Pro Bears Start NFL Playoffs Saturday
Cal has eight former players who finished their collegiate careers with the Golden Bears affiliated with teams that have made the NFL Playoffs which begin Saturday including four on active rosters in Bryan Anger (Dallas), DeSean Jackson (Las Vegas), Alex Mack (San Francisco) and Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay). In addition, Tyson Alualu is on the injured reserve list of playoff-bound Pittsburgh, while Ian Bunting (Dallas), Richard Rodgers II (Philadelphia) and Davis Webb (Buffalo) are on practice squads of teams also playing in the postseason.
Jackson is on the final team to pick up one of the league's 14 playoff spots when the Raiders were a 35-32 overtime winner at home against the Los Angeles Chargers in the final game of the NFL regular season Sunday night. Jackson and the Raiders (10-7) finished as the #5 AFC seed and will visit AFC #4 seed Cincinnati (10-7) in an AFC Wild Card Round game on Saturday (4:35 pm ET/1:35 pm PT, NBC).
Mack and Alualu's teams also clinched their playoff spots on the final day of the NFL's regular season last Sunday with the 49ers a 27-24 Week 18 overtime winner at the Los Angeles Rams and the Steelers knocking off Baltimore also in overtime, 16-13.
Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay had already wrapped up home field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs, the conference's top seed, a bye in the opening Wild Card Round and an NFC North crown before a 37-30 Week 18 loss at Detroit last Sunday.
Anger and Bunting's Dallas squad closed out their regular season with a 51-26 Week 18 win over Philadelphia and Rodgers II on Saturday to finish the campaign with a 12-5 overall record and the NFC East crown. The #3 NFC seeded Cowboys will host Mack's #6 NFC seed 49ers (10-7) in an NFC Wild Card Round game on Sunday (3:30 pm CT/1:30 pm PT, CBS). Rodgers II and the Eagles (9-8) will be the #7 NFC seed and play at #2 NFC seed and defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay (13-4) also on Sunday (1 pm ET/10 am PT, FOX), while Pittsburgh (9-7-1) is the #7 AFC seed and will travel to #2 AFC seed Kansas City (12-5) to conclude Sunday's playoff tripleheader (7:15 pm CT/5:15 pm PT, NBC).
Webb's Buffalo squad is the AFC's #3 seed after finishing the regular season with an 11-6 overall record and clinching the AFC East with a 27-10 home win over the New York Jets in Week 18 last Sunday. The Bills will host #6 AFC seed New England (10-7) on Saturday (8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT, CBS).
The only Wild Card Round contest that does not include a former Cal player affiliated with at least one of the teams is the NFC matchup between the #4 NFC seed Los Angeles Rams (12-5) and #5 Arizona (11-6) at the Rams' SoFi Stadium on Monday, Jan. 17 (5:15 pm PT, ABC/ESPN).
NFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE/RESULTS
WILD CARD ROUND
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15
Seed, Team (Watch) … Cal Affiliates
1:30 pm PT (NBC, Peacock, Universo) – AFC No. 5 Las Vegas at AFC No. 4 Cincinnati … DeSean Jackson is on Las Vegas' active roster
5:15 pm PT (CBS, Paramount+) – AFC No. 6 New England at AFC No. 3 Buffalo … Davis Webb is on Buffalo's practice squad
SUNDAY, JANUARY 16
Seed, Team (Watch) … Cal Affiliates
10 am PT (FOX, FOX Deportes) – NFC No. 7 Philadelphia at NFC No. 2 Tampa Bay … Richard Rodgers II is on Philadelphia's practice squad
1:30 pm PT (CBS, Paramount+, NICK, Amazon Prime Video) – NFC No. 6 San Francisco at NFC No. 3 Dallas … Alex Mack is on San Francisco's active roster … Bryan Anger is on Dallas' active roster … Ian Bunting is on Dallas' practice squad
5:15 pm PT (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo) – AFC No. 7 Pittsburgh at AFC No. 2 Kansas City … Tyson Alualu is on Pittsburg's injured reserve list
MONDAY, JANUARY 17
Seed, Team (Watch) … Cal Affiliates
5:15 pm PT (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes) – NFC No. 5 Arizona at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams … None
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22
Time (Watch) – Seeds, Teams … Cal Affiliates
1:30 pm PT (TBD) – TBD
5:15 pm PT (TBD) – TBD
SUNDAY, JANUARY 23
Time (Watch) – Seeds, Teams … Cal Affiliates
Noon PT (TBD) – TBD
3:30 pm PT (TBD) – TBD
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 23
Time (Watch) – Seeds, Teams … Cal Affiliates
Noon PT (TBD) – TBD
3:30 pm PT (TBD) – TBD
SUPER BOWL LVI
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Time (Watch) – Seeds, Teams … Cal Affiliates
3:30 pm PT (NBC, NFL Live On Yahoo Sports, NFL App) – AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion … TBD
Following is a brief summary and notes on each of Cal's eight former players affiliated with teams that have reached the NFL's 2021 Playoffs on active rosters (4), injured/reserve lists (1) and practice squads (3). Please note that Richard Rodgers II was on Philadelphia's active roster for the Eagles' Week 18 game against Dallas but has since been placed on Philadelphia's practice squad. Pro Football Reference (players) and team (coaches) bios are available by clicking on each name.
