Crimson Tide in the NFL Spotlight: Week 17
1/3/2019 2:21:00 PM | Football
Former Alabama players provide solid performances on both sides of the ball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The 2018-19 regular-season slate in the National Football League wrapped up on Sunday, setting the playoff bracket for the league's postseason. Below is a look at some of the highlights from week 17 by former Crimson Tide standouts currently playing in the NFL.
Derrick Henry had another solid week for the Tennessee Titans, amassing 93 yards on 16 carries and adding one reception for 13 yards. The 93-yard performance put Henry over the century mark for the first time during his NFL career, closing out his season at 1,059 yards on 215 carries with 12 touchdowns. His 1,059 rushing yards were four short of the AFC lead and rank him sixth overall among league rushers. Also having a big day out of the backfield was Kenyan Drake of the Miami Dolphins. Drake rushed 11 times for 43 yards and contributed five receptions for 52 yards in the passing game.
The Atlanta Falcons' duo of All-Pro Julio Jones and rookie Calvin Ridley shined once again to close out the regular season. Jones, the league leader in receiving yards with 1,677, recorded his 10th 100-plus yard performance with 138 yards on nine catches, adding a touchdown. Ridley joined his teammate in the end zone in addition to his five catches for 32 yards and finished his first season in Atlanta as the NFL's rookie leader in receiving yards (821) and touchdowns (10). Buffalo Bills' first-year wideout Robert Foster also found paydirt, part of his four-catch performance for 21 yards. Despite playing only half the season, Foster's big-play ability shown through as he tied for the league lead amongst rookies with four 40-plus yard receptions in 2018.
On defense, the Washington Redskins' trio of Shaun Dion Hamilton, Jonathan Allen and Da'Ron Payne each totaled five or more tackles with Hamilton recording eight, including a sack (-5 yards), a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries. Allen finished his day with six stops while Payne registered five. Former linebackers Reggie Ragland (Kansas City Chiefs) and C.J. Mosley (Baltimore Ravens) each tallied six tackles and an interception, with Mosley's fourth-quarter pick sealing the Ravens' victory and sending his team to the playoffs.
Also standing out on defense was Jarran Reed of the Seattle Seahawks. Reed made three tackles, two of which were sacks (-6 yards) and pressured the quarterback twice. Mark Barron contributed a big day for the Los Angeles Rams, making six stops with one sack (-10 yards) and added a forced fumble and quarterback hurry to his stat line. Rookie Tony Brown continued his stellar late-season play, totaling a career-high nine tackles with one pass breakup for the Green Bay Packers.
The 2018-19 edition of the NFL Playoffs will feature at least one Alabama player on all 12 of the postseason rosters. In total, 20 former Crimson Tide standouts will take part in their respective teams' run to the Super Bowl. Nine of the 12 playoff teams feature one Alabama player with the Kansas Chiefs featuring two, the Seattle Seahawks rostering three and the Baltimore Ravens totaling six players who spent their collegiate career at the Capstone.
| PLAYER | TEAM |
| Anthony Averett | Baltimore Ravens |
| Bradley Bozeman | Baltimore Ravens |
| Marlon Humphrey | Baltimore Ravens |
| Cyrus Jones | Baltimore Ravens |
| C.J. Mosley | Baltimore Ravens |
| Tim Williams | Baltimore Ravens |
| Eddie Jackson | Chicago Bears |
| Amari Cooper | Dallas Cowboys |
| Kareem Jackson | Houston Texans |
| Ryan Kelly | Indianapolis Colts |
| Gehrig Dieter | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Reggie Ragland | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Damion Square | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Mark Barron | Los Angeles Rams |
| Dont'a Hightower | New England Patriots |
| Mark Ingram II | New Orleans Saints |
| Chance Warmack | Philadelphia Eagles |
| D.J. Fluker | Seattle Seahawks |
| Jarran Reed | Seattle Seahawks |
| Bo Scarbrough | Seattle Seahawks |
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaFTBL on Twitter and Facebook and AlabamaFBL on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
