Oct. 14, 2012

BERKELEY - Former Cal quarterback and reigning AP NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers was at it again on Sunday night, establishing a career high and equaling a Green Bay Packers' franchise record with six touchdown passes in a 42-24 victory over the formerly unbeaten Houston Texans. Rodgers now leads the NFL with 16 touchdown passes.

Some of the other highlights from former Cal players through the first six weeks of the 2012 NFL season include the contributions made by tight end Tony Gonzalez and safety Thomas DeCoud on a 6-0 Atlanta Falcons' team that is the only remaining unbeaten squad in the NFL. DeCoud co-leads the NFL with four interceptions, while Gonzalez is tied for third with 43 receptions.

Other former Cal players at or near the top of the league stats include Bryan Anger of the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 51.3 punting average and Marshawn Lynch, who second in the NFL with 549 yards rushing yards.

Here's an updated look at what's going on with each of the 31 former Cal players currently on NFL rosters. The Bears rank second among all Pac-12 schools with the 31 players on NFL rosters. Cal was tied for ninth nationally at the start of the season with 25 players on active 53-player NFL rosters.

The sixth week of the 2012 NFL season will conclude when the San Diego Chargers host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

• Lorenzo Alexander, LB, Washington Redskins (3-3) - Has played in all five games off the bench, contributing 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery, posting a season-high five tackles, all 1.5 of his sacks and a fumble recovery in a Week 6 win over Minnesota

• Tyson Alualu, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) - Has 17 tackles and 1.0 sack while starting each of the first five games, highlighted by a season-high six-stop game in a Week 2 loss to Houston, as well as four tackles and 1.0 sack in a Week 1 loss at Minnesota

• Bryan Anger, P, Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) - Leads the NFL with a 51.3 yards per punt average, punting 31 times for 1,591 yards that rank fourth and third in the league, respectively ... has a 43.9 yard net punting average that is also third in the league ... has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yardline seven times and forced six fair catches ... has had one punt of 60 or more yards in each of his last four games, including a career-long 66-yarder in a Week 3 win at Indianapolis, and one of at least 57 yards in all five of his contests ... has averaged at least 48.5 yards per punt in each of his first five contests

• Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) - Has 20 tackles, an interception and seven passes defended in six games played (all starts), with his lone interception and a season-high-tying three passes defended in a Week 6 overtime loss to Detroit, a season high of eight tackles in a Week 5 loss at Pittsburgh and a season-high-tying three passes defended in a Week 1 win at Cleveland

• Jahvid Best, RB, Detroit Lions (2-3) - Has not played in the team's first five games ... started the season on the physically unable to participate (PUP) list but is expected to return to the field when he's eligible to be removed after the first six weeks of the season

• Desmond Bishop, LB, Green Bay Packers (3-3) - Has not played in first six games and is on the injured reserve list

• D.J. Campbell, S, Carolina Panthers (1-4) - Has not played in first five games

• Andre Carter, DE, Oakland Raiders (1-4) - Saw his first action of the season in a Week 6 loss at Atlanta after signing with Oakland prior to a Week 4 loss at Denver but not playing in his first contest on the Raiders' roster ... returning from an injury that ended a strong 2011 season with New England after 14 games (52 tackles, 10.0 sacks, one pass defended, two forced fumbles) ... has career totals of 495 tackles, 76.0 sacks and 17 forced fumbles in his 12th NFL season during a career that has seen him with San Francisco (2001-05), Washington (2006-10), New England (2011) and Oakland (2012)

• Chris Conte, S, Chicago Bears (4-1) - Has 26 tackles, one interception that he returned 35 yards and two passes defended while starting each of the team's first five games ... posted his interception against Indianapolis and former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck in the season opener ... had a career-high 11 tackles in a Week 4 Monday Night Football victory at Dallas

• Brian De La Puente, OG, New Orleans Saints (1-4) - Has started all five games for a team that picked up its first victory in a Week 5 win over San Diego

• Thomas DeCoud, S, Atlanta Falcons (6-0) - Co-leads the NFL with four interceptions that he has returned 37 yards ... has started all six games for the only remaining unbeaten NFL team, adding 27 tackles and six passes defended ... had the game-clinching interception late in the fourth quarter of a Week 5 win at Washington and returned it 24 yards ... had a huge performance in a Week 3 win at San Diego with two interceptions and a fumble recovery ... returned his other interception 15 yards in a Week 2 win vs. Denver ... posted a season-high seven tackles in a Week 1 win at Kansas City

• Justin Forsett, RB, Houston Texans (5-1) - Has played in all six games off the bench, rushing 17 times for 88 yards, including a season-high and team-high 47 yards on seven carries in a Week 6 loss vs. Green Bay that was the team's first defeat of the season

• Scott Fujita, LB, Cleveland Browns (1-5) - Has played in four games with three starts, contributing 14 tackles and 1.0 sack, including a season-high six stops and his first sack of the season in a Week 4 loss at Baltimore

• Matt Giordano, S, Oakland Raiders (1-4) - Has 19 tackles with 18 coming in his first three starts of the season over the last three games, including a season-high eight in a Week 4 loss at Denver

• Tony Gonzalez, TE, Atlanta Falcons (6-0) - Has started all six games for the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL and is tied for third in the league with 43 receptions for 430 yards and four touchdown catches (T5th NFL) ... had a 13-yard reception to set up Matt Bryant's game-winning 55-yard field goal with 0:01 remaining in a 23-20 Week 6 win over the Raiders ... had season highs of 13 receptions and 123 receiving yards with a touchdown catch for the fourth time in the first five games of the season in a Week 5 win at Washington ... previous season highs were nine catches and 91 receiving yards with a touchdown reception for the third consecutive game during a Week 3 win at San Diego ... ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders in receptions (1,192, No. 2), touchdown catches (99, No. 8T) and receiving yards (13,768, No. 10) in 244 games (226 starts), having only missed two contests in his 16th NFL campaign

