Cavaliers Now

Hoos in the NFL: Recapping NFL Week 1 for Former Virginia Football Players

Matt Newton

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The 2024 NFL season is officially underway and eight former Virginia football players saw the field in week 1, while two other former Wahoos were inactive this weekend.

The UVA safety tandem of Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod played for the Cleveland Browns in their season-opening 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Thornhill played 60 snaps, 95% of Cleveland's defensive snaps, and led the Browns with nine tackles and one tackle for loss. McLeod played 14 defensive snaps (22%), but recorded no defensive stats.

Those anticipating Malik Washington's NFL debut will have to wait another week as the rookie wide receiver missed the Miami Dolphins' season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a quadriceps injury. Washington was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and did not play on Friday, the same day that he was officially ruled out of Sunday's game.

Former UVA defensive end Charles Snowden was elevated to the active roster of the Las Vegas Raiders due to an injury to another Raiders' defensive lineman. Snowden played 30 snaps on defense in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, a little more than half of Las Vegas' defensive snaps, and played 21 special teams snaps (75%). Last season, Snowden made his NFL debut, but played just 19 snaps in two games. He more than doubled that snap count in his 2024 season debut with the Raiders and recorded his first-career tackle.

Veteran offensive tackle Morgan Moses played all 51 offensive snaps for the New York Jets in their 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. The Jets took the loss, but the game was also a Scorigami, which is defined as a final score that had never happened in the history of the NFL.

Arizona Cardinals defensive back Joey Blount did not play any defensive snaps in their 34-28 loss at the Buffalo Bills and recorded zero stats, but he did play 17 special teams snaps, or 63% of Arizona's special teams plays.

Making his debut for a third different NFL team in as many seasons, Olamide Zaccheaus caught one pass for 15 yards on three targets in the Washington Commanders' 37-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Zaccheaus played 26 snaps, or 44% of Washington's offensive snaps.

Also playing in that game was former Virginia cornerback Bryce Hall, who is unfortunately having some terrible injury luck. Hall, who saw his final season at UVA cut short due to an ankle injury, got a fresh start with the Buccaneers after spending the first four seasons of his professional career with the New York Jets. In his first game in Tampa Bay, Hall played 17 defensive snaps and three special teams snaps before suffering what we now know was a dislocated right ankle and a fractured fibula that resulted in him being carted off the field. Here's to a speedy recovery for Bryce Hall.

Dontayvion Wicks' second NFL season did not get off to the best start, as he recorded no catches on three targets in the Green Bay Packers' 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. The field condition was a controversial subject, as many players were seen slipping on the field in that game and Wicks probably had it the worst. Wicks played 31 offensive snaps (46.3%) and ran 16 routes on 38 dropbacks, but did not have a reception to show for it. Here was one of those targets:

Expect Wicks to bounce back next week when the Packers host the Colts at Lambeau.

Finally, veteran defensive end Brent Urban was inactive for the Baltimore Ravens against the Kansas City Chiefs, supposedly a healthy scratch. That was a bit of a surprise after Urban played all 19 games last season for the Ravens, who lost their season opener at the Chiefs 27-20.

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.