Cal in NFL Sunday: Jared Goff, Ashtyn Davis Sidelined by COVID

Two former Cal standouts who are now NFL starters-- Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Jets safety Ashtyn Davis -- did not play Sunday because they are on COVID lists, and it almost turned into uncomfortable moment for Goff.

Goff had his best game this season in Detroit's 30-12 upset of Arizona a week ago, but he was put on the COVID list early this past week and was not able to be cleared in time to play Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. But with Tim Boyle at quarterback, the Lions nearly won that game, which would have made Goff's shaky future status with Detroit even more uncertain.

The Lions trailed by four points when they had a first-and-goal at the Falcons' 9-yard line with 39 seconds left. But Boyle threw an interception on the next play to preserve Atlanta's 20-16 win.

There is speculation that Goff won't be the Lions' starting quarterback next season, and that speculation would have gained credibility if the Lions had won without Goff. But the Lions are 2-12-1, with the Goff-directed win over the Cardinals remaining the high point.

Here's how other ex-Cal players fared in the NFL Sunday:

DeSean Jackson, Raiders wide receiver: Jackson had a season-high four receptions, although it was for just 44 yards in the Raiders' important 17-13 victory over the Broncos, putting Las Vegas in position to earn a postseason berth. For the season, Jackson has 19 receptions, with 12 of those coming after he signed with Las Vegas. He has 449 receiving yards, and 265 of those yards came in his eight games with the Raiders after being waived by the Rams.

Jaylinn Hawkins, Falcons safety -- Hawkins made his third straight start and fourth start overall this season in Sunday's win over the Lions. He recorded four tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Ashtyn Davis, Jet safety -- Davis' streak of starting nine straight games was halted by the coronavirus. He was placed on the reserve/COVID list on Sunday, preventing him from playing against the Jaguars. The Jets got their fourth win with a 26-21 win over Jacksonville.

Marvin Jones Jr., Jaguars wide receiver -- Jones had game highs in both receptions (eight) and receiving yards (74), but the Jaguars slipped to 2-13 with the loss to the Jets. Jones is putting together some pretty good numbers with 64 catches for 698 yards for the season, but he was not selected to the Pro Bowl.

Jones' biggest impact came before the game:

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙨@MarvinJonesJr linked with @Atleti’s @AntoGriezmann ahead of today’s kickoff 🤝 pic.twitter.com/i6V4UidtQ5
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 26, 2021

Keenan Allen, Chargers wide receiver: Allen was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth straight year, but he had just four catches for 35 yards in Los Angeles' 41-29 upset loss to Houston. For the season, Allen has 96 receptions for 1,042 yards, his fifth NFL season with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

Stephen Anderson, Chargers tight end: Anderson had two catches for 34 yards in the Chargers' loss, and he has 15 catches for 157 yards for the year.

Patrick Mekari, Ravens offensive lineman: Mekari was back in the starting lineup at right tackle after missing the past two games with a hand injury, but Baltimore lost to Cincinnati 41-21. Mekari has started 10 games this season, and the only game he played in which he was not the starter was the season opener.

Camryn Bynum, Vikings safety: Bynum was not in the starting lineup against the Rams, but he played quite a bit on defense and finished with two tackles and one pass defensed in the 30-23 loss to Los Angeles. Bynum was part of a Minnesota secondary that held Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to his worst game of the season.

Jake Curhan, Seahawks offensive lineman: Curhan, a rookie, made his third consecutive start at right tackle, but Seattle blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 25-24 loss to the Bears.

Cover photo of Marvin Jones Jr. (11) is by Danielle Parhizkaran, NorthJersey.com, USA TODAY NETWORK

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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