BOCA RATON, Fla. – The 2023 NFL Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs has concluded. Three former Florida Atlantic University football players saw action in the opening round, along with one inactive and two practice squad members. Here’s a rundown of how each NFL Owl performed in the Wild Card weekend (All gametimes listed below are Eastern):
Active Owls (3)
#88 Harrison Bryant | TE | Cleveland Browns
– The battle between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans was also a battle between the Owls, with former Florida Atlantic-turned-Cleveland tight end Bryant taking on his old teammate Devin Singletary. It was fitting that in the national spotlight, Bryant put forth the best game of his NFL career, hauling in four catches for 67 yards, including taking a pass in the middle of the field and turning it into a 47-yard gain in the second quarter that gave Cleveland a 14-10 lead. The Browns would ultimately lose 45-14.
#42 James Pierre | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers
– Pierre and the Pittsburgh Steeler’s season came to an end against the Buffalo Bills. In the 31-17 loss, he saw the field twice on defense, his sixth game of the year seeing defensive snaps and added 10 on special teams.
#26 Devin Singletary | RB | Houston Texans
– “Motor’s” career season will continue in the divisional round after the Houston Texans routed the Bryant and the Cleveland Browns 45-14. Not to be outdone by his former teammate, Singletary put forth an efficient afternoon, turning 13 carries into 66 yards. He tacked on Houston’s final points, breaking multiple tackles for the 19-yard TD run. It was the longest playoff touchdown of his career.
Next Game: at Baltimore – Saturday, 4:30 p.m. (ABC/ESPN/ESPN+)
Inactive (1)
#73 Brandon Walton | OT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
– Walton was inactive in the Buccaneers’ 32-9 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Next Game: at Detroit – Sunday, 3 p.m. (NBC)
Practice Squad (2)
#80 Zaire Mitchell-Paden | TE | Cleveland Browns
#27 Zyon Gilbert | CB | Green Bay Packers
Next Game: at San Francisco – Saturday, 8:20 p.m. (FOX)
Check back next Thursday to see how the remaining Owls in the playoffs performed in the divisional round along with a preview of their respective team’s next game for those who advanced to their conference champions.