Alabama
Alabama NFL roundup: Josh Jacobs carries the load in Packers’ win
With six seconds left in the Green Bay Packers’ season-opening game on Sept. 6, quarterback Jordan Love went out with a knee injury. That left Green Bay with Malik Willis at quarterback, and he had started practicing with the team only on Aug. 28 after being acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans.
With Willis in the lineup for their second game on Sunday, the Packers had a new game plan, and it centered on running back Josh Jacobs.
The former Alabama ball-carrier ran for 151 yards on 32 carries as Green Bay totaled 261 yards on 53 rushing attempts in a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Packers hadn’t run that many times in a non-overtime game since Sept. 3, 1978, when Green Bay had 181 yards on 55 carries in a 13-7 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Jacobs had the third-most rushing yards and the second-most rushing attempts of his career. Jacobs’ day would have been even better, but he lost a 20-yard touchdown run to an offensive-holding penalty in the first quarter and lost a fumble as he was about to cross the goal line in the second quarter.
Only four Green Bay players have had more than 32 rushing attempts in a game, and Jacobs was the first Packers ball-carrier to reach 32 since Oct. 12, 2008, when Ryan Grant had 90 yards on 33 carries.
Jacobs’ biggest game as an NFL ball-carrier came on Nov. 27, 2022, when he ran for 229 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 40-34 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks. Jacobs had 154 yards and one touchdown on 21 rushing attempts in the Raiders’ 30-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 10, 2022.
Jacobs was playing in his second game with the Packers. He joined Green Bay as a free agent in the offseason.
Jacobs was among the 48 former Alabama players who got on the field on the second Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.
Four other former Alabama players were involved in the Indianapolis-Green Bay game:
· Colts defensive tackle Raekwon Davis made three tackles.
· Colts safety Ronnie Harrison did not record any stats. Indianapolis activated Harrison from the practice squad to make him eligible to play.
· Ryan Kelly started at center for the Colts.
· Xavier McKinney started at safety for the Packers. McKinney made four tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and intercepted one pass. In the second quarter, McKinney intercepted Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson at the Green Bay 13-yard line and returned it 18 yards. Signed in free agency during the offseason, McKinney has two interceptions in two games for the Packers.
In the other Sunday games:
Las Vegas Raiders 26, Baltimore Ravens 23
· Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal) made one tackle on special teams.
· Ravens guard Darrian Dalcourt is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Derrick Henry started at running back for the Ravens. Henry ran for 84 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries and had a 12-yard reception. Henry scored on a 3-yard run as Baltimore took a 23-13 lead with 12:11 remaining. Henry had 5 yards on seven rushing attempts in the first half.
· Marlon Humphrey (Hoover) started at cornerback for the Ravens. Humphrey reached a career high with 10 tackles. He also had one tackle for loss and intercepted a pass. Humphrey got his 14th career interception when he picked off a pass by Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew at the Baltimore 33-yard line with 5:03 left in the first half.
· Eddie Jackson started at free safety for the Ravens. Jackson made two tackles.
Los Angeles Chargers 26, Carolina Panthers 3
· Bradley Bozeman (Handley) started at center for the Chargers against his team of the previous two seasons.
· Chargers defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Chargers offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Panthers defensive end LaBryan Ray (James Clemens) made two tackles.
· A’Shawn Robinson started at defensive end for the Panthers. Robinson made six tackles.
· Chargers punter JK Scott averaged 43.0 yards on three punts, with a 32.0-yard net. Scott had a 38-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Carolina 13-yard line, a 44-yarder for a touchback and a 47-yarder returned 13 yards to the Carolina 19.
· Bryce Young started at quarterback for the Panthers. Young completed 18-of-26 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and had a 6-yard run.
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New Orleans Saints 44, Dallas Cowboys 19
· Trevon Diggs started at cornerback for the Cowboys. Diggs made five tackles.
· Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Pinson Valley) started at cornerback for the Saints. McKinstry made five tackles and broke up one pass. He made his first NFL start in his second game with New Orleans in the place of Marshon Lattimore, who missed the contest because of a hamstring injury.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Detroit Lions 16
· Terrion Arnold started at cornerback for the Lions. Arnold made one tackle.
· Buccaneers safety Marcus Banks is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Brian Branch started at safety for the Lions. Branch tied for the team lead with six tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another. Branch’s fourth NFL interception came off Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield at the Detroit 43-yard line with 1:52 left in the first half, and he had a 1-yard return.
· Buccaneers outside linebacker Chris Braswell made one tackle and registered one quarterback hit.
· Jahmyr Gibbs started at running back for the Lions. Gibbs ran for 84 yards on 13 carries and caught seven passes for 22 yards.