• Nick Harris, Detroit Lions (2-3) - Signed following the team's third game and has combined to punt 12 times for a 41.4 average during a Week 4 loss vs. Minnesota and a Week 6 overtime win at Philadelphia ... in his 12th NFL season, including a previous eight-season stint with the Lions (2003-10) as well as two-plus campaigns with Cincinnati (2001-03) to begin his career and one with Jacksonville (2011)

• Lavelle Hawkins, WR, Tennessee Titans (2-4) - Has three catches for 13 yards, playing in three of the team's first six games off the bench

• DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) - Has 29 catches for 465 yards and an average of 16.0 yards per catch in six games (all starts), including season bests of seven receptions for 114 yards in a Week 2 win vs. Baltimore ... added six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown on a 19-yard reception from Michael Vick in a Week 4 win vs. the New York Giants, as well as five grabs for 74 yards in a Week 6 loss to Detroit

• Marvin Jones, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) - Has played in four of six games off the bench, making three catches for 26 yards ... had career bests of two catches, 21 receiving yards and a 16-yard catch in a Week 6 loss at Cleveland ... made his first NFL catch for five yards in a Week 4 win at Jacksonville ... has played in three of five games off the bench

• Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints (1-4) - Has started all five games and contributed 26 tackles and 2.0 sacks, including a career and game-high 11 stops in a Week 1 loss to Washington, for a team that picked up its first win with a Week 5 victory vs. San Diego when he notched his second sack of the season and third of his career

• Mychal Kendricks, LB, Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) - Has started each of the first six games and compiled 27 tackles and three passes defended, with a career best six tackles in a Week 3 loss at Arizona and a season high two passes defended in a Week 2 win against Baltimore

• L.P. Ladouceur, LS, Dallas Cowboys (2-3) - Has played in all five games off the bench but not recorded any stats ... has not missed a game since 2005, playing in all 101 regular-season games during the last seven campaigns

• Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks (4-2) - Second in the NFL in rushing with 549 yards on the ground on 128 carries and has scored two rushing touchdowns in his first six games (all starts) ... has a pair of 100-yard rushing games, with 26 carries for 122 yards in a Week 2 win over Dallas and 118 yards on 20 rushes in a Week 4 loss at St. Louis, adding season bests of four receptions and 37 receiving yards against the Rams ... also had 25 rushes for 98 yards in a Week 3 win vs. Green Bay and 21 attempts for 85 rushing yards twice, both in a Week 1 loss at Arizona and a Week 5 victory at Carolina ... had at least 20 rushes and 85 rushing yards in each of his first five games before being held to a season-low 41 yards in a Week 6 win against New England

• Alex Mack, C, Cleveland Browns (1-5) - Started his 54th consecutive regular-season NFL game (all 54 games possible since beginning his NFL career in 2009) and sixth game of the season in a Week 6 win over Cincinnati to snap the Browns' 11-game losing streak

• Brandon Mebane, DT, Seattle Seahawks (4-2) - Has 25 tackles, 2.0 sacks and three passes defended in six games (all starts), with a season-high seven of the tackles coming in a Week 6 win vs. New England, both of his sacks in a Week 3 victory over Green Bay and two of his passes defended in the season-opening Week 1 loss at Arizona

• Cameron Morrah, TE, Seattle Seahawks (4-2) - Has not played in the team's first six games and is on the injured reserve list

• Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers (3-3) - Leads the NFL with 16 touchdown passes, including a career-high and Green Bay franchise-record-tying six in a Week 6 win at Houston in which he was 24-of-37 for a season-high 338 yards ... also among NFL leaders in completions (3rd, 153), completion percentage (153-225, 68.0%, 4th) and passing yardage (1637, 7th) after starting each of the first six games ... has 13 touchdown passes in his last three contests ... had three TD throws in a Week 5 loss at Indianapolis in which he completed 21-of-33 passes for 243 yards and also ran for a season-high 57 yards on five carries ... posted four TD passes in a Week 4 win vs. New Orleans in which he completed a season-high 31-of-41 passes for 319 yards ... completed 26-of-39 passes for 223 yards in a Week 3 loss at Seattle ... completed 22-of-32 passes for 219 yards, with a touchdown in a Week 2 win over Chicago ... was 30-of-44 for 303 yards, with two TD's in a Week 1 loss to San Francisco ... has added 22 rushes for 125 yards

• Mitchell Schwartz, OL, Cleveland Browns (1-5) - Has started each of the first six games of his NFL career

• Craig Stevens, TE, Tennessee Titans (2-4) - Has 12 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown in the first six games (all starts), including his first touchdown catch of the season and fourth of his career in a Week 4 loss at Houston ... had season highs of five catches and 63 yards receiving in a wild 44-41 Week 3 overtime win vs. Detroit and a season-long 46-yard reception at San Diego in Week 2

• Nick Sundberg, LS, Washington Redskins (3-3) - Played in a Week 1 victory at New Orleans off the bench but hasn't played since and is on injured reserve

• Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots (3-3) - Scored the second touchdown of his career and first of the season on a one-yard run in a Week 5 win over Denver ... played for the first time in 2012 during a Week 4 win at Buffalo, catching one pass for five yards and rushing one time for no gain