Notre Dame Football: Your NFL Schedule of Irish vs. Irish Matchups in 2018

Battle of the Martins and lots of great intradivisional warfare that pits Irish against Irish.

By ndjrs@ndjrs Updated Sep 3, 2018, 11:08pm EDT

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The 2018 NFL season schedule was released Thursday and features a lot of great matchups of former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players, including Zack Martin versus his little brother, Nick. Rosters changed quite a bit between April 20 — when this post was originally published — and the Sept. 6 kickoff between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles. This post includes all matchups where at least one former Notre Dame player is on 53-man rosters of the teams playing each other. (The Eagles, who employ Josh Adams on their practice squad, are therefore not included.)

Update: The New York Giants waived Romeo Okwara Tuesday, which means we won’t see Okwara play three straight weeks against Notre Dame opponents. Damn!

Week 1

Sept. 9

1 p.m. Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts (CBS): Half of the 2015 defensive backfield may reunite at Lucas Oil Stadium. KeiVarae Russell ’18 and Matthias Farley ’15 are playing for the visitors and host team, respectively. The Bengals also re-signed tight-end Tyler Eifert ’13 to a one-year, $8.5 million deal in mid-March. (Russell is on the practice squad.) The Colts drafted guard Quenton Nelson ’18.
1 p.m. San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings (FOX): The Vikings have had great success with safety Harrison Smith ’11 and tight end Kyle Rudolph. Sheldon Day ’16 was a waiver-wire claim by the 49ers last November, while offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey ’17 was San Francisco’s first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
4:25 p.m. Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers (FOX): The Panthers employ J.J. Jansen ’08, who did the same job from 2005 to 2007. Zack Martin ’13 is the Cowboys’ Pro Bowl guard, Jaylon Smith is a strongside linebacker. (Cole Luke ’17 is on the Panthers’ practice squad.)

Week 2

Sept. 13

8:20 p.m. Baltimore Ravens at Bengals (NFL Network): Ronnie Stanley ’16 starts at left tackle for the Ravens. The Bengals have Eifert. Bennett Jackson ’14 has never played in an NFL regular season game and is on the Ravens’ injured reserve.

Sept. 16

1 p.m. Vikings at Green Bay Packers (FOX): Vikings have Rudolph and Harrison Smith. The Packers acquired quarterback DeShone Kizer, who is trying to rebound from a disastrous rookie season with the Cleveland Browns. They also grabbed wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown in the sixth round. (Linebacker Greer Martini ’18 is on the Pack’s practice squad.)
4:05 p.m. Lions at 49ers: The Lions have a trio of former Notre Dame offensive sparkplugs: wide receivers Golden Tate and TJ Jones ’14 and running back Theo Riddick ’13. They also just added Romeo Okwara ’16. The 49ers have Day and McGlinchey.

Week 3

Sept. 23

1 p.m. Bengals at Panthers (CBS): Eifert and Russell vs. Jansen.
4:05 p.m. Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams (CBS): The battle for Los Angeles will be waged among Issac Rochell ’17, who plays for the Chargers and John Sullivan ’07, who signed a two-year deal with the Rams in March.
4:25 p.m. Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks (FOX): C.J. Prosise ’16 revealed Wednesday that he is back on the field after an ankle injury lingered through the first half of the 2017 season, which detoured him to the Seahawks’ injured reserve. The Cowboys have Zack Martin and Jaylon Smith.

Week 4

Sept. 27

8:20 p.m. Vikings at Rams (FOX/NFL Network): Rudolph and Harrison Smith versus Sullivan.

Sept. 30

1 p.m. Lions at Cowboys (FOX): TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate versus Zack Martin and Jaylon Smith.
1 p.m. Texans at Colts (CBS): Fuller and Nick Martin versus Farley and Nelson.
4:05 p.m. 49ers at Chargers (CBS): Day versus Onwualu and Rochell.
8:20 p.m. Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (NBC): It takes four weeks, but defensive end Stephon Tuitt will finally line up opposite a fellow Irish player. His opponent? Tackle Ronnie Stanley.

Week 5

Oct. 7

1 p.m. Packers at Lions (FOX): Kizer and St. Brown versus T.J. Jones, Riddick and Tate.
1 p.m. Miami Dolphins at Bengals (CBS): Dolphins offensive tackle Sam Young ’10 and tight end Durham Smythe ’17 wait five weeks to draw a fellow Irish alum in the NFL. Tyler Eifert represents the Bengals, with KeiVarae Russell on the practice squad.
4:05 p.m. Rams at Seahawks (FOX): Sullivan versus Prosise.
8:20 p.m. Cowboys at Texans (NBC): KING OF THE MARTINS. Zack vs. Nick for all the bragging rights. Also features: Fuller and Jaylon Smith.