· Jameson Williams started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams had five receptions for 79 yards, including a 50-yarder, and a 15-yard run.
Cleveland Browns 18, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
· Browns cornerback Tony Brown is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Browns guard Javion Cohen (Central-Phenix City) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Amari Cooper started at wide receiver for the Browns. Cooper had three receptions 11 yards.
· Browns running back Jerome Ford ran for 64 yards on seven carries and caught one pass for no gain.
· Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had five receptions for 73 yards.
· Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones dressed but did not play.
· Browns tight end Cameron Latu is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Cam Robinson started at left offensive tackle for the Jaguars.
· Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Dalvin Tomlinson started at defensive tackle for the Browns. Tomlinson made two tackles.
· Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was designated as a game-day inactive. Wills is recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss the final nine games of the 2023 season. He has been a limited participant in practice and did not play in the season-opening game either.
Minnesota Vikings 23, San Francisco 49ers 17
· Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover) made three field goals and two extra points. Reichard made a 22-yard field goal with 4:45 left in the first quarter for the first points of the game and the first three-pointer of his NFL career. He also had field goals of 39 yards on the final snap of the first half and 27 yards with 3:30 left in the game.
· Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner made two tackles.
Seattle Seahawks 23, New England Patriots 20 (OT)
· Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker did not record any stats in his NFL debut.
· Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is on the non-football illness list and not eligible to play.
· Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) started at outside linebacker for the Patriots. Jennings made seven tackles.
· Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Jarran Reed started at defensive end for the Seahawks. Reed made six tackles.
New York Jets 24, Tennessee Titans 17
· Jets safety Jaylen Key (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· J.C. Latham started at left offensive tackle for the Titans.
· C.J. Mosley (Theodore) started at linebacker for the Jets. Mosley made three tackles. Mosley left the game with a toe injury in the second quarter and did not return.
· Calvin Ridley started at wide receiver for the Titans. Ridley had four receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Ridley scored the first points of the game on the first rushing TD of his career with 2:30 left in the first quarter and caught a 40-yard touchdown pass with 3:22 left in the third quarter as Tennessee tied the game at 17-17.
· Quinnen Williams (Wenonah) started at defensive tackle for the Jets. Williams made three tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
Washington Commanders 21, New York Giants 18
· Jonathan Allen started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Allen made two tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
· Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis made one tackle.
· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal dressed for the game but did not play.
· Daron Payne (Shades Valley) started defensive tackle for the Commanders. Payne did not record any stats.
· Brian Robinson Jr. (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa) started at running back for the Commanders. Robinson ran for 133 yards on 17 carries and had a 3-yard reception. Robinson reached his career high for rushing yards with his second 100-yard game. Robinson ran for 105 yards on 18 carries in a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 27, 2022.
Arizona Cardinals 41, Los Angeles Rams 10
· Rams tight end Miller Forristall is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Cardinals offensive tackle Jonah Williams is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery) started at inside linebacker for the Cardinals. Wilson made four tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Denver Broncos 6
· Steelers cornerback Anthony Averett is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Minkah Fitzpatrick started at safety for the Steelers. Fitzpatrick made seven tackles.
· Najee Harris started at running back for the Steelers. Harris ran for 69 yards on 17 carries and had a 5-yard reception.
· Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and not eligible to play.
· Patrick Surtain II started at left cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made one tackle.
· Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace made one tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs 26, Cincinnati Bengals 25
· Bengals safety Jordan Battle did not record any stats.
· Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton caught only one pass, but it went for a 47-yard gain. Burton’s reception moved Cincinnati to the Kansas City 23-yard line to open a touchdown drive as the Bengals took a 22-17 lead with 2:16 left in the third quarter.
Houston Texans 19, Chicago Bears 13
· Will Anderson Jr. started at defensive end for the Texans. Anderson had four tackles and recorded 1.5 sacks.
· Texans linebacker Christian Harris is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· John Metchie III was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Henry To’oTo’o started at linebacker for the Texans. To’oTo’o led Houston with 13 tackles. To’oTo’o’s career-high total included the first sack of his NFL career.
Week 2 started on Thursday night, when the Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-10.
Week 2 concludes on Monday, when the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. ESPN will televise the game.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
UPDATE — Zyan Gibson took to social media to dispute initial reports of his decommitment.
His statement read, “Earlier today, a post was shared about my decommitment. I want to clarify that this message was the result of a miscommunication. I’m standing by my pledge I made to Bama. I will be signing with Bama on Dec. 3rd. At this point I will not be doing any interviews. Roll Tide.”
Earlier today, a post was shared about my decommitment. I want to clarify that this message was the result of a miscommunication. I’m standing by my pledge I made to Bama. I will be signing with Bama on Dec. 3rd. At this point I will not be doing any interviews. Roll Tide!!
