Pitt in the NFL: Two former Panthers help push teams through wild card weekend

After cruising his way to the league rushing title, former Pitt running back LeSean McCoy (Pitt 2007-2008) was a storyline worth following this past weekend, which marked the start of the NFL playoffs.

But the performances of two less heralded Pitt alumni were lost in the wild card weekend, obscured by McCoy’s relatively mediocre numbers in the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss and blown out of the water by enthralling contests.

Although former Pitt stars McCoy and Larry Fitzgerald (Pitt 2002-2003) met high expectations at the NFL level in 2013, fellow alumni Mike McGlynn (Pitt 2004-2007) of the Indianapolis Colts and Andy Lee (Pitt 2000-2004) of the San Francisco 49ers are still alive in the playoffs and doing their part in the chase for a championship.

Despite battling an elbow injury at the end of the regular season, McGlynn, an offensive guard, has been an integral piece in a struggling Colts’ offensive line. Because of various injuries, the Colts have started a different combination of linemen eight times during the season.

Yet McGlynn has proven a staple of consistency, his versatility helping to pave the way for quarterback Andrew Luck. The 6-foot-4 lineman has started mostly at guard this season, but he might also be the best center on the line. When center Samson Satele struggled to stay healthy early in the season, it was McGlynn who took command of the position.

With McGlynn at center, the offensive line stepped up just in time for the playoffs. In a wild-card matchup against Kansas City, he led the line in securing the second-largest comeback victory in NFL playoff history. The line allowed only one sack and gave Luck the time he needed to erase a 28 point deficit and lead Indianapolis to a 45-44 win.

The Colts take on the New England Patriots in the divisional round Sunday in Foxborough, Mass., where McGlynn looks to stabilize the offense in another playoff victory.

San Francisco also has a couple of Pitt alumni determined to fight for a Super Bowl ring in Lee, a punter, and Jon Baldwin (Pitt 2008-2010), a wide receiver.

Lee continued to prove he was among the elite special team weapons in the league during the regular season. He finished third in the league by averaging 48.2 yards per punt.

The 10-year pro booted three balls for 110 yards and landed one inside the opposing 20-yard line in a 23-20 playoff win Sunday against Green Bay despite frigid weather, which makes punting a football feel more like punting a rock.

 Baldwin has not been an asset at all for the 49ers, catching only three passes for 28 yards this season. However, should a wide receiver such as Anquan  Boldin or Michael Crabtree — who are both injury prone — get dinged up, Baldwin will have to step up during the postseason run.

Lee, Baldwin and the rest of the 49ers travel to Carolina, the NFC’s No. 2 seed, to meet the Panthers on Sunday afternoon in the divisional round.

While Lee and Baldwin continue their seasons, the most successful former Panther of 2013, McCoy, saw his playoff run end rather quickly when the Eagles fell in a last-second, 26-24 loss Saturday against the New Orleans Saints.

McCoy did his part against a tough Saints defense, running for 77 yards and a score on 21 carries. He also added 15 yards receiving, but the Eagles offense failed to convert on numerous third downs, and kicker Alex Henery missed a crucial 48-yard field goal in the first half.

McCoy led all of the NFL in rushing yards (1,607) and yards from scrimmage (2,146), becoming the first Pitt alumnus to take the league rushing title since Hall of Famer Curtis Martin did in 2004.

The Eagles reacted positively after their defeat. McCoy kept shaking his head during postgame interviews and indicated that he could not believe his season was already over, but he also said that he is excited for what the offseason can bring to the 2014 team.

“Shady” looks to be the first to take back-to-back rushing titles since LaDainian Tomlinson did with the Chargers seven years ago.

The playoff dreams for the rest of the former Pitt players were never realized, but that didn’t stop them from performing among the league’s best.

The Arizona Cardinals barely missed the playoffs, but Fitzgerald, a receiver, turned 2013 into a comeback season of sorts.

After a disappointing 2012 campaign that only produced four touchdowns, Fitzgerald found consistency in quarterback Carson Palmer, went off for 954 yards and was 10th in the league with 10 receiving touchdowns.

His resurgence comes at a critical time too, as Fitzgerald might endure a dramatic offseason.

Before the trade deadline in the middle of the season, he was rumored to be shipped to another team to clear salary cap room. Fitzgerald will make $18 million next season.

Tampa Bay cornerback Darrelle Revis (Pitt 2004-2006) also might experience a turbulent offseason.

Revis, who is a man-to-man cover corner, struggled to produce in the Tampa Bay zone defense in his first campaign with the Buccaneers. He recorded 50 tackles and two interceptions — both of which are career lows — in a full season.

Revis’ contract is not guaranteed after this season, therefore, it is up to how new Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith and new defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will want to use Revis going forward. The seven-year pro has never been one to take a pay cut, which is worth considering as the new coaching staff handles the situation.

Jabaal Sheard (Pitt 2007-2010) finished with a down year after suffering from early knee injuries. The 6-foot-2 lineman had 39 total tackles and 5.5 sacks, which slipped from his 55 and seven line from the previous season.

The Browns, although starting the year impressively, fell to the bottom of the AFC North after losing 10 of their last 11 games.

Sheard worked inversely to his team’s success, though, as he struggled early on in the season with injuries, but recorded three sacks in his final five games.

After working his tail off to stay on the Houston Texan roster, running back Ray Graham (Pitt 2009-2012) recorded his first NFL carry against Tennessee in the final game of the season. Graham finished with four carries for eight yards and hauled in a 12-yard reception.

Next year, defensive tackle Aaron Donald hopes to highlight the weekly roundup of former Panthers in the NFL. The four-time award-winning senior is projected by industry gurus to go within the first couple picks of the second round in the 2014 NFL Draft. 

Donald might become the highest-drafted Pitt product since Baldwin was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 26th overall pick in 2011. The heralded, but comparatively small, defensive tackle has to prove his worth again — this time in the pros — but his talent puts him in the right position to do so.