Alabama
Alabama NFL roundup: Where was Derrick Henry?
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Henry opened the scoring with a 21-yard run with 12:21 left in the first quarter and scored on a 2-yard run as Baltimore took an 11-point lead with 12:50 remaining.
But he did not get on the field again, and the Ravens lost to the Patriots 28-24.
New England answered Henry’s second touchdown with one of their own (plus a 2-point conversion) to cut Baltimore’s lead to three points with 9:01 to play.
When the Ravens, playing without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson by that point, took possession, they had Keaton Mitchell at running back. He carried the football on two of Baltimore’s six snaps before the Ravens punted.
New England scored another touchdown with 2:07 left to take a four-point lead. Baltimore took the field without Henry again and threw two passes. The second was completed, but fumbled, and the Patriots recovered to seal their victory.
After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked if Henry should have been in the backfield after New England cut the lead to three points.
“I mean, yeah,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, I look back, and I say yeah. …
“Looking back, would I rather have Derrick starting the drive? Yeah, but you know, Derrick was kind of ready for Keaton to start that drive, and then he was planning on coming in next. So they were working that rotation. You look back on it, I think it’s pretty easy to say he should have been in there or shouldn’t have been in there, but we’re rotating those guys throughout the game as two backs. But yeah, game-winning drive, do I want Derrick Henry in the on the field? Sure, I do want him on the field.”
Mitchell finished the game with 13 yards on nine carries.
“We’ve been doing the rotation for how many weeks,” Henry said. “Keaton’s doing a great job in the run game. We’re both in there doing the best we can. We got a lot of good players, so everybody has to get their touches, get opportunities. And Keaton is deserving of it.”
Between the touchdowns, Henry lost a fumble at the New England 32-yard line in the first quarter.
Including the playoffs, Henry has 33 games with at least 128 rushing yards. Sunday night’s contest was the third that his team had lost.
The loss dropped Baltimore two games behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North race with two games to play. The Ravens play the Green Bay Packers on Saturday and the Steelers play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday before Baltimore and Pittsburgh square off in the regular-season finale on Jan. 4.
Henry was among the 39 former Alabama players who got on the field on the 16th Sunday of the NFL’s 106th season.
Four other former Alabama players were involved in the New England-Baltimore game:
- Christian Barmore started at defensive tackle for the Patriots. Barmore registered one quarterback hit.
- Patriots tight end CJ Dippre was designated as a game-day inactive.
- Marlon Humphrey (Hoover) started at cornerback for the Ravens. Humphrey made six tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another. Humphrey picked off quarterback Drake Maye at the Baltimore 4-yard line in the first quarter. Humphrey’s third interception of the season was the 22nd of his career. That’s tied for the fifth-most by a former Alabama player in the NFL with Russ Craft and Kareem Jackson. Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) recorded his second sack of the season.
- Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) recorded his second sack of the season.
In the other Sunday games:
Carolina Panthers 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
- Buccaneers safety Marcus Banks is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
- Buccaneers outside linebacker Chris Braswell made one tackle for loss and had one tackle on special teams.
- Panthers defensive end LaBryan Ray (James Clemens) made two tackles.
- A’Shawn Robinson started at defensive end for the Panthers. Robinson made one tackle.
- Bryce Young started at quarterback for the Panthers. Young completed 21-of-32 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran four times for 20 yards. Young threw touchdown passes of 22 yards to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan as Carolina took a 13-7 lead with seven seconds left in the first half and 6 yards to tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders as the Panthers went ahead 20-17 with eight seconds left in the third quarter.
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Buffalo Bills 23, Cleveland Browns 20
- Browns wide receiver Isaiah Bond had one rushing attempt that lost 1 yard, and while he did not have a reception, he had 21 receiving yards. Cleveland wide receiver Malachi Corley caught a pass 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage and lateraled to Bond, who ran 27 yards to the Buffalo 23-yard line. The play set up a touchdown on the Browns’ opening possession.
- Browns offensive lineman Darrian Dalcourt is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
- Browns running back Jerome Ford is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Jerry Jeudy started at wide receiver for the Browns. Jeudy had three receptions for 12 yards.
- Bills defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis made four tackles after not playing in the previous five games.
- Cam Robinson started at left offensive tackle for the Browns.
- Tyrell Shavers started at wide receiver for the Bills. Shavers had a 21-yard reception.
Los Angeles Chargers 34, Dallas Cowboys 17
- Tyler Booker started at right guard for the Cowboys.
- Bradley Bozeman (Handley) started at center for the Chargers.
- Trevon Diggs started at cornerback for the Cowboys. Diggs made six tackles. Diggs played for the first time since Oct. 12 after being sidelined for the past eight games by a concussion and knee soreness.
- Chargers defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe made one tackle on special teams.
- Da’Shawn Hand started at defensive tackle for the Chargers. Hand made two tackles.
- Chargers running back Najee Harris is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Cowboys wide receiver Traeshon Holden is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
- Chargers punter JK Scott had one punt for 55 yards, which went for a fair catch at the Dallas 19-yard line.
- Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (Wenonah) was designated as a game-day inactive. A concussion kept Williams out of the lineup.
Cincinnati Bengals 45, Miami Dolphins 21
- Jordan Battle started at safety for the Bengals. Battle tied for the team lead with five tackles on defense and had five tackles on special teams. Battle also caused Miami tight end Greg Dulcich to fumble, and Cincinnati recovered at the Dolphins 34-yard line. The Bengals turned the takeaway into a touchdown to take a 24-14 lead with 9:43 left in the third quarter.
- Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was designated as a game-day inactive. A calf injury kept Fitzpatrick out of the lineup.
- Bengals center Seth McLauglin is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
- Tua Tagovailoa was designated as the Dolphins’ emergency third quarterback. Tagovailoa could play only if Quinn Ewers and Zach Wilson could not. It was the first game since the first five of Tagovailoa’s career in 2020 that he did not start when healthy.
- Jaylen Waddle started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Waddle led Miami with five receptions for 72 yards.
New Orleans Saints 29, New York Jets 6
- John Metchie III started at wide receiver for the Jets. Metchie had a 4-yard reception.
- Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Pinson Valley) started at cornerback for the Saints. McKinstry made five tackles and broke up one pass.
- Malachi Moore (Hewitt-Trussville) started at safety for the Jets. Moore made eight tackles and forced one fumble. Moore caused Taysom Hill to fumble on the second snap of the game, and New York recovered at the New Orleans 37-yard line to set up a field goal.
- Jets running back Keilan Robinson is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Minnesota Vikings 16, New York Giants 13
- Jonathan Allen started at defensive tackle for the Vikings. Allen made eight tackles, recorded one sack and had two tackles for loss. Allen registered his highest tackle total since he had eight in the Washington Commanders’ 20-20 tie with the New York Giants on Dec. 4, 2022. Allen has 3.5 sacks this season.
- Ryan Kelly started at center for the Vikings. Kelly left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. He has missed time this season because of two concussions already.
- Giants offensive linebacker Evan Neal is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover) made his four kicks – field goals of 43, 31 and 30 yards and one extra point. Reichard’s 30-yard field goal with 4:15 to play broke a 13-13 tie.
- Dallas Turner started at outside linebacker for the Vikings. Turner made one tackle.
Tennessee Titans 26, Kansas City Chiefs 9
- Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal) started at cornerback for the Titans. Armour-Davis made two tackles. He returned to the lineup after missing the past three games.
- J.C. Latham started at right offensive tackle for the Titans.
- Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Atlanta Falcons 26, Arizona Cardinals 19
- Ronnie Harrison started at inside linebacker for the Falcons. Harrison made two tackles.
- Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Dalvin Tomlinson started at nose tackle for the Cardinals. Tomlinson made three tackles.
- Cardinals offensive tackle Jonah Williams is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Jacksonville Jaguars 34, Denver Broncos 20
- Broncos outside linebacker Que Robinson (Jackson-Olin) made two tackles on defense, recorded one tackle for loss, registered two quarterback hits, broke up one pass and had one tackle on special teams.
- Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Patrick Surtain II started at cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made one tackle.
Pittsburgh Steelers 29, Detroit Lions 24
- Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Lions safety Brian Branch is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
- Jahmyr Gibbs started at running back for the Lions. Gibbs ran for 2 yards on seven carries – the fewest rushing yards in his career. He also caught 10 passes for 66 yards and one touchdown. Gibbs’ 4-yard reception from quarterback Jared Goff with 4:11 left to play gave the running back the NFL record for the most touchdowns in a player’s first three seasons. With his 48th, Gibbs surpassed Barry Sanders’ record of 47.
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- Jameson Williams started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams had five receptions for 70 yards as he reached 1,000 receiving yards for the second season in a row.
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Houston Texans 23, Las Vegas Raiders 21
- Will Anderson Jr. started at defensive end for the Texans. Anderson made two tackles and recorded one sack. Anderson has reached a career high with 11.5 sacks.
- Texans linebacker Christian Harris made one tackle on special teams.
- Henry To’oTo’o started at linebacker for the Texans. To’oTo’o made four tackles.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Week 16 started on Thursday night, when the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams 38-37 in overtime.
Week 16 continued on Saturday, when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders 29-18 and the Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-16 in overtime.
Week 16 concludes on Monday, when the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.
Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly ran up to Sage Mardjetko and sneaked in a kiss on her cheek as the junior pitcher’s postgame interview on ESPN2 began.
Mardjetko only got through the beginning of her first answer before her teammates ran up with fake money and gloves, stuffing the fake bills in her belt with the glove on top of her head.
At one point, there were six teammates dressing up Mardjetko after her fantastic performance against No. 3 Alabama, including fellow pitcher Karlyn Pickens and outfielder Gabby Leach, who hit the game-winning home run. Other players joined in to throw bills in the air around Mardjetko.
The moment on April 26 belonged to Mardjetko, who delivered the Crimson Tide their first shutout loss of the season as No. 8 Tennessee won 2-0 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
By the time Mardjetko’s interview was over, there were three gloves sitting precariously on her head, bills stuffed in her collar, too, and bats leaning against her legs, with one stuck in the crook of her elbow.
