BYU players in the NFL Week 14: Puka Nacua goes nuts for the Rams while Zayne Anderson makes noise for the Packers

Here’s the Week 14 summary of former BYU Cougars in the NFL. Power Rankings reflect this season's overall performance.  

No. 1 - Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Stats: 12 receptions, 162 yards, 1 TD; 5 carries, 16 yards, 1 TD

The Rams won a crucial 44-42 contest against the Buffalo Bills, and Puka Nacua was the main reason why. The former BYU star absolutely dominated this game with 12 receptions (on 14 targets) for 162 yards and a touchdown, plus five rushes for 16 yards and another touchdown. His toe-tap sideline reception lit the internet on fire while his touchdown with less than two minutes left in the game iced the win for the Rams. As BYU fans it’s incredibly exciting to see a second-year player like Puka already building what could become a Hall of Fame career. 

No. 2 - Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Stats: 3 tackles

The 49ers obliterated the Chicago Bears and Fred Warner did just enough to help his team win with a relatively quiet three tackles. Warner’s impact has noticeably declined since fracturing a bone in his ankle weeks ago and continuing to play through the injury. Visions BYU fans had earlier this season of Fred Warner being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year have probably evaporated at this point. 

No. 3 - Kyle Van Noy, LB, Baltimore Ravens

Stats: Bye week

Van Noy got a much-needed bye week after missing last week’s game with hamstring and neck issues. He has produced a great season with eight sacks through 12 games, just one sack off his career-high nine from a season ago. 

No. 4 - Ryan Rehkow, P, Cincinnati Bengals

Stats: 3 punts, 40.3 average, 61-yard long

Rehkow boomed a 61-yard punt in the fourth quarter for a touchback in a close Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys. Ironically, Dallas blocked a Rehkow punt late in the game but a Cowboys player touched the live ball which was eventually recovered once again by the Bengals for a first down. The blocked-punt-turned-first-down for the Bengals led to the game-winning points for Cincinnati.

No. 5 - Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Stats: 9 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD

Allgeier continues to be criminally underutilized by the Atlanta Falcons. Five of his nine carries went for either first downs or a touchdown. Despite averaging seven yards per carry and moving the chains (as he usually does), Allgeier was limited to just 13 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, starting running back Bijan Robinson had 22 carries for 92 yards (4.2 YPC). 

On the season Allgeier is averaging 5.0 yards per carry (102 carries for 508 yards), which is half a yard better than what Bijan Robinson is averaging at 4.5 yards per carry (217 carries for 997 yards). Allgeier is outperforming Robinson, but despite this reality the former BYU star has less than half the attempts Robinson has received on the year. 

No. 6 - Brady Christensen, OL, Carolina Panthers

Stats: 3 special teams snaps

The rebuilding Carolina Panthers continue to relegate Christensen, who is in the last year of his rookie contract, to a limited special teams role despite having started at multiple positions this year and playing well, earning a 64.0 PFF grade overall, and a really solid 70.8 run blocking grade. It’s a frustrating situation for the soon-to-be free agent. 

No. 7 - Chris Brooks, RB, Green Bay Packers

Stats: 1 carry, 3 yards; 14 offensive snaps, 15 special teams snaps

Brooks’ only carry against the Lions got just enough for a first down on second-and-3. Beyond his touches, the second-year back has proven to be a trusted blocker on passing plays and is often kept in the backfield to protect quarterback Jordan Love. Pass blocking doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, but several of his 14 offensive snaps featured excellent protection on pass plays. 

No. 8 - Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints

Stats: 3 carries, 5 yards; 2 receptions, 10 yards; 1 kick return, 16 yards; 1 tackle

It was a rough game for Jamaal in a tight Saints win over the New York Giants. He muffed the game’s opening kickoff before eventually returning it to the 16 yard line. Then in the second quarter he was flagged for unnecessary roughness, setting the Giants up on their own 49 on a drive that led to a field goal. One of his carries was a direct snap to him on a fake punt on fourth-and-3, but he only gained two yards, forcing a turnover on downs. 

However, the ever-exuberant Williams had a first down carry on a third-and-1 and was later trusted with a carry with less than two minutes left in the game with the Saints trying to ice the contest, though his carry went for just one yard. It has been a disappointing season overall for Jamaal due to limited touches and some injuries with just 35 carries for 129 yards (3.7 YPC) on the year. 

No. 9 - Khyiris Tonga, DT, Arizona Cardinals

Stats: Inactive

Tonga was not active for the second straight week despite his solid overall season where he has been featured as a key reserve, often playing around 20 defensive snaps per game. Let’s hope he gets back on track in the upcoming weeks. He has 16 tackles in 10 games this year. 

No. 10 - Sione Takitaki, LB, New England Patriots

Stats: Bye week

The six-year vet’s first year with the Patriots got off to a slow start due to an injury that cost him six of the first seven games this year. But he has played between 12 and 28 defensive snaps in four his last five games as his role has increased throughout the season. He has six tackles in seven games this year. 

No. 11 - Zayne Anderson, S, Green Bay Packers

Stats: 4 tackles (career high); 53 defensive snaps, 19 special teams snaps 

Throughout his four-year NFL career, Zayne Anderson has been a special teams ace. By “special teams ace” I mean that before last week’s game he had appeared in 29 career games with 439 special teams snaps to just eight career defensive snaps. 

But last week after an injury in the Packers secondary, Anderson was thrust into a prominent defensive role, playing 53 snaps and recording a career-high four tackles. His incredible tackle for a stop on third-and-inches with less than a minute left kept the Packers in the game and earned him praise on Thursday Night Football. 

No. 12 - Michael Davis, CB, Washington Commanders

Stats: Bye week

The eight-year veteran has had a quiet first year in Washington playing largely as a reserve cornerback and on special teams. He has eight tackles and one pass defended in 13 games this season. 

No. 13 - Kingsley Suamataia, OT, Kansas City Chiefs

Stats: Inactive

Even with the Chiefs subpar play at left tackle this season, Kingsley still hasn’t earned his opportunity. Kansas City was once again forced to shuffle its offensive line on Sunday Night Football when veteran left tackle D.J. Humphries, making his first start of the season after recovering from an injury, was injured late in the game. Suamataia didn't get the call. Kingsley’s rookie season has been a slow, watch-and-learn experience that will hopefully position him for future success. 

No. 14 - Blake Freeland, OT, Indianapolis Colts

Stats: Bye week

After starting nine of 16 games as a rookie last year, Freeland has played just one offensive snap and 13 on special teams in five games this year. 

Has Not Played:

Zach Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos (Inactive)

Injured Reserve

Taysom Hill, TE/HB, New Orleans Saints - Taysom was enjoying an incredible year full of memorable performances before his season-ending injury cut his campaign short at just eight games. On the year he rushed 39 times for 278 yards (a ridiculous 7.1 yards per carry) with six touchdowns, had 23 receptions for 187 yards, completed two passes for 21 yards, returned one kick for 42 yards, and tackled a punter in the end zone for a forced fumble with a safety.

On Practice Squads: 

Jaren Hall, QB, Seattle Seahawks

Dax Milne, WR, Carolina Panthers

Kedon Slovis, QB, Houston Texans

Max Tooley, LB, Minnesota Vikings

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