It was an up and down week for USC Trojan alums in the NFL but the Trojans did have one top performer at the receiver position. While it was down week for most, the expectations will be higher for a lot of former Trojans these next following weeks.
Here is my breakdown of how each former Trojan alum fared in Week 2:
Caleb Williams
It was not a perfect performance by Caleb Williams, he still displayed many of his flaws for majority of the game. It still however was a step in the right direction for Caleb. The Bears quarterback threw for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception on a 63.3 completion percentage. It is a long season for Caleb Williams and he looks to continue to get better this week against his former head coach Matt Eberflus.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
After a disappointing performance week 1, Amon-Ra St. Brown followed with one of the top receiver performances we saw all week. There was not a player in the Bears secondary that could guard Brown. St. Brown put up a statline of 9 catches for 115 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns. St. Brown is looking to cement himself as a legitimate top 5 reciever in the NFL this season and his performance against the Bears is a great starting point for that.
Michael Pittman Jr
Pittman Jr. was dominant in Week 1 showing really promise of a good connection between him and new quarterback Daniel Jones. In Week 2 Pittman put up modest numbers as he hauled in 4 catches for 40 yards. It was not the same production as Week 1 but he is seeming to be a target Daniel Jones trusts early.
Talanoa Hufanga
The Broncos are already reaping the benefits of signing former all-pro safety Talanoa Hufanga. Hufanga is 7th in the NFL currently in tackles. Hufanga had another dominant day finishing with double digit tackles against the Colts. He has made an impact and his presence felt early. He was the best former USC Trojan on defense this past week.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold cost his team the game in Week 1, this time around he was one of the biggest reasons the Seahawks beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Darnold threw for 295 yards and had an even touchdown to interception ratio of 2-2. Darnold was a lot better this week but he still needs to take care of the ball better. That will come with more time as this offense continues to improve. In Week 1 Geno Smith was the better quarterback, this week Darnold clearer won. If Darnold can play like this the Seahawks will be a force to reckon with.
Drake London
The Falcons offense this week buried the Vikings with their tough defense and their dominant rushing attack. In result to that Drake London did not have much of an impact against Minnesota. London had 3 catches for 49 yards. In Week 1 London had 15 targets. That stat creates a lot of optimism for this season even with a less than productive performance last week. Drake London and Penix will be one of the best quarterback to receiver duos in the NFL.
Woody Marks
We still do not know when Joe Mixon will be back on the field for the Texans. That meant Woody Marks former USC Trojans received an elevated role in last week. Marks made the most of his opportunity making a couple big plays for this Texans offense. Marks had one big catch for 37 yards and 3 carries for 14 yards. Marks is slowly building trust with the Texans staff, we should expect even more production from Marks this week against the Jaguars.
Isaiah Pola-Mao
Isaiah Pola-Mao was a baller for the Raiders in Week 1 as he had the only takeaway for the Raiders against the Patriots. Week 2 the Raiders defense gave up big plays all game long Monday night versus the Chargers. It was a down week for Pola-Mao but he still had 5 tackles on the day.
Tuli Tuipulotu
Tuli Tuipulotu has yet to register a sack on the season so far but he was flying all over the field against the Raiders on Monday. Tuipulotu had 5 tackles and 2 pass deflections, playing his role in limiting the Raiders run game and underrated passing attack. With Khalil Mack on IR now after an elbow injury, Tuipulotu will be looked at to wreak havoc in the opponent’s backfield to a higher level the next four weeks.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: How did pro Trojans fare in Week 2 of the NFL season?
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
