Cal in the NFL: Wild Card/Divisional Rounds

Wild Card Round

The Winners

• Keenan Allen was the only Cal player to record statistics in the Wild Card round, catching four of six targets for 37 yards. The Chargers would go onto win the game over the Ravens by a score of 23-17.
• Brandon Mebane did not play in the Wild Card game, as he opted to stay home with his daughter, but moved onto the Divisional Round with the win.

Rest in peace Makenna Mebane.

• L.P. Ladouceur and the Dallas Cowboys moved on with a close 24-22 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
• Richard Rodgers of the Philadelphia Eagles played but did not record any stats in the Eagles’ dramatic 16-15 win over the Chicago Bears.

The Losers

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Divisional Round

The Winners

• Jared Goff played a small role in a run-heavy attack by the Rams that worked to perfection in their 30-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Goff completed 15/28 passes for 186 yards, no touchdowns, and no turnovers. He will likely have to air the ball out a lot more in the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints.
• C.J. Anderson had easily the best performance of any player in either of the two weeks, taking 23 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Cowboys despite the return of Rams star running back Todd Gurley. The run-heavy approach worked against the Cowboys, so Anderson will likely remain heavily involved against the Saints.
• The Saints beat the reigning-champion Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 20-14 in order to move on to the NFC Championship Game. Cameron Jordan recorded three tackles in the win.
• Mitchell Schwartz and the Chiefs offense looked as potent as ever in a 31-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, accumulating 433 total yards in an easy victory. They will have a tougher match-up next week when the face the always-dangerous New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

The Losers

• Keenan Allen was a lone bright spot for the Los Angeles Chargers in a blowout 41-28 loss to the Patriots, catching two of six targets for 75 yards. One of his catches resulted in a 43-yard touchdown in which he completely embarrassed Patriots cornerback Stephon Gillmore.

• Brandon Mebane heroically returned to action in the loss versus the Patriots, recording 5 total tackles.
• L.P. Ladouceur and the Dallas Cowboys suffered a 30-22 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.
• Richard Rodgers and the Eagles suffered a heartbreaking loss to the New Orleans Saints after Alshon Jeffrey had a ball go right through his hands and straight into the open arms of Saints Marshon Lattimore. If only that pass was intended for Rodgers, who failed to record any stats in the loss.

Wild Card/Divisional Rounds In Recap

• Our Cal may players had an lackluster weeks, but their teams as a whole were relatively successful, combining to go 8-4.
• The average scores of those games just for us as well, giving us a 24-22 loss.

Season Record: 129–102–2

Weekly W/L Record: 11-4-3

Pythagorean Win-Loss: 14–4

Moving On

The following players will be moving on to their respective Conference Championships.

• Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams (vs. New Orleans Saints)
• C.J. Anderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams (vs. New Orleans Saints)
• Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints (vs. Los Angeles Rams)
• Mitchell Schwartz, RT, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. New England Patriots)

GO BEARS!