#FromStateToSundays: Divisional Playoff Update
January 24, 2023 | Football
STARKVILLE – Two pairs of former Mississippi State defensive standouts are moving on to the NFL conference championships this weekend.
Fletcher Cox and Darius Slay started and combined for nine tackles in the Philadelphia Eagles' 38-7 rout of the New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Slay tied for the team lead with five stops while Cox provided a sack.
Cox racked up seven sacks during the regular season and Sunday's NFC Championship contest against the San Francisco 49ers will be his 10th career playoff game. Slay topped all of Philadelphia's cornerbacks in tackles during the regular season and picked off three passes en route to his fifth Pro Bowl selection.
Willie Gay Jr. and Chris Jones are also moving on in the playoffs as members of the Kansas City Chiefs. Gay and Jones both started on defense in the Chiefs 27-20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars with Jones notching a tackle along with a quarterback hurry.
Kansas City is appearing in its fifth-straight AFC Championship game and will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
There was some collateral damage for MSU alumni left in the wake of the Eagles and Chiefs' victories. Tyre Phillips saw action on New York's offensive line while Makai Polk was promoted from the Giants practice squad for the first time all season but was inactive against Philadelphia.
Following the Giants' loss, Polk agreed to a futures contract with the franchise.
Logan Cooke also saw his playoff run ended following Jacksonville's loss. Cooke punted four times for a 47.8-yard average against the Chiefs, including a long of 58. He was able to boot two of those punts inside the red zone, one of which was downed at the 2-yard line.
Center Darryl Williams was on the Jaguars' practice squad for the AFC Divisional Playoff and also inked a futures deal with them following that game.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys also had their NFC Championship hopes dashed in a 19-12 loss at the 49ers. Prescott completed 23 of 37 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown while also rushing four times for 22 more yards.
During the contest, Prescott passed Tony Romo for the fourth-most postseason completions in Cowboys history and now has 137 playoff completions in his career.
LOGAN COOKE | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – P | AT MSU: 2014-17
Career Postseason: 2 G, 7 Punts, 315 YDS, 45.0 AVG, LONG 58, 0 TB, 3 In-20, 41.7 NET AVG
Last Week: 4 Punts, 191 YDS, 47.8 AVG, LONG 58, 0 TB, 2 In-20, 42.0 NET AVG at Kansas City Chiefs (L, 20-27)
Career Postseason: 9 G, 9 GS, 21 TKL, 11 AST, 32 TT, 7.0 TFL, 2.0 SK, 9 QBH, 1 FF
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 SK, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH vs. New York Giants (W, 38-7)
Career Postseason: 4 G, 4 GS, 7 TKL, 4 AST, 11 TT, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 FF, 2 PD
Last Week: 1 GS vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W, 27-20)
Career Postseason: 13 G, 11 GS, 12 TKL, 11 AST, 23 TT, 2.0 TFL, 5 QBH, 9 PD
Last Week: 1 GS, 1 TKL, 1 TT, 1 QBH vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W, 27-20)
Career Postseason: 4 G, 3 GS, 4 Pressures Allowed
Last Week: 1 G at Philadelphia Eagles (L, 7-38)
MAKAI POLK | NEW YORK GIANTS – WR | AT MSU: 2021
Career Postseason: 0 G
Last Week: DNP at Philadelphia Eagles (L, 7-38)
Career Postseason: 6 G, 6 GS, 137-216, 1,559 YDS, 11 TD, 25 RUSH, 118 YDS, 4.7 AVG, 4 TD, LONG 17
Last Week: 1 GS, 23-37, 206 YDS, 1 TD, 63.6 QBR, 4 RUSH, 22 YDS, LONG 11 at San Francisco 49ers (L, 12-19)
Career Postseason: 4 G, 4 GS, 9 TKL, 3 AST, 12 TT, 3 PD, 1 ST TKL
Last Week: 1 GS, 4 TKL, 1 AST, 5 TT, 1 PD vs. New York Giants (W, 38-7)
Career Postseason: Practice Squad
Last Week: DNP at Kansas City Chiefs (L, 20-27)
Fletcher Cox and Darius Slay started and combined for nine tackles in the Philadelphia Eagles' 38-7 rout of the New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Slay tied for the team lead with five stops while Cox provided a sack.
Cox racked up seven sacks during the regular season and Sunday's NFC Championship contest against the San Francisco 49ers will be his 10th career playoff game. Slay topped all of Philadelphia's cornerbacks in tackles during the regular season and picked off three passes en route to his fifth Pro Bowl selection.