“Usually this is our home run celebration,” Mardjetko said on ESPN2. “My teammates are just super fired-up, they know how big this game is and how big this series is.”
The Lady Vols’ famous mommy hat also got stacked on top of the gloves before falling off. Leach said they love getting the chance to have some fun with postgame interviews.
“That was just such a big moment for her and just being able to celebrate and make her look goofy, giving her the money and the mommy hat, she never gets to wear that,” Leach said. “So that was the perfect moment for her to have that hat on.”
Tennessee (39-8, 13-7 SEC) relied on solo home runs from Leach and Emma Clarke to back up Mardjetko’s one-hitter and force a rubber match on April 27 (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
“Sage is a competitor. She’s going to give you everything she has,” Weekly said. “She’s going to compete freely, she’s going to stay one pitch at a time, and she’s got the stuff to beat anybody. So, I had complete trust in Sage all day long, and the most important number today is a zero on the scoreboard.”
Mardjetko (11-1) had a no-hitter through 6⅓ innings. She struck out six, walked three, hit a batter and allowed one hit in her fifth shutout of the season. After Tennessee got run-ruled in the series opener, Mardjetko said her mentality was to go out and compete and do whatever it took to give them a chance.
Weekly didn’t witness most of the postgame interview chaos; she only saw players running toward Mardjetko with the money, gloves and bats. But she wants them to celebrate, and not just the turnaround from a 12-0 loss in Game 1. Weekly wants them to celebrate everything.
“I think that’s one of the things that we got away from, is focusing on celebrating all the little wins in a game,” she said. “I think that’s what you saw, is the ultimate celebration there. And just so happy for Sage. But also Sage really inspired her team today with the way she competed out there.”
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
Governor Kay Ivey:
“God bless our President, First Lady and the men and women in law enforcement. Let us pray for our leaders each and every day.”
Representative Barry Moore:
“They’ve told countless lies about him.
They’ve tried to bankrupt him.
They’ve come after his family.
They’ve tried to put him in prison.
They’ve tried to assasinate him – three times.
And yet, President Trump continues to fight for the American people.
We need to get on our knees and pray for him and our country.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville:
“A lunatic just tried to take out President Trump AGAIN.
The demonization of the President and Republicans needs to end.
Praying for our President and our country.”
Congressman Gary Palmer:
“I’m very thankful for the swift action of the Secret Service and that the President and no one at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was injured.
Considering this is the third attempt on the President’s life, last year’s assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the 2017 Congressional baseball shooting, it’s clear that our nation is in a cultural and political crisis.
We should all be praying for the healing of our nation and for the return of civil discourse.”
Senator Katie Britt:
“Wesley and I are praying for the safety of the President, the First Lady, and all those attending the White House Correspondents dinner. Grateful for the brave men and women in uniform working to keep everyone safe.”
Well that’s a wrap! Despite all of the hand-wringing, Alabama finished with 10 total players drafted, behind only Ohio State (11) for the most in college football. On top of that, the Tide was the only SEC school with multiple first round draft picks. If you missed any of them, here is the recap:
Round 1, pick 12 – OT Kadyn Proctor – Miami Dolphins
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Round 1, pick 13 – QB Ty Simpson – L.A. Rams
Round 2, pick 47 – WR Germie Bernard – Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 4, pick 137 – DL LT Overton – Dallas Cowboys
Round 5, pick 146 – C Parker Brailsford – Cleveland Browns
Round 5, pick 149 – LB Justin Jefferson – Cleveland Browns
Round 5, pick 173 – TE Josh Cuevas – Baltimore Ravens
Round 6, pick 201 – CB Domani Jackson – Green Bay Packers
Round 7, pick 232 – DT Tim Keenan – L.A. Rams
Round 7, pick 245 – RB Jam Miller – New England Patriots
All in all, it was a big day three for Alabama after a slow day two.
With the draft over, the undrafted free agent frenzy begins (seriously, if you think the draft is crazy, some the stories I’ve heard from NFL GMs about what happens right after it trying to convince all of the UDFAs to go places are pure chaos). Thus far, here’s the Alabama players who went out for the draft and didn’t get drafted, but have signed on with NFL squads:
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OL Jaeden Roberts – Philadelphia Eagles
LB Deontae Lawson – Philadelphia Eagles
LB Nikhai Hill-Green – L.A. Rams
OL Kam Dewberry – Atlanta Falcons
DB DaShawn Jones – New Orleans Saints
So far, OL Geno VanDeMark, punter Blake Doud, running back Dre Washington, and tight end Brody Dalton are still looking for teams. I think VanDeMark will likely find his way onto a team, but the other three probably will not.
It was also a decent day for some former Tide players. who transferred elsewhere in their careers:
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S – Caleb Downs (Ohio State) – 1st round, pick 11 – Dallas Cowboys
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WR- Kendrick Law (Kentucky) – 5th round, pick 168 – Detroit Lions
And that’s pretty much it for this year! Hopefully we will see many of these names popping up across the NFL for years to come. Roll Tide to all!
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