas. He had 59 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns this season and was a playmaker for the Cowboys in two playoff games last year, with 12 catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns.
Former BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki, who hasn’t played in the postseason since his second pro season, is having one of his best years in his fifth season with Cleveland — this year, he’s posted 66 tackles, two sacks, three pass deflections and an interception.
Utah ties on Browns roster
Mohamoud Diabate, LB, Utah.
Siaki Ika, DT, East High.
Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU.
Utah ties on Texans roster
Dalton Schultz, TE, Bingham High.
Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs
Kickoff: 6 p.m. MST.
Venue: Arrowhead Stadium.
TV: Peacock.
Utah impact: Neither former BYU player tied with this matchup is expected to have an impact when the Dolphins and Chiefs meet — Miami running back Chris Brooks is a reserve with minimal snaps and Kansas City tight end Matt Bushman is a practice squad guy who won a ring with the Chiefs last season.
Utah ties on Dolphins roster
Chris Brooks, RB, BYU.
Utah ties on Chiefs roster
Matt Bushman, TE, BYU (on practice squad).
Sunday’s games
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
Kickoff: 11 a.m. MST.
Venue: Highmark Stadium.
TV: CBS.
Utah impact: There could be several players with Utah ties who play key roles in this AFC playoff matchup.
For the Steelers, Utah native Jaylen Warren — the running back who played at Utah State, Snow College and East High — has enjoyed a breakout season in Pittsburgh, doubling his numbers from his rookie season and finishing the year with 1,154 scrimmage yards.
Former Utah safety Eric Rowe, who’s won two Super Bowl rings with New England, has forced a fumble and made an interception in just three games as a practice squad callup for Pittsburgh.
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For the Bills, former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid has already integrated himself well into the Buffalo offense. He finished his rookie campaign with 73 catches for 673 yards and two touchdowns, and set the Bills franchise record for receptions by a rookie tight end.
Former Weber State standout Taron Johnson is a playoff regular at this point with Buffalo. He’s played in eight postseason games with the Bills, starting seven, and had a pick-six as a second-year pro in 2020. All totaled, he has 42 career playoff tackles.
Utah ties on Steelers roster
Miles Killebrew, S, Southern Utah.
Eric Rowe, S, Utah (on practice squad).
Jaylen Warren, RB, Utah State, Snow College and East High.
Utah ties on Bills roster
Taron Johnson, CB, Weber State.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah.
Bryan Thompson, WR, Utah (on practice squad).
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. MST.
Venue: AT&T Stadium.
TV: Fox.
Utah impact: Jordan Love, the onetime Utah State star, will get his first taste of postseason action after a standout season in his first year as the Packers’ starting quarterback.
By the regular season’s end, Love had thrown for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns (second-most in the league) with 11 interceptions.
Over the last two weeks of the regular season, as Green Bay was fighting to earn a playoff spot, Love played some of his best ball — he threw for 572 yards over that stretch with five touchdowns and no interceptions, as well as a 92.6 passing grade, according to Sunday Night Football on NBC.
Utah ties on Packers roster
Zayne Anderson, S, BYU and Stansbury High.
Jordan Love, QB, Utah State.
Utah ties on Cowboys roster
No Utah ties on roster.
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
Kickoff: 6 p.m. MST.
Venue: Ford Field.
TV: NBC.
Utah impact: Former BYU and Orem High wide receiver Puka Nacua has had an unforgettable rookie season — after being a fifth-round draft pick, the Utah native went on to set the NFL single-season records for rookie receiving yards (1,486) and receptions (105) while playing a starring role in the Rams’ offense.
This will be his first taste of playoff football, alongside veterans like quarterback Matthew Stafford — who is facing his old team, the Lions — and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who’s been a mentor to Nacua throughout the season.
Former Desert Hills High offensive tackle Penei Sewell is one of the game’s top offensive lineman — he made the Pro Bowl for the second straight season — and helped the Lions finish the regular season as the fifth-best rushing team in the NFL.
Utah ties on Rams roster
Puka Nacua, WR, BYU and Orem High.
Jonah Williams, DE, Weber State.
Utah ties on Lions roster
Penei Sewell, OT, Desert Hills High.
Monday’s game
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kickoff: 6 p.m. MST.
Venue: Raymond James Stadium.
TV: ESPN/ABC.
Utah impact: The only Utah tie who is likely to have any major impact in the Eagles-Buccaneers game is former Utah and Timpview High return specialist Britain Covey.
Covey, as a rookie, earned some valuable postseason action when Philadelphia made its way to the Super Bowl last season, and he even returned a punt 27 yards in Super Bowl 57.
This year, Covey leads the NFL in punt return yards (417), while averaging 14.4 yards per return, second-best in the league.
Now, he’ll face a Tampa Bay special teams unit that has given up the third-most punt return yards this season (455, with an average of 11.9 per return), per Lineups.com.
Utah ties on Eagles roster
Britain Covey, PR, Utah and Timpview High.
Sua Opeta, OL, Weber State and Stansbury High.
Noah Togiai, TE, Hunter High (on practice squad).
Utah ties on Buccaneers roster
Deven Thompkins, WR, Utah State.
