Marcus Jones returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown to send the New England Patriots on their way to a 33-15 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night.
With its 10th consecutive victory, New England became the first NFL team to reach 11 wins in the 2025 season.
Jones’ touchdown return came off a 54-yard punt by New York’s Jamie Gillan and put the Patriots ahead 10-0 with 5:17 left in the first quarter as they raced to a 30-7 halftime lead.
The punt return was the 75th of Jones’ career, qualifying the former Enterprise High School and Troy standout for the NFL’s career record book, and his 14.63-yards-per-return average went to No. 1 in league history.
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Jones replaced George McAfee, who averaged 12.78 yards on 112 punt returns for the Chicago Bears from 1940 through 1950, with three years missed for military service in World War II.
Later in the game, Jones had punt returns of 17 and 13 yards, bringing his all-time best average to 14.64 yards.
Only twice in NFL history has a player from an Alabama high school or college had a longer punt-return touchdown than Jones did on Monday night.
On Nov. 24, 1968, San Diego Chargers cornerback Speedy Duncan from Druid High School in Tuscaloosa returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in a 37-15 loss to the New York Jets in an AFL game.
On Jan. 1, 2017, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill from West Alabama returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in a 37-27 victory over the Chargers.
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The third punt-return touchdown of Jones’ career was his second of 2025. Jones returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown during a 42-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 28.
Jones’ Monday-night effort tied the franchise record for the longest punt-return touchdown, equaling Julian Edelman’s 94-yarder in a 38-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 2, 2011.
New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 24-of-31 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions on Monday night.
New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis breaks up a pass during an NFL game against the New York Giants on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
In addition to Jones, who started at cornerback for the Patriots, seven other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the New York-New England game:
Christian Barmore (Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Patriots. Barmore made five tackles.
Carlton Davis (Auburn) started at cornerback for the Patriots. Davis made five tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up two passes.
Patriots tight end CJ Dippre (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) started at cornerback for the Giants. Flott made five tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville, Alabama) made two tackles on defense, recorded one tackle for loss and had one tackle on special teams.
Giants offensive linebacker Evan Neal (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) made one tackle.
Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy) did not record any stats.
Darius Slayton (Auburn) started at wide receiver for the Giants. Slayton had two receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown. Slayton’s first touchdown of the 2025 season came on a 30-yard pass from quarterback Jaxson Dart as New York reduced New England’s lead to 17-7 with 12:46 left in the first half. Slayton also caught a 2-point conversion pass after New York’s second touchdown.
Patriots wide receiver Jeremiah Webb (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (Hueytown) dressed for the game but did not play. Winston had started the previous two games and thrown for 567 yards in a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 16 and a 34-27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions on Nov. 23. Winston returned to the sideline with the return of rookie QB Jaxson Dart from a concussion.
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New England (11-2) does not play against until Dec. 14 as the Patriots enter their bye week. New England will return against the Buffalo Bills at noon CST Dec. 14 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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New York (2-11) also is set for its open date in Week 14 of the NFL season. The Giants return against the Washington Commanders at noon Dec. 14 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton scores a touchdown during an NFL game against the New England Patriots on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Alabama football hosted a hometown kid for an official visit last weekend when it got Jeremiah Beverley on campus for an official visit.
Beverley attends Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and ESPN currently has him rated as a four-star recruit. He is considering Alabama, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and others.
The Crimson Tide offered Beverley earlier this month and got him on campus for an official visit last weekend. The Alabama target told Touchdown Alabama he used the visit to learn what the Tide has planned for him if he commits.
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“I’m truly happy that I went on that official visit,” Beverley said. “Blessed for that. All I was talking about was the next step, what I got to do? So, just knowing what they have planned for me, knowing what they have set for me.”
At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Beverley makes plays for Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa as a defensive end. Alabama has plans to use him similarly at the next level.
“They’re going to have me at wolf mostly,” Beverley said. “I know coach (Kane) Wommack and coach (Christian) Robinson, I think they see me at other positions, but I know it is guaranteed they’re going to see me at Wolf and me working my way up on special teams, and they expect that out of me.”
Beverley is expected to announce a commitment decision on Friday.
Watch Jeremiah Beverley’s Highlights Below:
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
Alabama football is hiring Noah Fisher to be its assistant tight ends coach, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Fisher spent two seasons as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line and tight ends at Louisville before joining the Tide’s staff. He played three years on the offensive line at South Alabama and spent one season with Tulane. The Jaguars started Fisher along its offensive line when he was a player for multiple games.
The Crimson Tide appear to want to use their tight ends in multiple ways in the future including as extra blockers along the line of scrimmage. Fisher looks as if he can assist the Tide with this mission.
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
PRICHARD, Ala. (NBC 15) — Sewage overflows during storms in Prichard are sending wastewater into local waterways that feed Mobile Bay, prompting an environmental group to push for state funding to upgrade aging infrastructure.
Mobile Baykeeper says sewage overflows during storms flow into Three Mile Creek, then into the Mobile River, and ultimately end up in Mobile Bay. The group said that last week, during heavy rain, more than 256,000 gallons of sewage spilled into Gum Tree Branch and Three Mile Creek.
Mobile Baykeeper has launched a petition seeking funding from the state of Alabama to fix Prichard’s old water infrastructure.
