Cal in the NFL: Week 4

Well, They Played

These guys will show up on the stat sheet but may have not had the greatest of contributions in their respective games.

• Tyson Alualu recorded a single tackle in a 26-14 loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.
• Brandon Mebane, coming off a huge Week 3 performance, also recorded just one tackle. However, Mebane and the Los Angeles Chargers were able to pick up the win over the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 29-27.
• Hardy Nickerson picked up two tackles in a dramatic 37-36 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Offensive Line

Our offensive linemen continue to block for two of the top offensive teams in the league.

• While Alex Mack and the Atlanta Falcons offense did everything they could, they came up on the losing side of the aforementioned Bengals-Falcons shootout.
• Mitchell Schwartz and the Kansas City Chiefs kept on rolling with a 27-23 comeback win over the Denver Broncos.

DEFENSE!

Not the greatest week for the defense.

• Cameron Jordan contributed with two tackles in a 33-18 win over the New York Giants.
• Lorenzo Alexander and the Bills got crushed by the Green Bay Packers by a score of 22-0. Alexander was able to add four tackles in the losing effort.
• Mychal Kendricks was the defensive “star” of the week, recording six tackles in a 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals. However, both his season and future as a whole are in question, as the NFL has suspended him for his insider trading charges that surfaced in late August.

Solid Performances

The steady offensive contributors.

• Bryan Anger punted five times, averaging 42.8 yards per punt and having one punt inside the 20, in a blowout 48-10 loss to the Chicago Bears.
• While it was a lackluster performance by his standards, Keenan Allen’s seven catches for 63 yards were crucial in a 29-27 win over the 49ers.
• Marvin Jones Jr. caught three of his six targets for 56 yards in a close 26-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Stars of the Week

The top performances from Week 4.

• Aaron Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to an easy 22-0 win over the Buffalo Bills. Rodgers completed 22/40 passes for 298 yards, throwing for one touchdown and one interception.
• DeSean Jackson bounced back in a big way after a down Week 3, catching five out of eight targets for 112 yards. As mentioned above, however, it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the magic of Mitchell Trubisky in a 48-10 loss.
• In what was likely the best NFL game of the week, Marshawn Lynch was one of the stars of a Raiders offense that put up 45 points in a 45-42 win over the Cleveland Browns. Lynch was busy all day long, taking his 20 carries for 130 yards.

Player of the Week

• Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams

Last week, I said that picking Jared Goff as the POTW was the most easy of such decisions so far. Now, picking him as our first back-to-back winner was an even easier decision. Goff was truly magical in a 38-31 Thursday Night win over the Minnesota Vikings, completing 26 of 33 passes for a ridiculous 465 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Goff made his fair share of NFL history on the night. He recorded a perfect passer rating of 158.3 on the game, becoming the first NFL player to do so with more than 32 pass attempts. His five touchdown passes tied the Rams franchise record and his 465 passing yards were a Thursday Night record. If you are a fan of totally obscure stats, he also became the first person in NFL history to throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns on just three days of rest.

Goff tore up one of the best defenses in the NFL all night long and it almost seemed as if he was right back in our very own Memorial Stadium carving up helpless opposing defenses. It is truly great to see Goff truly showcasing the potential that we all know he has on the big stage this season.

Week 4 In Recap

• Our Cal in the NFL players combined for a 9-6 record on the week.
• The average scores of those games were a bit less kind, giving us a 29-25 loss.

Season Record: 35–25–2

Pythagorean Win-Loss: 2–2

Bears Record: 3–1

GO BEARS!