Relatively speaking, it was a quiet week for former Oregon Ducks in the NFL in Week 8. The San Francisco 49ers, now the home of two former Ducks defenders in DeForest Buckner and Deommodore Lenoir, had the week off. Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq has essentially disappeared from the New York Jets' offense after a strong 100-yard performance early in the year. Safety Jevon Holland, amid a career year with the New York Giants, suffered an injury before his team's bye week. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez provided his patented lockdown coverage — yet that doesn't quite show up on the stat sheet.
Just don't tell the former Oregon backfield of Bucky Irving and Bo Nix that it was supposed to be a quiet day for pro Ducks.
Both had their best games of the season
— and for Irving, the best of his career at a time when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed it. The Denver Broncos, led by Nix, needed it as well, as their signal-caller had faced heavy criticism for his play this season.
Let's take a look at how Irving, Nix and several other pro Ducks performed in Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season.
RB Bucky Irving — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In a torrential downpour in, Irving had perhaps the best game of his life considering the circumstances. With throwing the ball proving very difficult, the Buccaneers handed the ball to Irving 27 times and he answered the bell with a career-high 170 yards and a touchdown. Although he did lose a fumble, it didn't matter as Tampa Bay became the firts team since 1974 to win a game without completing a single pass in their 16-0 victory over the Falcons.
QB Bo Nix — Denver Broncos
After a rough start to the year, Bo Nix got back on track against the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 20-of-32 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Rallying back from a 24-13 deficit entering the fourth quarter, Nix helped lead the Broncos to a 28-24 win.
S Evan Williams — Green Bay Packers
It's become a bit of a surprise when Evan Williams doesn't reach double figures in tackles, and he did it again on Thursday Night Football against the Panthers. Williams tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in the 27-19 victory and is now up to 71 tackles on the year.
QB Justin Herbert — Los Angeles Chargers
The nightmare season continued for Justin Herbert. Taking on the Rams, Herbert completed 24-of-32 passes (a positive) for 257 yards (another positive) but for zero touchdowns and two interceptions (a huge negative). The Chargers are now 0-7 with Herbert throwing just five touchdowns to 10 interceptions on the season.
S Dillon Thieneman — Chicago Bears
Dillon Thieneman has been a key cog for the Bears in 2026 and that was the case on Monday Night Football against the Seahawks, as he tallied five tackles, three of which solo, in Chicago's 34-17 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: How Pro Ducks performed in Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season
