Week 15 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.
1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers/Stanford
McCaffrey certainly looks as good as he has at any point in his career.
The former Stanford star touched the ball on 27 of the Niners 67 offensive snaps and came up big in their exciting win over Chicago.
McCaffrey ran for 140 yards on 23 carries with a score while catching four passes for 41 yards.
2. Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks/UCLA
The former Bruin topped 100 yards on the ground for the second time in his career and the first time this season.
He ran for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Seahawks win over the Panthers.
He added 12 yards receiving on a pair of catches as well.
3. Jalen McMillan, WR, Buccaneers/Washington
The second year WR from Washington had the best game of his career after returning from a neck injury suffered in the preseason.
In the Bucs loss to Miami, he gained a career-high 114 yards on a career-high seven receptions.
Prior to this week, his best numbers came last season when he caught five passes for 75 yards in week 15.
4. Caleb Williams, QB, Bears/USC
The 49ers and Bears put on an offensive show Sunday Night and Williams did his best to keep pace.
The former Trojan threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns with a rating of 100.3 in the loss. Williams also ran for 18 yards.
5. Trey McBride, TE, Cardinals/Colorado State
The former CSU star continues to have a huge season for Arizona. This was his eighth double-digit reception game of the season.
In the loss to the Bengals, he hauled in 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. He now has 119 receptions this season, the most ever in a single season for a TE, surpassing previous record-holder Zach Ertz.
McBride is also the the first tight end all-time with at least 110 receptions in multiple career seasons.
6. Bobby Wagner, LB, Commanders/Utah State
For the second straight week, Wagner recorded double-digit tackles.
The former Aggie collected 10 tackles and a half sack in the Washington loss to Dallas on Thursday.
He was also credited with two passes defended and got a pair of hits on Dak Prescott.
7. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders/Arizona (R)
The former Wildcat had one of the most productive games of the season in the Commanders’ seven-point loss on Christmas Day.
The rookie back topped the 100-yard mark for the second time, going for 105 yards on just 11 carries and finding the endzone twice.
8. Byron Murphy Jr., CB, Vikings/Washington
The Vikings dashed the Lions playoff hopes on Thursday afternoon, and the former Huskey played a big part in the win.
He intercepted a Jared Goff pass when the game was tied which led to the first Vikings lead in the game.
He also recovered a fumble to go along with three tackles on the day.
9. Bo Nix, QB, Broncos/Oregon
Nix did enough to get the win over the depleted Chiefs on Thursday night.
The former Duck did not have his best passing game but completed 68% of his passes for 182 yards and a TD
He did make a ton of big plays, especially late, with his legs. He ended the day with 42 rushing yards on nine carries with a TD.
10. Matt Araiza, P, Chiefs/San Diego State
Kansas City struggled to move the football against Denver on Thursday but they got a huge night from the former Aztec punter.
Araiza had three boomers in the game, averaging 57.0 yards per kick, with one of them pinning the Broncos inside the 20.
11. Jack Jones, DB, Dolphins/Arizona State
The former Sun Devil had one of his better performances as a professional in the Dolphins win over Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon.
Jones collected a career-high 10 tackles in the loss.
12. Bobby Okereke, LB, Giants/Stanford
The Giants picked up a much needed—or perhaps an ill-advised—win over the Raiders on Sunday that gave the loser the inside track on the No. 1 pick.
The former Cardinal played a big role in the win, leading New York with seven tackles and an interception.
13. Josh Allen, QB, Bills/Wyoming
Despite some early struggles and being visibly gimpy with an ankle injury, the former Cowboy brought Buffalo all the way back only to fall short on a two-point conversion.
In the loss, he threw for 262 yards and added 27 yards on the ground and two rushing TDs.
Allen is the youngest and fastest to reach over 300 career combined passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns.
