Here’s my breakdown of how each former USC football star fared in NFL Week 15:
Advertisement
Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams turned in his best performance of the season. There was no more of him making highlight plays and less of him making bad decisions and inaccurate throws. Caleb played a clean and efficient game and as a result, the Bears dominated the Browns for 60 minutes. For the first time, the Bears showed an offense in which their running game was a complement and their passing game was the main dish. Even in the freezing weather, Caleb put in a special performance, which gave a lot of confidence that he can do the same heading into the playoffs.
woody marks
Woody Marks left last week’s game with an ankle injury, but good reports followed as it was claimed he could have returned in that game if necessary. Before getting injured, Marks managed to make 7 carries for 30 yards. Mark still appears to be the leading rusher, but with Jawhar Jordan rushing for 101 yards on 15 carries against the Cardinals, he could have new competition for his role.
Advertisement
Calen Bullock
Calen Bullock was excellent in coverage against Arizona, with 2 pass deflections and 4 stops. It’s still looking like an even better second year than his rookie season for Bullock. With 3 games left, he already has as many tackles as last year.
Isaiah Pola-Mao
The Eagles dominated the Raiders 31-0, and the Raiders didn’t offer much resistance in this game, nor did they have any offensive success. Maxx Crosby and Pola-Mao still look like the only players on this Raiders defense worth mentioning. Pola-Mao had another big game, as he tallied 10 tackles against the Eagles.
Advertisement
Tuli Tuipulotu
The Chargers defense has been fantastic all season and is a big reason behind a 10-4 record. Tuli Tuipulotu is one of the driving forces behind this defense’s elite play. It was another 2-sack outing for Tuipulotu against the Chiefs. Tuipulotu has 12 sacks on the season and has exceeded all the high expectations placed on him to start this season.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Philip Rivers didn’t look too bad in his first start in 5 years on Sunday. However, the air attack was not as effective, to no one’s surprise. Rivers only managed to throw for 120 yards, and that directly affected Pittman Jr. and the entire Colts receiving corps. Pittman Jr. scored 5 targets in the game and only finished with 3 receptions for 26 yards in a loss to Seattle.
Advertisement
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold didn’t put up big numbers against the Colts on Sunday, as he finished the game with no touchdowns and 271 passing yards. Darnold and the Seahawks offense struggled mightily in the red zone, but were good enough to pull away from the Daniel Jones-less Colts. Darnold will need to be an MVP candidate, a version of himself, on Thursday night to pull off a win over the NFC West rival Rams.
leonard williams
While Jonathan Taylor still ran for about 87 yards, the Seahawks were able to limit him to 3.5 yards per carry and just 11 yards on his longest gain of the season. That was because Leonard Williams did a great job blocking the middle. Williams finished the game with 5 stops and has proven this season that he is still one of the best defensive tackles in the game.
Advertisement
Talanoa Hufanga
The Broncos defense didn’t have its best day against the Packers, and it was the offense that carried the defense to victory this time. Hufanga had his least impactful game of the season and it felt like the Packers had a big hit in the first half. Hufanga finished with only 3 tackles in this game. In the future, Hufanga will have to avoid games like this, as the Broncos just lost Brandon Jones, their other safety, to a pectoral injury.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown played like one of the best receivers in the NFL. St. Brown posted a dominant stat line of 13 receptions for 164 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The Rams secondary had no answer for St. Brown or Jameson Williams. The Lions will need this same type of play from their best players, like St. Brown, to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Advertisement
Jordan Addison
The Vikings offense edged out the Dallas Cowboys for their second straight win after a 4-game skid. Jordan Addison finished the game with 66 yards, mostly due to 58 receptions for 58 yards. Addison only recorded one other sack in this game. JJ McCarthy’s development is becoming encouraging, but still, his connection with his top two receivers isn’t showing the progress he needs just yet.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Caleb Williams deliver in NFL Week 15