Jared Goff set the tone for the opening week of the 2026 NFL season, and he did it with efficiency. The Detroit quarterback finished 26 of 206 yards, throwing two touchdowns without an interception as the Lions edged New Orleans 31-30 in overtime.
Aaron Rodgers also delivered in a season-opening win, guiding Pittsburgh to a 20-13 victory over Atlanta. Those two performances headlined a busy week for California football alumni across the league.
In Kansas City’s 31-10 win over Denver, cornerback Nohl Williams made his presence felt on defense. He logged a sack and a big-time pass breakup to kick off his sophomore NFL season.
Indianapolis got a strong first look at safety Camryn Bynum, who piled up seven tackles in his Colts debut against Baltimore. Veteran receiver Keenan Allen also debuted for Indianapolis, catching six passes for 32 yards on six targets. Baltimore safety Jaylinn Hawkins was on the field for all but two defensive snaps and helped the Ravens finish off a 41-23 win.
Las Vegas cornerback Hezekiah Masses made his NFL debut and came away with a pass deflection in the Raiders’ 27-13 win over Miami. Masses, a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, led the NCAA in passes defended during his 2025 season with the Golden Bears.
Elsewhere, Tennessee cornerback Marcus Harris started and matched his career high with seven tackles. New England defensive back Craig Woodson, another 2025 draftee, returned to the starting secondary and added five solo tackles.
San Francisco’s trip to Melbourne, Australia, was another notable stage for California talent. Tight end Jake Tonges and safety Ashtyn Davis both saw action as the 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in the league’s history-making game.
Dallas punter Bryan Anger began his milestone 15th NFL season and sixth with the Cowboys, handling punting and holding duties in a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants.
In Other News...
Cal Fans Just Got An Early Look At A Defining ACC Test
Cal fans got an early glimpse of what the 2027 ACC slate could look like when the league unveiled the Golden Bears conference schedule, and it comes with the kind of home lineup that will immediately draw attention. Cal is set to play nine league games, with Boston College, Florida State, Louisville and SMU among the visitors to California Memorial Stadium, giving the Bears a mix of familiar conference brands and newer league opponents to measure themselves against.
The road trip list is every bit as demanding, with Georgia Tech, Miami, Pitt, Stanford and Wake Forest all waiting away from Berkeley. The schedule also carries some built-in context from past meetings against the teams coming to town, but the bigger picture is still to come, since the dates and kickoff times for those 2027 matchups have not been announced yet. [Read more 🡒]
Cal's Syracuse Film Review Exposed One Much Bigger Problem
The film review from Cals win over Syracuse dug into more than the box score, using fresh efficiency metrics to sort out what really happened on each side of the ball. The defense came out looking mixed but mostly sturdier than the offense, while special teams checked out favorably, even if some of that edge may have been tied to Syracuses own mistakes. A clustering analysis of the ratings also produced a few surprises, which is part of what made the breakdown more interesting than a simple postgame recap.
The bigger concern, though, was how hard it was to find anything convincing on offense. Cal managed just 10 points on 11 drives, and the numbers backed up the eye test that the unit never really found its footing against Syracuse. Even the Oranges first possession of the fourth quarter turned into a mess of replay reviews and near-misses, with turnovers and almost-turnovers piling up before the drive ended with a field goal that clanged off the upright, a sequence that summed up the strange volatility of the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Gets One Last Chance To Fix Troubling Issues Before Clemson
Cal gets a brief pause in the schedule before the ACC grind resumes, and Saturday's home date with Wagner offers a chance to clean up a few things that still need attention. The Bears are coming off a win at Syracuse, but there were enough uneven stretches on offense and special teams to make this feel like more than a routine matchup, especially with Clemson looming next.
Wagner, led by head coach Tom Masella, arrives for the first meeting between the schools after a rough start to its season, which gives Cal a clear opportunity to sharpen execution and build some confidence at home. For a team trying to steady itself before the schedule tightens again, this is the kind of game where the details matter as much as the result. [Read more 🡒]