The Oregon Ducks secondary has long been regarded as a strength of the program in recent seasons. That's not the case in 2026, as the Ducks rank 78th nationally in passing yards allowed. It's an uncharacteristic flaw compounded by the fact that starting safety Aaron Flowers will be out awhile with an injury.
Meanwhile, transfer Koi Perich entered the year with high expectations but hasn't lived up to them, not looking like the dynamic player that he was during his first two seasons at Minnesota. Heading into a tough seven-game stretch to end the year and to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, the secondary will have to step up big time.
They'll have to play like they have in recent years, directly leading to success in the league
from pro Ducks safeties and cornerbacks. Even though Dillon Thieneman had a quiet day, each of Jevon Holland, Evan Williams and Christian Gonzalez had strong performances in the NFL in Week 6. A couple other defenders made their presences felt, while the two Oregon starting quarterbacks continued their subpar play to begin the year.
Without further ado, let's get into how former Ducks performed in the NFL this week.
S Jevon Holland — New York Giants
Jevon Holland's standout season continued on Sunday, as he tied for the team-lead with nine tackles and added two run stuffs and a pass defensed in the Giants' 34-27 loss to the Saints.
S Evan Williams — Green Bay Packers
Speaking of standout seasons, Evan Williams is on pace for the best year of his career after adding six tackles and his second interceptions of the season in the Packers' 23-13 win over the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. He's now up to 52 tackles, on pace to eclipse his career-high of 100 in 2025.
CB Christian Gonzalez — New England Patriots
Returning to the field after a two-game absence, Christian Gonzalez picked up right where he left off, totaling six tackles in the Patriots' 23-16 win over the Jets.
RB Bucky Irving — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers lost, falling to 1-5, as Bucky Irving produced 46 yards on 19 carries against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's stout defensive front stymied Irving one week after he posted his career-high in rushing yards against the Cowboys.
Bryce Boettcher — Indianapolis Colts
Bryce Boettcher continues to make an impact with the Colts, both on special teams and in a rotational role at linebacker. In Indianapolis' loss to the Titans, Boetchher had four tackles, including one solo takedown.
DL Brandon Dorlus — Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Dorlus went into Week 6 sack-less, but that changed after he took down Chicago's Caleb Williams for his first of the year. It was his ninth of his career after Dorlus totaled 8.5 sacks in 2025. The Falcons fell to the Bears, 31-23.
QB Bo Nix — Denver Broncos
The Broncos took down the defending Super Bowl-champion Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, but it wasn't because of much that Bo Nix did. He played conservative football, completing 17-of-27 passes for just 107 yards in the 17-14 overtime win.
QB Justin Herbert — Los Angeles Chargers
The losing and subpar play from Justin Herbert continued on Sunday, as the Chargers fell to 0-6 with a loss to the Chiefs. Herbert completed 22-of-37 passes for 204 yards and an interception and has now thrown five touchdowns to eight interceptions on the year.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: How Pro Ducks performed in Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season