Active NFL Rosters (4)
Bryan Anger, P, Dallas
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sat., Jan. 15, 3:30 pm CT/1:30 pm PT) – #3 Dallas (12-5) vs. #6 San Francisco (10-7) … member of a playoff team for second time (Houston 2019, Dallas 2021) … 2 games; 44.1 yards per punt
2021 Regular Season: 12-5 (#3 NFC Playoff Seed, NFC East Champion) … 17 games played, 0 starts; 44.6 net yards per punt (#1 NFL); 48.4 yards per punt (#6 NFL) … both career highs … 1st Pro Bowl selection
Week 18: W, 51-26, at Philadelphia – 1 punt, 44 yards, 44.0 yards per punt, 44.0 net yards per punt, 44 long
DeSean Jackson, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sat., Jan. 15, 4:30 pm ET/1:30 pm PT) – #5 Las Vegas (10-7) at #4 Cincinnati (10-7) … member of a playoff team for seventh time (Philadelphia 2008-10, 2013, 2020; Washington 2015; Las Vegas 2021) … 7 games played, 7 starts; 21 receptions, 338 yards, 2 touchdowns; 11 punt returns, 174 yards
2021 Regular Season: 10-7 (#5 AFC Playoff Seed, #2 AFC West) – 16 games played, 4 starts; 20 receptions, 454 yards, 2 TD (Las Vegas – 9 games played, 4 starts; 12 receptions, 233 yards, 1 TD … Los Angeles Rams – 7 games played, 0 starts; 8 receptions, 221 yards, 1 TD) … averaging 22.7 yards per reception on the season … most receptions and yards receiving since 2018
Week 18: W, 35-32 (OT), vs. Los Angeles Chargers – participated
Alex Mack, C, San Francisco
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sat., Jan. 15, 3:30 pm CT/1:30 pm PT) – #6 San Francisco (10-7) at #3 Dallas (12-5) … member of a playoff team for third time (Atlanta 2017-18, San Francisco 2021) … 5 games, 5 starts; 1 fumble recovery
2021 Regular Season: 10-7 (#6 NFC, #3 NFC West) – Played in and started all 17 games
Week 18: W, 27-24 (OT), at Los Angeles Rams – clinched a playoff spot with the victory … played all 70 offensive snaps at center
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Bye) – Member of a playoff team for 12th time (Green Bay 2007, '09-16, '19-21) … 21 games played, 20 starts; 481-of-745 (64.6%), 45 touchdowns, 13 interceptions; 56 rushes. 285 yards, 4 TD
2021 Regular Season: 13-4 (#1 NFC Playoff Seed … NFC North Champion) … 16 games played, 16 starts; 366-of-531 (68.9%, #4 NFL), 4115 yards (#9 NFL), 37 touchdowns (#T3 NFL), 4 interceptions, 111.9 quarterback rating (#1 NFL); 33 rushes, 101 yards, 3 touchdowns … 10th Pro Bowl selection … NFC Offensive Player of the Month (December) … NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 15) … also led the NFL with 6.8 touchdown percentage and an 0.8 interception percentage, while his 4 interceptions tied for the fewest among starting quarterbacks
Week 18: L, 30-37, at Detroit – 14-of-18, 138 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 135.6 rating; 1 rush, 7 yards … did not play in the second half
Injured Reserve (1)
Tyson Alualu, DL, Pittsburgh
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sun., Jan. 16, 8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT) – AFC #7 Pittsburgh (9-7-1) at AFC #2 Kansas City (12-5) … member of a playoff team for third time (Pittsburgh 2017, '20-21)
2021 Regular Season: 9-7-1 (#7 AFC, #2 AFC North) – 2 games played, 2 starts; 5 tackles, 1 quarterback hit … suffered an ankle fracture in Week 2 that caused him to be placed on the Injured Reserve List
Week 18: W, 16-13 (OT), at Baltimore – Did not play, Injured Reserve List … clinched a playoff spot in Week 18 with the victory plus losses by Indianapolis at Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas
Practice Squad (3)
Ian Bunting, TE, Dallas
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sat., Jan. 15, 3:30 pm CT/1:30 pm PT) – NFC #3 Dallas (12-5) vs. NFC #6 San Francisco (10-7) … member of a playoff team for first time
2021 Regular Season: 12-5 (#3 NFC Playoff Seed, NFC East Champion) … 1 game played, 0 starts; played 15 snaps (3 offensive, 12 special teams) in a 27-20 Week 14 win at Washington
Week 18: W, 51-26, at Philadelphia – Did not play, practice squad
Richard Rodgers II, TE, Philadelphia
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sun., Jan. 16, 1 pm ET/10 am PT) – NFC #7 Philadelphia (9-8) at NFC #2 Tampa Bay (12-5) … member of a playoff team for sixth time (Green Bay 2014-16, Philadelphia 2018-19, '21) … 10 games played, 2 starts; 13 receptions, 138 yards, 2 touchdowns
2021 Regular Season: 9-7 (#7 NFC, #2 NFC East) … 3 games played, 0 starts; 2 receptions, 11 yards; 2 tackles
Week 18: L, 26-51, vs. Dallas – 2 receptions, 11 yards; 2 tackles … activated for the regular-season finale after having not previously played since Week 8 but has since moved back to practice squad
Davis Webb, QB, Buffalo
Postseason (Wild Card Round – Sat., Jan. 15, 8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT) – AFC #3 Buffalo (11-6) vs. AFC #6 New England (10-7) … member of a playoff team for third time (Buffalo 2019-21)
2021 Regular Season: 11-6 (#3 AFC, AFC East Champion) … 1 game played, 0 starts; 2 rushes, -3 yards … made his NFL debut in a 45-17 Week 10 win at the New York Jets
Week 18: W, 27-10, vs. New York Jets – Did not play, practice squad … clinched AFC East crown