University of Hawaii Alumni in the NFL: Week Recap
Jonah Laulu, Raiders Defensive Line
Jonah Laulu made his career-best fourth straight start at tackle in the Raiders’ loss to the Chiefs. He recorded three tackles, including a quarterback hit, and batted down two passes at the line. This marked the first time in his career he has multiple passes defended in a game and has recorded a quarterback hit in three straight contests. Impressively, Laulu is now ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in run stop rate among defensive tackles, a significant leap from being in the bottom 10 last year.
Rigoberto Sanchez, Colts Punter
Sanchez punted twice for a total of 87 yards in the Colts’ victory over the Chargers, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line. He also served as the holder on Matt Badgley’s five kicks, four of which were successful.
Jahlani Tavai, Patriots Linebacker
Tavai rejoined the Patriots’ starting lineup for the first time this season and contributed four tackles—three solo—in the win over the Titans. He has recorded tackles in 54 straight games and is just two games away from becoming the 20th Rainbow Warrior to reach 100 NFL appearances.
Alohi Gilman, Ravens Safety
The Ravens had a bye week and will return to action Sunday hosting the Chicago Bears. Gilman is expected to make his 32nd straight career start. He won the only previous matchup against the Bears this season and is 28 tackles shy of tying Maake Kemoeatu for the most tackles by a Red Raider.
Dillon Gabriel, Browns Quarterback
Gabriel secured his first NFL victory in the Browns’ win over the Dolphins, completing 13 passes for 116 yards without a touchdown or interception. He also rushed three times for 12 yards. Gabriel has thrown his first 107 passes without an interception, with one pass nullified due to a penalty. He moved past Herman Wedemeyer and Joe Francis to become third on the career yardage list among players born in Hawaii.
Darius Muasau, Giants Linebacker
Muasau made his fifth straight start in the Giants’ loss to the Broncos, recording six tackles—three solo. He has now recorded tackles in 14 consecutive games after logging tackles in only two of his first seven contests.
DeForest Buckner, Colts Defensive Lineman
Buckner, starting at tackle, faced double teams early but finished strong with two critical sacks among five tackles in the win over the Chargers. All his statistics came in the second half, marking his first multi-sack game since the 2024 season opener. In lighter news, Buckner’s famous wagers on Oregon did not pan out this week. After the Hoosiers upset the Ducks, Buckner was made to hold a press conference dressed in Indiana gear as part of a bet with Colts co-owner Kalen Jackson. Prior to this loss, Buckner was 4-0 in his collegiate wager challenges, with the losers previously donning a duck mascot suit.
Kaimi Fairbairn, Texans Kicker
Fairbairn is expected to suit up for tonight’s game against the Seahawks, marking his seventh appearance on Monday Night Football. Remarkably, he has never missed a kick in 23 attempts on this stage and holds a perfect record on 15 attempts against Seattle. However, he hasn’t kicked at Lumen Field since his rookie season in 2017.
Andrei Iosivas, Bengals Receiver
Iosivas caught three passes on four targets for 49 yards in the Bengals’ win over the Steelers. His final catch was a crucial 37-yard reception late in the fourth quarter that set up a touchdown. Early struggles included a dropped target and a false start penalty. He played 79% of the offensive snaps this season, consistent with last year, although his 53 snaps against the Steelers were his lowest since returning to the starting lineup.
Marist Liufau, Cowboys Linebacker
Liufau started his career-high fourth consecutive game in the Cowboys’ victory over the Commanders. His only tackle came on kickoff coverage, where he continues to shine as a special teams standout. Playing less than half of the defensive snaps, Liufau has yet to make a significant impact on defense, even with middle linebacker Jack Sanborn limited and only three other healthy linebackers available.
Nick Herbig, Steelers Linebacker
Herbig played just 29 defensive snaps in the Steelers’ loss to the Bengals, making two tackles and registering one quarterback hit. This was his lowest snap count of the season at 38%, and he sat out during Cincinnati’s game-winning drive. He recorded a quarterback hurry against Joe Flacco, marking his seventh straight game with a QB hit; however, his streak of games with a sack ended at a career-high three. Veteran Alex Highsmith, who reclaimed Herbig’s starting spot, logged 70% of defensive snaps and made three tackles.
Marcus Mariota, Commanders Quarterback
Mariota came in relief for injured Jayden Daniels during the Commanders’ loss to the Cowboys. He completed four of 10 passes for 63 yards but threw a pick-six on his second attempt. Mariota also ran twice for 34 yards and was sacked twice. His quarterback rating was 22.1, his second-worst behind a 9.5 rating during a 2019 start against Denver. The pick-six was the seventh of his career and the first while trailing. He has amassed 426 passing yards this season, his highest total since 2022 with the Falcons.
Jonah Savaiinaea, Dolphins Offensive Lineman
Savaiinaea made his seventh start at left guard in the Dolphins’ loss to the Browns. He contributed to a running game that averaged 4.5 yards per carry but allowed four sacks. Notably, Savaiinaea has not been penalized for the third consecutive game and has only two penalties in nearly 400 snaps.
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins Quarterback
Tagovailoa endured a tough day in the loss to the Browns, completing 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards while throwing three interceptions before being benched. He was sacked twice and ran three times for six yards. His quarterback rating of 24.1 was the worst of his career, significantly lower than the 40.6 rating he had against the Bills in 2021 (when he only played nine snaps before injury). Tagovailoa is two interceptions away from tying Marcus Mariota for the most thrown by a player born in Hawaii, despite playing 25 fewer games.
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