Week 14 in the NFL saw some phenomenal performances from players who played collegiately in the West.
Each week, we highlight the region’s best pro performances from the standout alumni veterans and rookies
Here are my choices for the best of them.
Top NFL Performances
1. Josh Allen, QB, Bills/Wyoming
Allen threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns and added 78 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the Bills’ 39-34 victory against Cincinnati.The former Cowboy is the first player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, 75 rushing yards, three touchdown passes, and a rushing touchdown in two career games.
He is also the first player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, and 10 rushing touchdowns in three consecutive seasons.
2. Bo Nix, QB, Broncos/Oregon
Nix completed 81.2% of his passes for 212 yards and added 15 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The former Duck is the third player all-time with at least 25 completions and a completion percentage of 80-or-higher in three games within his first two seasons.
3. Puka Nacua, WR, Rams/BYU
The former BYU star hauled in seven receptions for 167 yards and a TD as the Rams destroyed the Cardinals.
Nacua now has 277 receptions in his career, the most in NFL history by a player in their first 40 career games.
4. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Browns/Colorado (R)
The former Buff passed for 364 yards and three touchdowns and added 29 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in Cleveland’s loss to Tennessee.
Sanders is the fourth quarterback in NFL history with 350 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and a rushing touchdown in at least one of his first three career starts.
5. Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seahawks/Weber State
Shaheed caught four passes for 67 yards in the Seahawks’ 37-9 win over the Falcons.
The former Wildcat also added 148 yards on kick returns, including a 100-yard touchdown return on the opening kick of the second half.
That was the longest return in the NFL this season and one of three TD returns on the weekend.
6. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Steelers/California
The former Cal Bear threw for 284 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing touchdown in the Steelers’ 27-22 victory at Baltimore.
Rodgers now has 32 games with a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown, the third most in NFL history.
7. Jared Goff, QB, Lions/California
In the Lions’ win over Dallas on Thursday, Goff completed 73.5% of his passes for 309 yards and a TD.
It was the third 300+ yard passing game of the season for the former Cal signal caller. Detroit has averaged 46.7 points per game in those three games this season.
8. Carson Schwesinger, LB, Browns/UCLA (R)
The rookie LB once again established a new career-high in tackles; it seems like this is a weekly occurrence for the former Bruin.
This week, the AFC defensive rookie of the year-to-be tallied 13 stops, six of them solo, and had a pass defended in the loss to Tennessee.
9. Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks/USC
Seattle improved to 10-3 on the season behind a strong performance from Sam Darnold.
The former Trojan QB threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns while adding 23 more yards on the ground as the Seahawks beat Atlanta 37-9.
10. Bobby Wagner, LB, Commanders/Utah State
Things certainly did not go Washington’s way as they were shutout by the Vikings on Sunday, but Bobby Wagner was all over the field on defense in the losing effort.
The former Aggie collected 16 tackles, his highest total in a game since a 17-tackle performance in Week 4 of 2024. He added a sack and an additional hit on JJ McCarthy.
11. Devin Lloyd, LB, Jaguars/Utah
Lloyd had a productive afternoon as the Jaguars knocked off the Colts in Jacksonville for the 11th straight season.
The former Ute LB matched his season high with eight tackles, a couple of QB hits, and picked off his fifth pass of the season.
12. Vita Vea, DT, Buccaneers/Washington
In the Buccaneers’ loss to New Orleans, the eight-year vet out of Washington recorded a season high five tackles.
A pair of those tackles were in the backfield with one sack and a QB hit.
Other Notable Veteran and Rookie Performers
Jordan Love, QB, Packers/Utah State—234 yards and 3 TDs
Alex Singleton, LB, Broncos/Montana State—led the Denver defense with 8 tackles
Woody Marks, RB, Texans/USC (R)—76 total yards and 1 TD
Bucky Irving, RB, Buccaneers/Oregon—55 yards rushing, 26 receiving and 1 TD
Daiyan Henley, LB, Chargers/Washington State—7 tackles, 6 solo, 1 pass defended and 1 QB hit
Britain Covey, WR, Eagles/Utah—7 returns for 157 yards
