Week 12 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. Calen Bullock, S, Texans/USC
Bullock collected five tackles, a pair of interceptions, and a forced fumble for Houston in the Thursday Night win over Buffalo.
The two interceptions, including one with 24 seconds left in the game to seal the victory, for the former USC safety give him four on the season, tying for the third most in the league entering the Monday Night game.
2. Laiatu Latu, DE, Colts/UCLA
The Colts let one slip away from them in Kansas City, but this one is not on the defense and certainly not on the former Bruin.
Latu made plays all over with six tackles, a sack, an interception, and two additional hits on Patrick Mahomes.
The DE now has six sacks and three interceptions this season.
3. Carson Schwesinger, LB, Browns/UCLA (R)
For the third straight week, the rookie out of UCLA collected double-digit tackle totals for the Browns.
The former Bruin is making a strong case for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The linebacker led Cleveland with 11 stops and one tackle for loss as the Browns defense stymied the Raiders in a 24-10 win.
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions/USC
The former USC standout had nine receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown in Detroit’s 34-27 overtime win against the New York Giants.
St. Brown now has 505 career receptions since entering the NFL in 2021, joining Michael Thomas (510 receptions) as the only players in NFL history with at least 500 receptions in their first five career seasons.
5. Caleb Williams, QB, Bears/USC
The former USC QB continues to have a strong second season as he has the Bears sitting atop the NFC North with an 8-3 record.
This week, he threw for 239 yards and three TDs while adding 21 additional yards on the ground as Chicago knocked off the Steelers.
6. Devin Lloyd, LB, Jaguars/Utah
The former Ute had a huge game against Arizona as he harassed Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Clovis all game long.
The linebacker collected five tackles and 1.5 sacks in the Jacksonville win. He also tallied five hits on the quarterback.
7. Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills/Boise State
The Bills came up short on Thursday Night vs. the Texans, but Shakir had a productive night.
The former Boise State star collected season highs in receptions and yards in the loss, grabbing eight passes for 110 yards.
8. Trey McBride, TE, Cardinals/Colorado State
The former CSU Ram continues to be a reception machine.
In the loss to Jacksonville, McBride caught nine passes for 79 yards.
He now has 301 receptions since entering the NFL in 2021, tied with Jimmy Graham for the most receptions by a tight end in his first four seasons in NFL history.
9. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders/Boise State (R)
The Raiders struggled on the scoreboard once again, but the rookie back out of Boise State continues to perform.
In the 24-10 loss, he ran for 50 yards and added another 58 receiving on eight catches, one of them finding the end zone for the lone Vegas touchdown.
10. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Browns/Colorado (R)
The numbers were not spectacular for the former Buff, but he got the win in his first career start means something went right.
Sanders completed 55% of his passes for 209 yards with a TD and just one interception.
Sanders was one of many rookies on the Cleveland offense making a slash on Sunday as the Browns became the first team in the Super Bowl era with five rookies each recording 40-or-more scrimmage yards in the same game.
11. Budda Baker, S, Cardinals/Washington
Baker once again led Arizona in tackles in the Cardinals loss to the Jags on Sunday.
The former Husky DB had nine tackles on the day to go along with his first interception of the season; he also got a hit on Trevor Lawrence.
Other Notable Veteran and Rookie Performers
Kaden Elliss, LB, Falcons/Idaho—9 tackles, 1 TFL
Davis Mills, QB, Texans/Stanford—153 yards, 2 TDs
Jared Goff, QB, Lions/California—279 yards, 2 TDs
Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks/USC—244 yards, 2 TDS
Byron Murphy, CB, Seahawks/Washington—5 tackles and a sack
Puka Nacua, WR, Rams/BYU—97 yards on seven catches
Davante Adams, WR, Rams/Fresno State—62 yards, 2 TDs
Nate Landman, LB, Rams/Colorado—7 tackles, 1 TFL
Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers/Stanford—142 total yards, 1 TD
