Kareem McKenzie: The big right tackle’s pass blocking was excellent this week.  McKenzie was not given any help this week, as Diehl needed lots of extra attention, but it didn’t matter as McKenzie pretty much kept the inside rush at bay and guided his man beyond the pocket on nearly every single pass rush. 

Even his run blocks were solid for the most part. He still fell off several blocks, and his drive blocking remains strangely non-existent for such a big man, but his great size makes him tough to get around, and his great strength denies the bull rush. 

He just can’t seem to move a defender off the line of scrimmage.  Nevertheless, the offense did score its first touchdown behind a McKenzie screen block, and overall, performed very well in short yardage, oftentimes with McKenzie blocking down and preventing penetration.   

Kawika Mitchell: What a quiet game Mitchell played this week, a ho-hum effort that included one drop of a sure interception in which he looked extremely slow breaking on this ball downfield, and lots of late-reacting to screen passes and wide runs that saw him absorbing blocks and then riding them, rather than attacking them. 

Then came the biggest play of the game as given the opportunity, Mitchell made the play.  With third and one from the one-yard line and the game on the line with under a minute to go, Ladell Betts was headed for pay dirt to tie the game. That’s when Mitchell closed in with extreme force and stopped Betts dead in his tracks to force a fourth down that would eventually become the defense’s great goal-line stand thus far this season.

It was a team tackle on fourth down, but on third down, Mitchell was the only player in position to make the play. He showed that he like a ton of bricks.  The problem is getting Mitchell to recognize developments so he can get to the point of attack in time to utilize his great physical gifts.  He’s an explosive hitter who gets lost in traffic as well as in coverage.  He is probably still adjusting to not only a new position but a new defense, but this week he proved his worth by saving the game with one very huge play.