— Zyan “z7evenn” Gibson (@ZyanGibson) December 1, 2025
After a strong weekend on the recruiting trail, consisting of two new commitments for the 2026 class, Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide staff received a bit of bad news late Sunday night.
4-Star cornerback Zyan Gibson, an in-state prospect from Gadsden, Alabama, officially announced his decommitment from the Tide on November 30, according to Hayes Fawcett of Rivals. Gibson was Alabama’s earliest commit of the class, originally making his decision in December of 2024.
🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star CB Zyan Gibson has decommitted from Alabama, @Hayesfawcett3 reports.
Read: https://t.co/DmUvw7qZRc pic.twitter.com/oJi3KLTepW
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 1, 2025
Prior to his original commitment, Gibson held offers from the likes of Tennessee, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and many more. He took visits to both Tennessee and Ole Miss in June of this year, but has since made four return trips to Tuscaloosa this fall.
The 4-Star prospect had been expected to be a member of Alabama’s early signing group, but will now likely be making his pledge elsewhere. While it is unclear yet where Gibson is expected to commit, Tennessee is his second most visited school behind Alabama, so early indicators point to the Volunteers as a potential landing spot.
The Alabama native is a somewhat undersized prospect compared to what Alabama has recently targeted at the position as he stands just 6-foot, 174 lbs. Despite his smaller stature, Gibson is a speedy cornerback that is sticky in coverage.
He is ranked as the No. 5 player at his position in the nation, and the No. 4 player in the state, according to 247Sports’ composite ranking.
Although it is certainly a loss for the class, missing out on such a high caliber talent, Alabama still holds commitments from three other defensive backs, all of which are more in line with the body type that the current Crimson Tide staff has targeted since taking over.
- CB Zyan Gibson, 6-foot, 174. lbs. – Gadsden, Alabama (Committed 12/24/2024)
- CB Jorden Edmonds, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 03/26/2025)
- EDGE Jamarion Matthews, 6-foot-2, 240 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 02/21/2025)
- EDGE Kamhariyan Johnson, 6-foot-4, 260 lbs. – Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Committed 04/12/2025)
- OL Chris Booker, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 02/20/2025)
- QB Jett Thomalla, 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. – Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/17/2025)
- DL JJ Finch, 6-foot-3, 260 lbs. – Indianapolis, Indiana (Committed 06/22/2025)
- RB Javari Barnett, 5-foot-11, 205 lbs. – Tampa Bay, Florida (Committed 06/23/2025)
- S Rihyael Kelley, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs. – Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 06/23/2025)
- SN Eli Deutsch, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Franklin, Wisconsin (Committed 06/24/2025)
- RB Ezavier Crowell, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. – Jackson, Alabama (Committed 06/26/2025)
- TE Mack Sutter, 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. – Dunlap, Illinois (Committed 06/26/2025)
- LB Zay Hall, 6-foot-2, 222 lbs. – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 06/27/2025)
- LB Xavier Griffin, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
- WR Owen Cabell, 6-foot-2, 201 lbs. – Nashville, Tennessee (Committed 06/30/2025)
- WR Brian Williams, Jr., 6-foot-4, 185 lbs. – Lake Mary, Florida (Committed 07/01/2025)
- WR Cederian Morgan, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs – Alexander City, Alabama (Committed 07/02/2025)
- DL Nolan Wilson, 6-foot-4, 250 lbs. – Picayune, Mississippi (Committed 07/04/2025)
- S Jireh Edwards, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. – Baltimore, Maryland (Committed 07/05/2025)
- QB Tayden Kaawa, 6-foot-5, 235 lbs. – Orem, Utah (Committed 07/22/2025)
- OT Bear Fretwell, 6-foot-6, 295 lbs. – Brooklet, Georgia (Committed 07/25/25)
- OT Jared Doughty, 6-foot-5, 300 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 10/05/2025)
- EDGE Corey Howard, 6-foot-6, 245 lbs. – Valdosta, Georgia (Committed 10/19/2025)
- OL Tyrell Miller, 6-foot-5, 305 lbs. – College of San Mateo (Committed 11/29/2025)
- TE Jude Cascone, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 11/30/2025)
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer reacts to Alabama’s Iron Bowl win
Kalen DeBoer said Alabama’s resilience and clutch plays made the difference in the Crimson Tide’s Iron Bowl victory.
AUBURN, AL – Kalen DeBoer made a gutsy call. Then Alabama’s coach made a funny.
Late in a tie game in the Iron Bowl, why did DeBoer go for 4th-and-2 instead of electing for a short go-ahead field goal?
DeBoer explained it with a bit of comedic relief.
“I figured it was 29 yards shorter than the last time we needed a touchdown here,” DeBoer deadpanned.