Willie Gay Jr. and Chris Jones are also moving on in the playoffs as members of the Kansas City Chiefs. Gay and Jones both started on defense in the Chiefs 27-20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars with Jones notching a tackle along with a quarterback hurry.
Kansas City is appearing in its fifth-straight AFC Championship game and will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
There was some collateral damage for MSU alumni left in the wake of the Eagles and Chiefs' victories. Tyre Phillips saw action on New York's offensive line while Makai Polk was promoted from the Giants practice squad for the first time all season but was inactive against Philadelphia.
Following the Giants' loss, Polk agreed to a futures contract with the franchise.
Logan Cooke also saw his playoff run ended following Jacksonville's loss. Cooke punted four times for a 47.8-yard average against the Chiefs, including a long of 58. He was able to boot two of those punts inside the red zone, one of which was downed at the 2-yard line.
Center Darryl Williams was on the Jaguars' practice squad for the AFC Divisional Playoff and also inked a futures deal with them following that game.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys also had their NFC Championship hopes dashed in a 19-12 loss at the 49ers. Prescott completed 23 of 37 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown while also rushing four times for 22 more yards.
During the contest, Prescott passed Tony Romo for the fourth-most postseason completions in Cowboys history and now has 137 playoff completions in his career.
LOGAN COOKE | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – P | AT MSU: 2014-17
Career Postseason: 2 G, 7 Punts, 315 YDS, 45.0 AVG, LONG 58, 0 TB, 3 In-20, 41.7 NET AVG
Last Week: 4 Punts, 191 YDS, 47.8 AVG, LONG 58, 0 TB, 2 In-20, 42.0 NET AVG at Kansas City Chiefs (L, 20-27)
- Booted a 58-yard punt, which marks longest punt in his postseason career
- Recorded a punt in the second quarter that was downed at the 2-yard line
- Landed two of his four punts inside the 20-yard line
Career Postseason: 9 G, 9 GS, 21 TKL, 11 AST, 32 TT, 7.0 TFL, 2.0 SK, 9 QBH, 1 FF
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 SK, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH vs. New York Giants (W, 38-7)
- Part of team that will appear in seventh conference title game since 2001, which is tied for second in the NFL
- Part of defense that held Giants to just 227 yards on offense
- Will now host San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game
Career Postseason: 4 G, 4 GS, 7 TKL, 4 AST, 11 TT, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 FF, 2 PD
Last Week: 1 GS vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W, 27-20)
- Part of team that qualified for fifth-consecutive AFC Championship game, which is tied for the second longest streak in NFL history
- Will now host Cincinnati in the AFC Championship Game
Career Postseason: 13 G, 11 GS, 12 TKL, 11 AST, 23 TT, 2.0 TFL, 5 QBH, 9 PD
Last Week: 1 GS, 1 TKL, 1 TT, 1 QBH vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W, 27-20)
- Part of team that qualified for fifth-consecutive AFC Championship game, which is tied for the second longest streak in NFL history
- Will now host Cincinnati in the AFC Championship Game
Career Postseason: 4 G, 3 GS, 4 Pressures Allowed
Last Week: 1 G at Philadelphia Eagles (L, 7-38)
MAKAI POLK | NEW YORK GIANTS – WR | AT MSU: 2021
Career Postseason: 0 G
Last Week: DNP at Philadelphia Eagles (L, 7-38)
- Was elevated from the practice squad
- Signed a futures contract with the Giants
Career Postseason: 6 G, 6 GS, 137-216, 1,559 YDS, 11 TD, 25 RUSH, 118 YDS, 4.7 AVG, 4 TD, LONG 17
Last Week: 1 GS, 23-37, 206 YDS, 1 TD, 63.6 QBR, 4 RUSH, 22 YDS, LONG 11 at San Francisco 49ers (L, 12-19)
- Now has fourth-most completions in Cowboys postseason history
Career Postseason: 4 G, 4 GS, 9 TKL, 3 AST, 12 TT, 3 PD, 1 ST TKL
Last Week: 1 GS, 4 TKL, 1 AST, 5 TT, 1 PD vs. New York Giants (W, 38-7)
- Tied for the team lead in tackles during the Divisional Round
- Part of team that will appear in seventh conference title game since 2001, which is tied for second in the NFL
- Part of defense that held Giants to just 227 yards on offense
- Will now host San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game
Career Postseason: Practice Squad
Last Week: DNP at Kansas City Chiefs (L, 20-27)
- Signed a futures contract with the Jaguars
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