By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
Week Five 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. Sam Darnold, QB, Seahawks/USC
Seattle came up short to the Buccaneers, but Darnold put up huge numbers.
The former USC star threw for 341 yards and four TDS while completing 82.4% of his passes. It was his third straight game with a rating north of 100, as he finished this one with a rating of 135.4.
He and Baker Mayfield put on a show as this was the first game in NFL history in which opposing quarterbacks each recorded at least 325 passing yards and completed over 80 percent of their passes.
2. Kendrick Bourne, WR, 49ers/Eastern Washington
The Portland native and former EWU Eagle broke out for San Francisco in their win over the Rams on Thursday Night.
Bourne caught double-digit passes for the second time in his nine-year career as he matched his career high with 10 receptions for a career high 142 yards.
This was the second time in his career that he reached the century mark in receiving yards.
3. Nate Landman, LB, Rams/Colorado
The former Colorado LB had one of the most productive nights of his four-year career in the Rams OT loss to the 49ers last Thursday.
He finished the night with a career-high 14 tackles with one for a loss.
In coverage, he added three passes defended.
4. Rashid Shaheed, WR, Saints/Weber St
Shaheed went over the 100-yard mark in receiving yards for the second time in his career as the Saints finally got in the win column with a 26-14 win over the Giants.
The former Wildcat finished the day with four receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.
He posted an impressive 28.5-yard average per reception in large part due to the 87-yard connection with Spencer Rattler for a TD.
5. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders/Arizona (R)
The rookie from Arizona topped 100 yards on the ground for the first time in the NFL.
He ran for 111 and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
He also added another 39 yards receiving on two receptions in the 27-10 win over the Chargers.
6. Bo Nix, QB, Broncos/Oregon
Nix threw for 242 yards and a TD in the upset win for the Broncos in Philadelphia.
The former Duck superstar also added 22 yards on the ground.
7. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers/Stanford
McCaffrey totaled 139 yards from scrimmage with a receiving TD in the 49ers win over the Rams last Thursday Night.
It marked the third time in five games this season that the former Stanford star has tallied at least 100 scrimmage yards and a TD.
8. Teddye Buchanan, LB, Ravens/California (R)
The Ravens had a very rough afternoon with Cooper Rush stepping in for Lamar Jackson.
The same could not be said individually for the rookie out of Cal.
Buchanan had the most productive game as a pro with 15 tackles and one stop in the backfield in the loss to Houston.
9. Troy Dye, LB, Chargers/Oregon
Dye had a phenomenal game in the Chargers’ loss to Washington.
The former Oregon Duck finished the day with 11 total tackles, including a career-high seven solo stops.
Entering Sunday, the six-year veteran had three tackles for loss in his career; he doubled that with three stops in the Commanders’ backfield in the game.
10. Bobby Wagner, LB, Commanders/Utah State
Wagner recorded 14 tackles in the win.
The former Aggie of Utah State made things difficult for Justin Herbert all afternoon with a pressure and a hit on the QB.
11. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo/Utah
The Bills fell to the Patriots on Sunday Night, but the former Ute TE posted his first 100-yard game of his three-year career.
Kincaid finished the night with six receptions for 108 yards.
12. Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers/Arizona State
White ran for 41 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Seattle.
The former Sun Devil also added four receptions for 30 yards.
Other Notable Veteran Performers and Rookies
Devin Lloyd, LB, Jaguars/Utah—intercepted Patrick Mahomes and ran it back 99 yards for a TD in the win over the Chiefs.
Jared Goff, QB, Lions/California—258 yards and three TD passes.
Puka Nacua, WR, Rams/BYU —Ten receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown.
Cameron Skattebo, RB, Giants/Arizona State (R)—104 total yards on 21 touches.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Browns/Oregon (R)—Threw for 190 yards and 2 TDS in his first NFL start.
Carson Schwesinger, LB, Browns/UCLA (R)—11 tackles, one TFL and a QB hit.
Mekhi Blackmon, CB, Colts/USC—5 tackles, one pass defended and an interception returned for 32 yards.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders/Boise State (R)—109 total yards in the loss to Colts.
writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).