Good one!
DeBoer must know his Iron Bowl history. He was still coaching Washington when Jalen Milroe completed his 4th-and-a-prayer 31-yard strike to Isaiah Bond in 2023 to send Nick Saban out a victor in his final Iron Bowl.
Now, Ty Simpson joins this rivalry’s lore.
Alabama needed six feet to move the chains on fourth down. Simpson got six yards with his touchdown toss to Isaiah Horton with 3:50 remaining, good for the winning score in a 27-20 victory.
“The fact I get to say that I led a game-winning drive in the Iron Bowl, that’s something I’ll tell my kids’ kids,” Simpson said. “Just super incredible.”
Even if Alabama’s performance — the Tide were outgained by 131 yards — could best be described as something other than incredible.
Alabama probably on safe side of CFP bubble after Iron Bowl win
DeBoer described this victory the way most coaches would.
He called it gritty, not ugly. A show of resilience, not a cause for concern.
Sure beats losing, anyway.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” DeBoer said. “There’s some teams that hope they can find a way. I think our guys really understand that if they get in these spots, they can make it happen.”
A third loss would have kept No. 10 Alabama (10-2) out of the SEC Championship and out of the College Football Playoff for the second straight year.
This win probably keeps Alabama on the safe side of the bubble, for now anyway.
A triumph against Georgia next weekend in Atlanta would remove all doubt and clinch a playoff bid. Depending on where Alabama falls in the rankings this week, a competitive loss could do the trick, too, although the situation would become dicey if Brigham Young beats Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship and turns that conference into a two-bid league, or if Alabama loses the SEC Championship by a lopsided score.
“We’ve got quality-strength wins and some wins on the road,” DeBoer said. “We’ve got more than a playoff-caliber football team.”
Kalen DeBoer joins coaches pitching his bubble team for CFP
The coaches of fellow bubble teams Miami, Vanderbilt and Texas all made their pitches, too. None of those teams is headed for a conference championship game, though. That won’t stop their lobbying.
“To do anything other than allow these guys to compete for it all would be just an injustice to the work they’ve done,” Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea said after a win against Tennessee pushed his Commodores to 10-2.
Texas’ Steve Sarkisian warmed up that language one day earlier, saying it would “be a disservice to our sport” if the committee rejected a 9-3 Longhorns team that beat Vanderbilt and also owns wins against Texas A&M (11-1) and Oklahoma (10-2), making Texas the only team with three top-15 triumphs.
Miami’s pitch is wrapped up in its head-to-head win against Notre Dame, a team with which it shares a 10-2 record.
“Head-to-head is always the No. 1 criteria regarding anything (in) athletics,” Miami’s Mario Cristobal said in his pitch.
I hate to be the one to tell Cristobal, but the No. 1 criterion is whatever the committee desires it to be to justify a particular choice.
“There’s not a question in my mind” that Alabama is a playoff team, DeBoer said.
He could say that with a straight face and conviction in his voice, because Simpson made good on DeBoer’s 4th-and-2 call, and then Alabama forced a fumble to seal the victory.
That prevented the need for any 4th-and-31 heroics on this night, and DeBoer got to try out his joke.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
The Iron Bowl is always one of the most anticipated dates on the sporting calendar, but this year’s iteration should be quite the spectacle.
Auburn is in the midst of a disappointing season, but the Tigers could end Alabama’s bid to make the College Football Playoff with the upset.
Those stakes should make for quite an atmosphere inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. There’s nothing that Auburn could use more than a win over Alabama right now.
Iron Bowl: Alabama vs. Auburn odds, prediction
Auburn’s record sits at 5-6, and the Tigers already fired head coach Hugh Freeze, but things aren’t as bad as they seem on the Plains.
The Tigers just couldn’t find a way to win close games in 2025. War Eagle went 0-5 in one-score games this season, and four of them (Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Vanderbilt) came against teams that spent most of the season inside the Top 25.
The problem for the Tigers has been consistent all season. They just can’t score.
Auburn’s defense is only conceding 20.4 points per game, against an elite schedule no less, but the offense is averaging just 23.9 points per contest. That’s one way to ensure you lose a lot of close games.
The Tigers won’t be the only impressive defensive team on the field on Saturday, however.
Alabama’s offense has received plenty of praise over the course of the season thanks to the emergence of quarterback Ty Simpson, but it’s the other side of the ball that has turned the Tide into a contender. According to SP+, Alabama boasts the sixth-best defense in the country, ten spots better than Auburn.
With two great defenses, one bad offense, and another under heaps of pressure in a must-win situation, this game could be a pressure-cooker. The Iron Bowl is a place to expect the unexpected, but this one sets up to be a rock fight, which puts value on the Under 48.5.
The Play: Under 48.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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