ProCanes Report: Graham, Johnson Key Big Week
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- The Monday Morning ProCanes report will weed through all the NFL highlights and news to bring you the information you care about the most... what the former University of Miami Hurricanes did during the week prior. With a highly-anticipated Week One of the 2012 season nearly complete, Pro Canes across the NFL find themselves at the top of the league's weekly leaderboards. Jimmy Graham extended "the streak" to seven consecutive weeks (and 156 of the past 157) with a Pro Canes touchdown, while Andre Johnson and Frank Gore helped guide their teams to convincing victories with dominant offensive performances.
Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints) - 6 catches, 85 yards, 1
touchdown
The third-year tight end, who delivered one of the
most prolific offensive seasons in NFL history during his 2011 Pro Bowl campaign, got
off on the right foot in his team's opener against the Washington Redskins.
Graham recorded the 17th touchdown of his career (in only 17 starts)
with a 20-yard grab through traffic in the first quarter, and added catches of
20 and 23 yards in a six-catch performance. Despite the Saints' 42-30 loss,
Graham finished second among all NFL tight ends in yardage for the week with 85
yards.
Video highlights: First
ProCanes TD of 2012
Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) - 9 catches, 135 yards
As the focus of much trade speculation towards the end
of last season, Wayne reinforced his commitment to Indianapolis and rookie
quarterback Andrew Luck in the offseason. Luckily for the first-year signal
caller, the 12th-year veteran wideout showed little signs of slowing
down in Indianapolis' opener at Chicago. Wayne, who was targeted 21 times by Luck
in the contest, led all NFL receivers in Week One with totals of nine catches
and 135 yards. Though his team fell to Chicago, Wayne finished with three
catches of 20 yards or more, and five catches of 15+ yards.
Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) - 8 catches, 119 yards, 1
touchdown
After a disappointing end to an impressive 2011
season, the Houston Texans marked their return to Reliant Stadium ready to make
a statement; Andre Johnson made sure their point was heard. The tenth-year
wideout recorded his 39th career 100-yard game in a scintillating
performance, adding a highlight-reel touchdown grab in the back of the endzone
for his first score of the season. The Miami, Fla. native, who became the first
Texan in franchise history to play 10 seasons with the team, finished third
among all receivers in Week One with his 119-yard showing.
Video highlights: Touchdown
Grab
Frank Gore (San
Francisco 49ers) - 16 carries, 112 yards, 1 touchdown
Gore,
who became San Francisco's all-time leading rusher with a 1,211-yard season in
2011, picked up where he left off in the 49ers' Week One upset at Green Bay.
The 29-year old needed only 16 carries to reach 121 yards, and added a 23-yard
rumble to the back of the endzone for his first score of the year. Gore, who was
one of only five running backs in the NFL to record 100 yards or more, averaged
an impressive seven yards per carry in his team's 30-22 win at Lambeau Field.
Video highlights: 23-yard
Rumble
After some dominant offensive performances from Pro Canes in Sunday's Week One action, the best may be yet to come on defense during Monday Night Football. The Baltimore Ravens, featuring Pro Bowlers Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, take the field against the Cincinatti Bengals tonight at 7 p.m. Kickoff for the game at M&T Bank Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. Richard Gordon and the Oakland Raiders will face off against San Diego in the second game of Monday's doubleheader (10:15 p.m., ESPN).
