Oct. 21, 2012

BERKELEY - Former Cal quarterback and reigning AP NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is now the top-rated quarterback in the NFL (109.6) and also leads the league with 19 touchdown passes, including 16 in his last past four games. Rodgers continued his hot stretch in Green Bay's 30-20 victory over St. Louis on Sunday, posting a season-high 342 passing yards and a season-best 81.1 completion percentage (30-37) with three touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 132.2 quarterback rating.

Other highlights from former Cal players through the first seven 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 fifth with 43 receptions for a Falcons' squad that had a Week 7 bye on Sunday.

Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks is tied for fourth in the NFL in rushing with 652 yards.

The seventh week of the 2012 NFL season will conclude when the Detroit Lions visit the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Former Cal players Nick Harris (Detroit, P) and Chris Conte (Chicago, S) are expected to play in the contest.

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

• Lorenzo Alexander, LB, Washington Redskins (3-4) - Has played in all six games off the bench, contributing 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery, posting a season-high-tying five tackles, all 1.5 of his sacks and a fumble recovery in a Week 6 win over Minnesota, and then equaling the five tackles in a Week 7 loss at the New York Giants

• Tyson Alualu, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) - Has 18 tackles and 1.0 sack while starting each of the first six games, highlighted by a season-high six-stop contest in a Week 2 loss to Houston, and four tackles and 1.0 sack in a Week 1 loss at Minnesota

• Bryan Anger, P, Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) - Tied for fifth in the NFL with a 49.2 yards per punt average, punting for 1,970 yards on 40 punts to rank second and third in the league, respectively, while also posting a 42.9 yard net punting average that is third ... has pinned opponents inside their own 20-yardline nine times and forced seven fair catches ... had one punt of 60 or more yards for four consecutive games from Weeks 2-5, including a career-long 66-yarder in a Week 3 win at Indianapolis, and one of at least 55 yards in all six of his contests ... punted a career-high-tying nine times in a Week 2 loss to Houston and a Week 7 overtime loss at Oakland

• 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 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 first five games ... currently on the physically unable to participate (PUP) list

• Desmond Bishop, LB, Green Bay Packers (4-3) - Has not played in first seven games and is on the injured reserve list

• D.J. Campbell, S, Carolina Panthers (1-5) - Has not played in first six games

• Andre Carter, DE, Oakland Raiders (2-4) - Has played his first two games of the season in a Week 6 loss at Atlanta and a Week 7 overtime win against Jacksonville, recording one tackle in each ... signed with Oakland prior to a Week 4 loss at Denver but did not play in his first contest on the Raiders' roster ... has returned in 2012 from an injury that ended his strong 2011 season with New England after 14 games (52 tackles, 10.0 sacks, one pass defended, two forced fumbles) ... has career totals of 496 tackles, 76.0 sacks and 17 forced fumbles in his 12th NFL season during a career that has seen him in 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 and both passes defended 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 ... next scheduled to play in a Week 7 Monday Night Football game against Detroit

• Brian De La Puente, OG, New Orleans Saints (2-4) - Has started all six games for a team that has won its last two contests with a Week 5 win over San Diego and a Week 7 victory at Tampa Bay

• 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 (6-1) - Has played in all seven games off the bench, rushing 23 times for 120 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 and then 32 yards on six carries in a Week 7 win vs. Baltimore

• Scott Fujita, LB, Cleveland Browns (1-6) - Has played in four games with three starts, contributing 14 tackles and 1.0 sack, including a season-high six stops and his lone sack of the season in a Week 4 loss at Baltimore

• Matt Giordano, S, Oakland Raiders (2-4) - Has 20 tackles with 19 coming in his first four starts of the season over the last four 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 fifth in the league with 43 receptions for 430 yards and four touchdown catches (T10th 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 Oakland, finishing with season lows of four catches for 42 yards ... 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 ... also had seven catches for 70 yards and a touchdown in a Week 2 win vs. Denver; five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown in a Week 1 win at Kansas City; and five catches for 51 yards in a Week 4 victory vs. Carolina ... 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 with Detroit following the team's third game and has combined to punt 12 times for a 41.4 yard 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) ... next scheduled to play in a Week 7 Monday Night Football game at Chicago