Week 6

Oct. 14

1 p.m. Steelers at Bengals (CBS): Tuitt versus Eifert.

Oct. 15

8:15 p.m. 49ers at Packers (ESPN): Day and McGlinchey vs. Kizer and St. Brown.

Week 7

Oct. 21

1 p.m. Lions at Dolphins (FOX): TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate versus Young and Smythe.
4:05 p.m. Saints at Ravens (FOX): With Okwara being cut by the Giants, this becomes Manti Te’o first Irish vs. Irish matchup. His team will face off against Ronnie Stanley’s Ravens.
8:20 p.m. Rams at 49ers (NBC): Sullivan versus Day and McGlinchey.

Week 8

Oct. 25

8:20 p.m. Dolphins at Texans (FOX/NFL Network): Young versus Nick Martin and Fuller

Oct. 28

1 p.m. Seahawks at Lions (FOX): Prosise versus TJ Jones, Okwara Riddick and Tate.
1 p.m. Ravens at Panthers (CBS): Stanley versus Jansen.
4:25 p.m. Packers at Rams (FOX): Kizer and St. Brown versus Sullivan.
8:20 p.m. Saints at Vikings (NBC): Te’o versus Rudolph and Harrison Smith.

Week 9

Nov. 4

1 p.m. Lions at Vikings (FOX): TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate versus Rudolph and Harrison Smith.
1 p.m. Steelers at Ravens (CBS): Tuitt versus Stanley.
4 p.m. Chargers at Seahawks (CBS): Rochell versus Prosise.
4:25 p.m. Rams at Saints (FOX): Sullivan versus Te’o.

Week 10

Nov. 8

8:20 p.m. Panthers at Steelers (FOX/NFL Network): Jansen versus Tuitt.

Nov. 11

1 p.m. Dolphins at Packers (CBS): Young and Smythe versus Kizer and St. Brown.
1 p.m. Saints at Bengals (FOX): Te’o versus Eifert.
4:25 p.m. Seahawks at Rams (CBS): Prosise versus Sullivan.

Week 11

Nov. 15

8:20 p.m. Packers at Seahawks (FOX/NFL Network): Kizer and St. Brown versus Prosise.

Nov. 18

1 p.m. Panthers at Lions (FOX): Jansen versus TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate.
1 p.m. Bengals at Ravens (CBS): Eifert versus Stanley.

Week 12

Nov. 25

1 p.m. Seahawks at Panthers (FOX): Prosise versus Luke and Jansen.
1 p.m. Dolphins at Colts (CBS): Young and Smythe versus Farley and Nelson.
8:20 p.m. Packers at Vikings (FOX): Kizer and St. Brown versus Rudolph and Harrison Smith.

Week 13

Nov. 29

8:20 p.m. Saints at Cowboys (FOX/NFL Network): Te’o versus Zack Martin and Jaylon Smith.

Dec. 2

1 p.m. Rams at Lions (FOX): Sullivan versus TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate.
1 p.m. Chargers at Steelers (CBS): Rochell versus Tuitt.
8:20 p.m. 49ers at Seahawks (NBC): Day and McGlinchey versus Prosise

Week 14

Dec. 9

1 p.m. Colts at Texans (CBS): Farley and Nelson versus Nick Martin and Fuller.
4:05 p.m. Bengals at Chargers (CBS): Eifert versus Rochell.

Dec. 10

8:15 p.m. Vikings at Seahawks (ESPN): Rudolph and Harrison Smith versus Prosise.

Week 15

Dec. 16

1 p.m. Cowboys at Colts (FOX): Zack Martin and Jaylon Smith versus Farley and Nelson.
1 p.m. Dolphins at Vikings (CBS): Young and Smythe versus Rudolph and Harrison Smith.
4:05 p.m. Seahawks at 49ers (FOX): Prosise versus Day and McGlinchey.

Dec. 17

8:15 p.m. Saints at Panthers (ESPN): Te’o versus Jansen.

Week 16

Dec. 22 or Dec. 23

TBD Ravens at Chargers (No network named yet): Stanley versus Rochell.

Dec. 23

1 p.m. Vikings at Lions (FOX): Rudolph and Harrison Smith versus TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate
4:25 p.m. Steelers at Saints (CBS): Tuitt versus Te’o.

Week 17

Dec. 30

~~1 p.m. Cowboys at Giants (FOX): Zack Martin and Jaylon Smith versus Okwara.~~
1 p.m. Lions at Packers (FOX): TJ Jones, Okwara, Riddick and Tate versus Kizer and St. Brown.
1 p.m. Panthers at Saints (FOX): Jansen versus Te’o.
1 p.m. Bengals at Steelers (CBS): Eifert versus Tuitt.
4:05 p.m. 49ers at Rams (FOX): Day and McGlinchey versus Sullivan.