Justin Madubuike put in an immense shift on defense for the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans in week 6, to bring the NFL London games to a thrilling end.
Madubuike, our Africa MVP for this week, was not the only defensive player with ties to the continent to star.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah played a key role for the Cleveland Browns in their upset win against the San Francisco 49ers, while Foyesade Oluokun was as impenetrable as ever for the Jacksonville Jaguars in their victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
African Player of the Week: Justin Madubuike (Baltimore Ravens)
Ravens defensive tackle Madubuike had a telling impact for the Ravens as they saw off the Titans 24-16 in the last of three NFL games in London this season. He sacked both Titans quarterbacks on the day - first Ryan Tannehill early in the third quarter and then Malik Willis late in the fourth.
Madubuike, who is the son of Nigerian immigrants, is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Ravens and has seen his stock rise year on year.
The Ravens were in control of the game from the get-go, but there were moments when they might have let it slip but for Madubuike's timely reminders of his presence. He finished the game with five tackles in addition to his two sacks.
Madubuike's sack on Tannehill - one which saw the Titans starting QB come out injured - came with the score at 18-3 in favor of the Ravens, while the Titans had closed the gap to 24-13 by the time of his sack on Willis. Ultimately, their efforts to stage a fightback were in vain as Madubuike and the Ravens came out on top.
African Moment of the Week: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Cleveland Browns)
With the scores locked at 10-10 midway through the third quarter at the Cleveland Browns Stadium, Owusu-Koramoah slipped through the men in red and darted towards Niners QB Brock Purdy.
Alert to the danger, Purdy almost ran around the linebacker, who is of Ghanaian descent. However, Owusu-Koramoah showed his commitment to the cause by tripping him for the sack.
The Browns seized control of the game as the third quarter progressed and ultimately won 19-17. Even without regular starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is nursing a rotator cuff injury, they still managed to hand the Niners their very first defeat of the season.
Owusu-Koramoah, a Butkus Award winner and ACC Defensive Player of the Year at Notre Dame, is living up to the hype in his third season in the NFL. The Browns are now 3-2 for the season and the 23-year-old has been one of the most influential players in their largely positive start.
Honorable Mentions:
For David Njoku, the Browns' win also held significance, as he was belatedly rewarded for playing on after a bonfire accident on September 29, which left him with severe burn wounds.
The accident happened two days before the Browns' clash with the Baltimore Ravens, in which Njoku played. However, that game ended in a 28-3 defeat.
He was not rewarded for his perseverance with a win immediately, but that came belatedly against a previously unbeaten side in the 49ers, making it all the more worth savoring.
Njoku made three receptions for 24 yards, while Brandon Aiyuk, who is of Cameroonian descent and ended up on the losing side, made four catches for 76 yards.
Elsewhere, Njoku's fellow Nigerian-American, Foyesade Oluokun, made an impressive 15 tackles in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 37-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was the NFL tackles leader in 2021 and 2022 and looks likely to be amongst the leading pack once again this year.
Chuba Hubbard, who has ties to Nigeria, led the Carolina Panthers with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown, but they ended up 42-21 losers against the Miami Dolphins.
Another player with Nigerian heritage, Osa Odighizuwa, returned to winning ways with seven tackles for the Dallas Cowboys as they beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17.
Africa-born player watch:
Arnold Ebiketie, who was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, was colossal for the Atlanta Falcons against the Washington Commanders, although his 1.5 sacks and two tackles came in a 24-16 defeat.
Nelson Agholor, the wide receiver from Lagos, Nigeria, made two big receptions for a total of 40 yards in the Ravens' win over the Titans.
Ivorian cornerback Kader Kohou picked up four tackles for the Miami Dolphins in their win over the Carolina Panthers. There is certainly room for improvement in his tackling still, but at 24 years old, he has plenty of time to improve.
Speaking of tackles, Zimbabwe's Nate Landman picked up eight for the Atlanta Falcons against the Washington Commanders, while Nigeria's David Onyemata got four.
Nigeria's Samson Ebukam got three tackles and a sack for the Colts against the Jaguars, while Guinea-born Liberian Kwity Paye made a return to action but was not yet his dominant self.