Sooners in the NFL: Week 17

Former Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell made a triumphant return to action on Sunday, catching a touchdown pass in the Chiefs' win over the Broncos.

Another NFL Sunday has come and gone with Week 17 now in the books just short of Monday night’s collision between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.

On the penultimate weekend of the season, teams are rounding into form as they attempt to be playing their best football going into the postseason.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, that meant getting back one of their under-the-radar offensive weapons in former Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell.

Bell, who has been a tight end in the league since getting drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, had missed the entire season to this point with a hip flexor injury suffered in the team’s preseason opener back in August.

With an injury as severe as the one the former OU signal-caller suffered, many would expect him to take the year to recover and be ready to attack things again in 2023.

But, Bell wasn’t on board with that line of thinking - working to return to action nearly five full months after going down.

On Sunday, in an important matchup with the Denver Broncos, he saw the field once again and announced his return to action with authority.

On the first snap of the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs trailing 17-13, Bell hauled in a 17-yard touchdown reception from Patrick Mahomes.

Blake Bell / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The catch vaulted Kansas City into the lead - an advantage they would never give up eventually hanging on to win 27-24.

Amazingly, the snag was the first touchdown of Bell’s career and it came in his first action in nearly half of a calendar year.

After a run as the starting quarterback of the Sooners, the Kansas native made the move to tight end to have a shot at a pro career - which has wound up being an incredibly good decision.

While he has bounced around, having played for five different teams and two separate stints with the Chiefs, Bell is in the midst of his eighth NFL season and has carved out a role for himself on one of the best teams in the league - even winning a Super Bowl with the team in 2019.

The win moved Kansas City to 13-3 on the season and has them temporarily in the No. 1 spot in the AFC as they hunt out the top seed going into the playoffs.

Next up, the Chiefs will close out the regular season next Sunday on the road at the Las Vegas Raiders.

As for the rest of the Sooners in the NFL, here is a recap of how they did in Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

(L 20-19 at Atlanta)

• WR Marquise Brown: 6 receptions on 9 targets for 61 yards
• OL Cody Ford: Saw playing time in a reserve role
• OL Marquis Hayes: DNP (Practice Squad)
• QB Kyler Murray: DNP (IR List)

Atlanta Falcons

(W 20-19 vs Arizona)

• DL Amani Bledsoe: DNP (Practice Squad)

Baltimore Ravens

(L 16-13 vs Pittsburgh)

• TE Mark Andrews: 9 receptions on 9 targets for 100 yards
• OL Ben Powers: Started at left guard

.@Mandrews_81 gets open a LOT.

📺: #PITvsBAL on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/K8OMv0nWCp pic.twitter.com/JWaU9oJJD4

— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2023

Buffalo Bills

(at Cincinnati on Monday Night)

• DL Jordan Phillips: 

Cincinnati Bengals

(vs Buffalo on Monday Night)

• RB Joe Mixon: 
• RB Samaje Perine: 

Cleveland Browns

(W 24-10 at Washington)

• DE Isaiah Thomas: DNP (Inactive)
• DL Perrion Winfrey: Saw playing time in a reserve role, no tackles
• WR Mike Woods: 1 solo tackle (on special teams)

Dallas Cowboys

(W 27-13 at Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night)

• LB Devante Bond: DNP (Practice Squad)
• DT Neville Gallimore: 1 solo tackle, 1 assisted tackle
• WR CeeDee Lamb: 11 receptions on 14 targets for 100 yards

Denver Broncos

(L 27-24 at Kansas City)

• OLB Nik Bonitto: Started at weakside linebacker, no tackles
• S Delarrin Turner-Yell: 1 solo tackle

Houston Texans

(L 31-3 vs Jacksonville)

• DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: 4 solo tackles, 1 sack for 8 yards, 2 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hurry

Kansas City Chiefs

(W 27-24 vs Denver)

• TE Blake Bell: 1 reception on 1 target for 17 yards, 1 touchdown
• OT Orlando Brown: Started at left tackle
• C Creed Humphrey: Started at center
• LS James Winchester: Served as long snapper for 9 snaps

Belldozer Touchdown. #OUDNApic.twitter.com/HynDjEiqct

— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) January 1, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders

(L 37-34 vs San Francisco)

• LB Curtis Bolton: Saw playing time in a reserve role

Los Angeles Chargers

(W 31-10 vs LA Rams)

• LB Kenneth Murray: 2 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1 quarterback hurry

Los Angeles Rams

(L 31-10 at LA Chargers)

• QB Baker Mayfield: Completed 11 of 19 passes for 132 yards, 3 rushes for 8 yards

Minnesota Vikings

(L 41-17 at Green Bay)

• LB Brian Asamoah: 4 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle

New England Patriots

(W 23-21 vs Miami)

• OLB Ronnie Perkins: DNP (IR List)
• RB Rhamondre Stevenson: 8 rushes for 42 yards, 2 receptions on 4 targets for 9 yards

New York Giants

(W 38-10 vs Indianapolis)

• DB Tony Jefferson: 1 solo tackle, 2 assisted tackles
• WR Sterling Shepard: DNP (IR List)

New York Jets

(L 23-6 at Seattle)

• OL Dru Samia: DNP (Practice Squad)

Philadelphia Eagles

(L 20-10 vs New Orleans)

• RB Kennedy Brooks: DNP (Practice Squad)
• QB Jalen Hurts: DNP (Inactive)
• OL Lane Johnson: DNP (Inactive)
• OL Tyrese Robinson: DNP (Practice Squad)

Pittsburgh Steelers

(W 16-13 at Baltimore)

• S Tre Norwood: DNP (Inactive)

San Francisco 49ers

(W 37-34 at Las Vegas)

• OL Trent Williams: Started at left tackle

Seattle Seahawks

(W 23-6 vs NY Jets)

• CB Tre Brown: Saw playing time in a reserve role, no tackles
• S Steven Parker: DNP (Practice Squad)

Washington Commanders

(L 24-10 vs Cleveland)

• P Tress Way: 2 punts for 90 yards, 1 punt inside the 20, longest punt 48 yards