Rebels in the Pros: Dawson Knox’s late adjustment goes awry in NFL Week 5

NFL Week 5 offered at least one flash of opportunity for Ole Miss tight end Dawson Knox, but it also underscored how quickly momentum can change in the league. According to Yahoo Sports’ recap of former Ole Miss players in the NFL, Knox had a chance to turn a play into a touchdown in the first half on Monday night, only for the ball to be deflected.

The moment, as described in the report, never fully developed into a catch. The deflection came at a point where Knox was unable to adjust and complete the play, turning what looked like a clear path toward points into an incomplete opportunity. Even for established NFL players, timing and body position on contested or redirected passes can be decisive, and this one went against Knox.

Knox’s experience in that sequence also reflects a broader Week 5 theme noted by the same report: the “injured list continues to grow,” shaping how teams manage reps and opportunities across the league. When availability changes, players who are called upon in specific looks can be rewarded with chances to make a play, but the margins remain thin.

For Ole Miss fans tracking former players, the week’s value is not only in outcomes but in the visibility of these chances. Tight ends often live in the space between designed routes and improvisation, needing to secure the football through traffic and adjust when the ball changes trajectory. The report’s description suggests Knox reached a position to benefit early, then was forced to deal with a ball that had already been redirected.

It is also a reminder that weekly résumés in the NFL are shaped by one or two plays rather than full-game summaries for every player. A single deflection, a fraction of a second, or a change in hand placement can determine whether a possession becomes a highlight or a missed opening.

What to watch next is whether Knox and the team’s passing game can create similarly direct looks that allow him to operate without having to recover from an in-play change like a deflection. As the season progresses and availability fluctuates, the opportunity set for players tied to those first-half conversion moments could widen or narrow depending on how coaches structure targets and matchups.