The highly-anticipated return of the NFL did not disappoint, as nine of the sixteen games this weekend were decided by a touchdown or less. However, two contests caught the attention of Mountaineers fans. While the Morgantown faithful were surely going to tune in Monday night to see Geno Smith face off against his former teammate, Russel Wilson, Kyzir White proved to be the difference-maker for the Eagles defense. Out of the 15 active Mountaineers in the NFL, Smith, and White made the critical plays that contributed to their team starting 1-0 on the season.
Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Given Geno Smith’s unsteady career in the NFL, the Seahawks received much criticism going into the season with the former Mountaineer as their starting quarterback. However, Smith proved the doubters wrong with a gutsy performance against one of the better defenses in the league.
Early this offseason, Seattle traded their longtime starter and face of the franchise, Russell Wilson, to the Broncos. Without a clear contingency plan, the Seahawks named Geno Smith the starter just days before the season. It would be an understatement to say he proved Seattle right as this beloved Morgantown star fought for every yard and engineered drives methodically.
On the first series, Smith manipulated the Broncos’ defense resulting in a 38-yard touchdown pass to Will Dissly.
The former Mountaineer completed his first 13 pass attempts, throwing his first incompletion with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. However, the most promising statistic of the night was Smith’s lack of turnovers since he has previously struggled with interceptions early in his career. Overall, the fan favorite in Morgantown had an impressive outing, proving his doubters wrong and outshining his former teammate, Russell Wilson, in the process.
Kyzir White, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
The other Mountaineer who significantly impacted his team in week one found a new home this offseason. After spending four seasons with the Chargers, Kyzir White signed a 1-year, $5 million contract with the Eagles, which now looks like a bargain.
As Philadelphia traveled to Detroit in their 2022 season opener, White, who had stood out in the preseason, needed to make plays early and often as a new member of the Eagles. White did just that as the linebacker dived and tipped a pass that led to a defensive touchdown for Philadelphia.
This spectacular play at the end of the first half gave the Eagles a two-touchdown advantage and was the defining play in the team’s three-point victory.
Photo by Joe Nicholson / USA Today Sports
