Cal Football in the NFL: Former Golden Bear QBs Battle in LA

Former Cal football quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff did battle in Los Angeles on Sunday, while DeSean Jackson set an NFL record and others came up big.

In a battle of former Cal football quarterbacks, Jared Goff led his undefeated Rams into battle against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Goff, the Golden Bear quarterback from 2013 to 2015, got the better of his counterpart Rodgers, Cal’s signal caller in 2003 and 2004.

Goff had a rough start to the day, as Green Bay’s defense, led by an aggressive gameplan from defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, wreaked havoc on the quarterback. Goff was under constant pressure and Green Bay’s secondary provided excellent coverage, leading to Goff missing on 13 of his first 23 attempts.

He finished strong, though, hitting on nine of his final 12 pass attempts, two of which went for touchdowns. Despite all of the early issues, Goff finished with 295 yards and threw for three touchdowns and wasn’t intercepted. It was his third game this year with at least three touchdowns and the eighth such game of his career. It was also the sixth time he threw three or more touchdowns without a pick.

Goff has reached 50 touchdown passes in his career, passing Kyle Boller for the fifth-most by a former Golden Bear in the NFL. He also passed Joe Kapp for sixth-most pass attempts by a former Bear (935). He was the winning quarterback for the 19th time, moving to ninth place in Rams’ franchise history.

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On the other side, Rodgers also had his difficulties against a strong pass rush. He still had a good day, completing 18 of his 30 attempts for 286 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw an interception for the third straight game, and has been picked off just once in 284 pass attempts this season.

The Rams took a 29-27 lead with 2:05 to play, but a fumble on the kickoff return by Ty Montgomery erased any chance of Rodgers magic that the Packers had. On third-and-10 on the ensuing drive, Todd Gurley put the game away with a 17-yard run, on which he was intentionally tackled inside the five-yard line to kill the clock.

Los Angeles remains the only unbeaten club in the NFL, sitting 8-0 for the first time since 1969. The Packers are 3-3-1, and sit third in the NFC North.

Jackson Sets Record

It’s been an eventful couple weeks for Tampa Bay wideout DeSean Jackson. One week after becoming the 47th player in NFL history to record 10,000 receiving yards, Jackson broke an NFL record.

In the first quarter, Jackson caught a 60-yard touchdown pass. He zoomed past Bengals cornerback William Jackson III and went untouched as he cruised into the endzone for the Buccaneers’ first score.

For Jackson, it was his 53rd career touchdown catch and the 24th of 60 or more yards. He broke a tie with the all-time great receiver Jerry Rice, becoming the NFL’s career leader in touchdown catches of 60-plus yards. The 53 overall touchdown grabs also ties Isaac Curtis for the third-most by a Cal Bear in the NFL.

Ageless Zo Keeps Going

Lorenzo Alexander just keeps getting it done. The Bills linebacker, now 35 years old and in his 12th season, made life difficult on Tom Brady and the Patriots on Monday night. He recorded six tackles, one for a loss, and sacked Brady twice, included forcing a fumble once.

On second and goal in first quarter, Alexander strip-sacked Brady, knocking the ball out and giving the Bills a chance to recover. They couldn’t get the turnover, but the Patriots were held to a field goal on the drive. Alexander helped force another field goal attempt late in the third quarter, pressuring Brady and forcing him to throw it away on third and goal.

Alexander now has 4.5 sacks on the season, the second-highest single season total of his career. That gives him 29 sacks in his career, moving him past Tully Banta-Cain for eighth-most by a Bear in the NFL. He also now has 10 forced fumbles in his career.

Jones Breaks Out

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Victory Bell Rings

Lions receiver Marvin Jones Jr. had by far his best game of the season on Sunday. He was Detroit’s big receiving threat in their loss to the Seahawks. He caught seven passes for 117 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns, setting season-highs in all three categories. Jones was responsible for both Detroit touchdowns.

Sunday marked Jones seventh career 100-yard game and fifth career multi-touchdown game, and the first time he’s done both since November 23rd of last season. His 33 career touchdowns are the fifth-most by a former Bear in the NFL.

Around the League:

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan recorded three tackles, including one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits. Jordan has eight tackles for loss on the season, which leads the Saints. Next up, Jordan will try to hit Goff as the Rams and Saints meet in a battle of two of the NFC’s best.

Steelers defensive end Tyson Alualu recorded a tackle for loss in Sunday’s win, his first TFL of the season and the 38th of his career. That ranks him sixth among former Bears in the NFL.

Panthers running back C.J. Anderson carried the ball five times for 20 yards as Carolina beat the Ravens. Anderson didn’t have a carry in the past two weeks before this game.

Washington receiver Maurice Harris caught two passes for 20 yards as first-place Washington won again. Harris has set career-highs with 11 receptions and 102 yards on the season.