Week 7 of the NFL season is here, and Clemson alumni continue to make their presence known on the gridiron.
While it was a pretty slow week for Clemson products, there were still a handful of Tigers who showed up and showed out, especially in Cincinnati. With that, let’s break down how Clemson’s NFL stars performed this week:
Tee Higgins — wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Since adding veteran quarterback Joe Flacco ahead of Week 6, the Bengals’ offense has found new life, and Higgins’ standout performance this past week proved it.
In a 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 6-foot-4 wideout caught six of 10 targets for 96 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown.
Higgins was an instrumental piece in the Bengals’ victory, completing a 28-yard catch before intentionally sliding at the 7-yard line with under two minutes left, draining Pittsburgh’s timeouts and setting up Evan McPherson’s game-winning field goal with seven seconds to spare.
Barrett Carter — linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals
As Higgins and the offense found their rhythm, the Bengals’ defense matched that energy on the other side of the ball. Rookie Carter was all over the field, recording a career-high 12 tackles in the nail-biting victory over the Steelers.
This performance comes just a week after Carter earned his first start of the season, when he recorded 10 tackles against the Green Bay Packers. Over the past two games, Carter totaled 22 tackles — more than the 18 he achieved through the first five weeks combined.
The Bengals will look to continue adding Carter into the mix, making his presence known as a starter.
Bryan Bresee — defensive tackle, New Orleans Saints
Former first-round pick Bresee had a solid performance in Week 7, despite the 26-14 loss against the Chicago Bears. The 305-pound interior lineman recorded four tackles and half a sack.
While the Saints have had a rough season so far, sitting at 1-6, Bresee has made a consistent impact, totaling 19 tackles, three run stuffs, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two pass deflections.
Bresee is coming off a career year after racking up 25 tackles, seven for a loss, 7.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, three pass deflections and one forced fumble in 2024.