NFL recap Week 10: Former UK standout Keenan Burton goes down to severe leg injury

by: Andrew Hardison

NFL week 10 saw some of our former Wildcats in action to go along with some heartbreaking injuries. Let’s take a look at what happened Sunday:

Keenan Burton (Rams)- According to ESPN.com Burton was “was carted off after getting hurt on an end zone interception by Usama Young and has an injury to the patella tendon.” It was to his right leg and the injury seems to be pretty extensive, which could keep him out of action for quite some time. Former UK basketball stand-out Kelenna Azubuike recently suffered the same kind of injury to his left leg just this past weekend. Burton is likely lost for the season and as I said yesterday in my NBA recap, Azubuike is expected to miss 3-5 months, a similar to time frame for Burton in terms of recovery. Burton had been the #2 wide receiver for the Rams after several other Rams players went down to injury. It’s a tough loss for the Rams as Burton was showing signs of improvement with each passing week. Burton suffered injuries throughout his college career so he’s no stranger to the adversity that comes with getting back into playing shape. Expect to see a full recovery and a return to the field next season.

Steve Johnson (Bills)- Johnson has seen time in the past several games for the Bills. It hasn’t been much, but that’s not the point for Johnson as he continues to learn the NFL game. Even though his time on the field was short lived, he did make good on one reception for five yards. It’s nothing to write home about, but for a guy like Johnson that could very well be the case. After losing big time to the Titans on Sunday, the Bills stand at (3-6) and should be looking to get as much experience as possible for the younger guys on the team. The Bills are expected to make decisions on whether to keep head coach Dick Juaron and keeping the players focus on the field is most important moving forward. Johnson fits into one of the Bills role players and if he can prove his case, he may be able to stay on with the Bills. Look for limited exposure and time for Johnson as the season winds down.

Wesley Woodyard (Broncos)- The runaway favorite for most heralded former UK football player stood to be awarded to Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard earlier this season. He’s still in the running, but he and the Denver defense has been breaking down as of late. Woodyard was part of a defensive unit that only gave up 66 points through six games, going (6-0) in that stretch. Now, all of a sudden, the Broncos have lost three straight all while giving up 85 points to the opposition in that stretch. It’s not looking good for the worn down Broncos, as one of the best defensive units has suddenly looked porous. Woodyard racked up three solo tackles in Sunday’s matchup against the Redskins, but he and the defensive unit for the Broncos failed when it mattered most. The Redskins finished the day with 174 rushing yards while converting 8-16 chances on third downs. Ladell Betts capped off the day with a 1-yard touchdown run with less than 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Woodyard and the Broncos must regain focus and head into their next matchup with a chip on their shoulder. If they don’t they can all but kiss their division lead goodbye.

Myron Pryor (Patriots)- In the most exciting game of the day, the Patriots travelled to Indy to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts. Pryor and the Pats had the chance to seal the victory when head coach Bill Belichick decided to go for it on 4th down. They failed on the fourth-down conversion and left the Colts with the ball on the Patriots 29-yard line. Pryor had one tackle on the day, to go along with a quarterback hit. The young lineman from Kentucky has filled in nicely at the reserve nose-tackle position in the Patriots 3-4 defensive scheme. He and starter Vince Wilfork are one in the same and can get to the quarterback with their high motors and deceptive quickness. Pryor has a bright future in the NFL and the Patriots looked primed to go deep into the playoffs despite Sunday’s results. What a great way to start out an NFL career for Pryor in getting this much needed experience.

Jeremy Jarmon (Redskins)- Jarmon didn’t get to see a ton of action in the Redskins victory over the Broncos, but things are going according to plan for Jarmon at this point in his career. Don’t expect a ton of playing time from here on out, unless the Redskins totally hit tank mode and a free-fall becomes evident. The team has played solid as of late and a victory over the struggling Broncos is still a plus. Jarmon sits behind several veterans so the experience of just practicing alone is beneficial for the rookie. He’s not going anywhere in terms of leaving the Redskins, so expect more opportunities to come his way as things pan out over the off-season.

Garry Williams (Panthers)- When your Pro-Bowl caliber offensive tackle goes down to injury, you don’t have much time to react. This time, it wasn’t up to Williams who didn’t get the call when Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross went down to a broken ankle. Things looked promising for Williams who had long been the Carolina’s #2 left offensive tackle. That wasn’t the case on Sunday when Travelle Wharton got the nod over Williams. It’s a tough break for Williams who stood the chance to see some good minutes if an injury were to occur. Apparently Wharton has solidified his position ahead of Williams with his play shining through during practice. Tough break, but Williams’ time will come.

Jacob Tamme (Colts)- As usual for Tamme this season, his time on the field came with the special-teams unit instead of the offensive unit. The Colts continue to roll on all cylinders and Tamme, unfortunately, isn’t part of the equation. In Sunday night’s primetime game, Tamme recorded one tackle on special-teams against the New England Patriots. He’s familiar with this role, as he’s done it several times over the past ten weeks. Young receiver Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon get the brunt of any Tamme opportunities, while the ultimate achievement of taking over Dallas Clark’s role seems impossible. Teammate and fellow tight end Gijon Robinson caught a touchdown pass in last night’s game, revealing that Tamme may not even be in the regular offensive rotation. The skills and talent are there for Tamme. His time may not come with the Colts but any team that gets the services of a guy like Tamme will be happy.

Andre Woodson (Redskins)- practice squad, Ventrell Jenkins (free agent), Rafael Little (free agent), Braxton Kelly (Broncos)- practice squad, Johnny Williams (free agent), Marcus McClinton (UFL), Shane Boyd (UFL), Glenn Holt (UFL).

Andrew Hardison is a recent UK graduate and a frequent contributor. His webpage can be found at his Kentucky Wildcats Examiner page.

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