• Lavelle Hawkins, WR, Tennessee Titans (3-4) - Has three catches for 13 yards, playing in three of the team's first seven 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 and 114 yards receiving in a Week 2 win vs. Baltimore ... added six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown on a 19-yard reception in a Week 4 win vs. the New York Giants; five grabs for 74 yards in a Week 6 loss to Detroit; four for 77 in a Week 1 win at Cleveland; four for 58 in a Week 5 loss at Pittsburgh; and three for 43 in a Week 3 loss at Arizona

• Marvin Jones, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) - Has played in five of seven games off the bench, making three catches for 26 yards ... had career bests of two catches and 21 receiving yards, and a career-long 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

• Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints (2-4) - Has started all six games for a team that has won its last two contests with a Week 5 win over San Diego and a Week 7 victory at Tampa Bay ... has contributed 26 tackles, 2.0 sacks and one pass defended ... had a career and game-high 11 stops in a Week 1 loss to Washington ... notched his second sack in a Week 5 victory vs. San Diego after getting one earlier in the season during a Week 2 loss at Carolina

• 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 career-high two passes defended in a Week 2 win against Baltimore

• L.P. Ladouceur, LS, Dallas Cowboys (3-3) - Has played in all six games off the bench but has not recorded any stats ... has not missed a game since 2005, playing in all 102 regular-season contests during the last seven campaigns

• Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks (4-3) - Tied for third in the NFL in rushing with 652 yards on the ground and in a close race with four players for the NFL lead within seven yards of the 659 posted by league-leader Arian Foster of Houston ... has 147 carries and has scored two rushing touchdowns in his first seven games (all starts) ... has three 100-yard rushing games, with 26 carries for 122 yards in a Week 2 win over Dallas, 118 yards on 20 rushes in a Week 4 loss at St. Louis, and 103 yards on 19 carries in a Week 7 loss at San Francisco ... added 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 ... has at least 19 rushes and 85 rushing yards in six of his seven games, with the only exception a season-low 41 yards in a Week 6 win against New England ... has fumbled only once in 2012 in the season opener at Arizona ... has added 10 catches for 83 yards, and has at least one catch in every game other than a Week 2 win against Dallas

• Alex Mack, C, Cleveland Browns (1-6) - Started his 55th consecutive regular-season NFL game (all 55 games possible since beginning his NFL career in 2009) and seventh contest of the season in a Week 7 loss at Indianapolis

• Brandon Mebane, DT, Seattle Seahawks (4-3) - Has 26 tackles, 2.0 sacks and three passes defended in seven 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 a season-opening Week 1 loss at Arizona

• Cameron Morrah, TE, Seattle Seahawks (4-3) - Has not played in the team's first seven games and is on the injured reserve list

• Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers (4-3) - The NFL's highest rated quarterback (109.6) who also leads the league with 19 touchdown passes, including 16 in his last four contests ... also among NFL leaders in completions (183, 2nd), completion percentage (183-262, 69.8%, 2nd) and passing yardage (1,979, 4th) ... posted a season-high 342 passing yards and a season-best 81.1 completion percentage (30-37), with three touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 132.2 quarterback rating in a Week 7 win at St. Louis ... had a career-high and Green Bay franchise-record-tying six touchdown passes with no interceptions for a season-high 133.8 quarterback rating in a Week 6 win at Houston in which he was 24-of-37 for 338 yards ... had three TD throws in a Week 5 loss at Indianapolis in which he completed 20-of-32 passes for 235 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 passes in a Week 1 loss to San Francisco ... has added 24 rushes for 125 yards ... has started all seven 2012 games

• Mitchell Schwartz, OL, Cleveland Browns (1-6) - Has started each of the first seven games of his NFL career in 2012

• Craig Stevens, TE, Tennessee Titans (3-4) - Has 13 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown, with at least one catch in each of the first seven 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 (3-4) - Played in a Week 1 victory at New Orleans off the bench but has not played since and is on the injured reserve list

• Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots (4-3) - Saw his most extensive action of the season in a Week 7 win over the New York Jets, rushing for a career-high 49 yards on a career-high-tying eight rushes and catching the second pass of his career for a career-long 10-yard gain ... 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 his first career pass for five yards and rushing one time for no gain