NFL Sunday roundup: Former Alabama tight end catches game-winning touchdown pass

Since entering the NFL from Alabama as an undrafted rookie in 2021, tight end Miller Forristall has been on the rosters of four NFL franchises, including the Cleveland Browns twice two years apart. He’s played in six regular-season games – the most recent on Nov. 13, 2022. He has zero career receptions.

But on Sunday, Forristall came up big in the Los Angeles Rams’ preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys by catching a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Stetson Bennett with four seconds to play, and the Rams won 13-12 when Joshua Karty kicked the extra point.

The touchdown catch was Forristall’s third reception of the game, and he finished with 19 receiving yards. All of Forristall’s receptions came on Los Angeles’ 13-play, 70-yard drive to the winning touchdown after Dallas had taken a 12-6 lead with 2:52 remaining.

In a preseason rarity, Bennett went all the way at quarterback for the Rams. He completed 24-of-38 passes for 224 yards, but he was intercepted four times. The final completion to Forristall was Los Angeles’ only touchdown of the game.

One other player from an Alabama high school or college got on the field during the Dallas-Los Angeles game:

· Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (Alabama) did not play.

· Cowboys defensive tackle Justin Rogers (Auburn) made two tackles and recorded a tackle for loss in his first pro game. Rogers joined Dallas in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft on April 27.

· Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) did not play.

· Rams cornerback Darious Williams (UAB) did not play.

· Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Former Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is competing to become the Denver Broncos’ starting QB for the 2024 season. His teammates didn’t do him any favors in the NFL’s other preseason game on Sunday.

In Denver’s 34-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Stidham started, and the Broncos didn’t score during his two series. Denver got 20 points with rookie Bo Nix at quarterback and the final 14 with Zach Wilson under center.

Stidham opened the preseason for the Broncos offense with a 13-yard completion to wide receiver Courtland Sutton and a 14-yard completion to wide receiver Tim Patrick to move Denver to the Indianapolis 44-yard line in two snaps.

But Patrick got a taunting penalty after his catch to set back the Broncos, and Denver had false-start penalties on two of its next four trips to the line. The Broncos’ first possession of the preseason ended with a punt from the Denver 47-yard line.

On the Broncos’ next offensive series, a scramble by Stidham had Denver at the Colts 44-yard line again. But a holding penalty against Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles negated the play. Two snaps later, running back Samaje Perine played a pass from Stidham into an interception by Indianapolis cornerback Kenny Moore II.

“I thought we moved the ball really well,” Stidham said. “We kind of shot ourselves in the foot mainly those first two drives with penalties and that sort of thing. But a lot of good, I thought. Obviously, we’ll take a look at the film and get better from it, and, obviously, clean up the penalties because, like I said, I thought that was probably the biggest thing. But I thought we were pretty efficient there pretty early on. Obviously, the penalties, we got to figure that out for sure.”

Stidham completed 4-of-7 passes for 37 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Eight other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Denver-Indianapolis game on Sunday:

· Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort) made one tackle in his pro debut. Abrams-Draine joined Denver in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on April 27.

· Angelo Blackson (Auburn) started at defensive tackle for the Broncos. Blackson did not record any stats.

· Colts defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (Alabama) did not play.

· Colts safety Ronnie Harrison (Alabama) made two tackles.

· Ryan Kelly (Alabama) started at center for the Colts.

· Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (Pinson Valley, Auburn) completed 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and ran for 17 yards on three carries in his pro debut. Nix joined Denver as the 12th selection in the NFL Draft on April 25. Nix also had a tackle after Indianapolis picked up a fumble by the Broncos.

· Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (Alabama) in on active/physically unable to perform and not eligible to play. Sanders suffered a torn Achilles tendon during offseason workouts.

· Colts cornerback Jaylin Simpson (Auburn) made two tackles in his pro debut. Simpson joined Indianapolis in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on April 27.

· Braden Smith (Auburn) started at right offensive tackle for the Colts.

· Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) returned a kickoff 28 yards and made one tackle on special teams.

· Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) did not play.

· Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace (Alabama) did not play.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.