Tide in the NFL: Tracking Alabama players in Week 1 of preseason

The first full week of NFL preseason games is in the books, and Alabama was again well represented with several former Crimson Tide standouts contributing across the league.

With it being the first week of the preseason, a lot of players watched from the sidelines, but a number of guys played, too, including 15 newcomers that saw the field for the first time as professional athletes. Two of those rookies, DeMarrco Hellams (Falcons) and Eli Ricks(Eagles), intercepted passes, with Ricks returning his pick for a touchdown.

Fourth-year wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (Broncos) also scored. Hellams led all UA defenders with seven tackles, while edge rusher Terrell Lewis (Bears) finished with a pair of sacks.

Bryce Young was the only former Alabama quarterback to play this week and, as expected, was the Carolina Panthers’ starter behind center, as will be the case Week 1. Young played three series and completed 4-of-6 passes for 21 yards while he faced consistent pressure.

“Bryce was accurate,” Panthers head coach Frank Reich said. “He got rid of the ball quickly. There’s some good in having to try to overcome some bad field position, which we did not do. … We talk about this all the time: let’s get the tough situations and put ourselves to the test. And so we had a couple of those today. We didn’t pass those tests, but those are good to learn from.

“… Obviously, that first hit was pretty big. I asked him on the sideline, I waited until the second half, I said, ‘Well, that was a pretty good welcome-to-the-NFL hit. How’d that one feel?’ And he said he was fine. He said he barely felt it.”

Alabama’s entire rookie class received its first taste of the NFL, but wide receiver Calvin Ridley played his first snaps in over a year following a lengthy gambling suspension. Now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ridley started and hauled in two passes for 21 yards.

In addition to the new players, former Alabama standout DeMeco Ryans also made his head coaching debut for the Houston Texans, helping lead the team he spent six years with from 2006-11 as a player to a preseason win over the New England Patriots on Thursday.

There were 80 former Alabama players on NFL rosters for the first week of the preseason. But on Sunday, the Detroit Lions released Ross Pierschbacher with an injury settlement, making the offensive lineman a free agent. There are seven teams that have zero UA alums on their rosters in the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chiefs, Packers, Rams, Saints and Vikings.

Here, we break down the former Alabama player performances in Week 1 of the preseason.

Houston Texans 20, New England Patriots 9

Houston Texans (4)

Will Anderson Jr., DE – Started at DE; 1 tackle
Christian Harris, LB – Started at LB; 1 tackle
John Metchie III, WR – 1 catch, 5 yards
Henry To’oTo’o, LB – 5 tackles

New England Patriots (4)

Christian Barmore, DT – Did not play
Anfernee Jennings, LB – Started at LB; 1 tackle
Mac Jones, QB – Did not play
Mack Wilson Sr., LB – Started at LB; No stats

Seattle Seahawks 24, Minnesota Vikings 13

Seattle Seahawks (2)

Kendall Randolph, G – Reserve lineman
Jarran Reed, DE – Did not play

Green Bay Packers 36, Cincinnati Bengals 19

Cincinnati Bengals (4)

Jordan Battle, S – Started at S; 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU
Jaylen Moody, LB – No stats
Irv Smith Jr., TE – Did not play
Jonah Williams, OT – Did not play

Detroit Lions 21, New York Giants 16

Detroit Lions (6)

Brian Branch, DB – 3 tackles, 1 TFL
Isaiah Buggs, DL – Started at DT; 1 PBU
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB – Started at RB; 6 carries, 18 yards; 1 catch, 18 yards; 1 tackle
Ross Pierschbacher, C – Started at C
Saivion Smith, DB – Started at DB; 3 tackles
Jameson Williams, WR – Started at WR; 2 catches, 18 yards; 2-point conversion

New York Giants (4)

*J.C. Hassenauer, OL (Reserve / Injured)
Xavier McKinney, S – Did not play
Evan Neal, T – Did not play
A’Shawn Robinson, DT – Did not play

Atlanta Falcons 19, Miami Dolphins 3

Atlanta Falcons (2)

Slade Bolden, WR – No stats
DeMarcco Hellams, S – Started at S; 7 tackles, 1 INT (15 yards)

Miami Dolphins (5)

Lester Cotton, G – Start at RG
Raekwon Davis, DT – Did not play
Da’Shawn Hand, DT – Started at DE; 3 tackles
Tua Tagovailoa, QB – Did not play
Jaylen Waddle, WR – Did not play

Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

Pittsburgh Steelers (3)

Minkah Fitzpatrick, S – Did not play
Najee Harris, RB – Started at RB; 1 catch, -1 yard
Levi Wallace, CB – Started at CB; No stats

Washington Commanders 17, Cleveland Browns 15

Washington Commanders (4)

Jonathan Allen, DT – Started at DT; No stats
Phidarian Mathis, DT – No stats
Daron Payne, DT – Started at DT; No stats
Brian Robinson, RB – Started at RB; 3 carries, 16 yards; 1 catch, -2 yards

Cleveland Browns (4)

Amari Cooper, WR – Did not play
Miller Forristall, TE – 4 catches, 66 yards
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT – Started at DT; No stats
Jedrick Wills, T – Started at LT

Arizona Cardinals 18, Denver Broncos 17

Denver Broncos (4)

Christopher Allen, OLB – 1 QB hit
Kareem Jackson, S – Started at S; No stats
Jerry Jeudy, WR – Started at WR; 2 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD (21 yards)
Pat Surtain II, CB – Did not play

Buffalo Bills 23, Indianapolis Colts 19

Buffalo Bills (3)

DJ Dale, DT – 1 sack
Damien Harris, RB – Did not play
Jared Mayden, S – 3 tackles

Indianapolis Colts (4)

Tony Brown, CB – Did not play
Kenyan Drake, RB – 5 carries, 10 yards
Emil Ekiyor, G – Reserve lineman
Ryan Kelly, C – Started at C

Chicago Bears 23, Tennessee Titans 17

Chicago Bears (3)

Eddie Jackson, DB – Started at S; 2 tackles
Alex Leatherwood, OL – Reserve lineman
Terrell Lewis, LB – 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Tennessee Titans (2)

Shyheim Carter, DB – 5 tackles, 1 forced fumble
Derrick Henry, RB – Did not play

New York Jets 27, Carolina Panthers 0

New York Jets (2)

C.J. Mosley, LB – Did not play
Quinnen Williams, DL – Did not play

Carolina Panthers (4)

Bradley Bozeman, C/G – Started at center
Deonte Brown, G – Reserve lineman
LaBryan Ray, DT – 2 tackles
Bryce Young, QB – Started at QB; 4-6 passing, 21 yards

Jacksonville Jaguars 28, Dallas Cowboys 23

Jacksonville Jaguars (2)

Calvin Ridley, WR – Started at WR; 2 catches, 21 yards
Cam Robinson, OL – Reserve lineman

Dallas Cowboys (1)

Trevon Diggs, CB – Did not play

Baltimore Ravens 20, Philadelphia Eagles 19

Baltimore Ravens (2)

Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB – Did not play
Marlon Humphrey, CB – Did not play

Philadelphia Eagles (6)

Landon Dickerson, G – Did not play
Jalen Hurts, QB – Did not play
Josh Jobe, CB – Started at CB; No stats
Eli Ricks, CB – 1 tackle, 1 PBU, 1 INT for TD (31 yards)
DeVonta Smith, WR – Did not play
Tyler Steen, OL – Started at LT

Los Angeles Chargers 34, Los Angeles Rams 17

Los Angeles Chargers (1)

JK Scott, P – 4 punts, 174 yards, 43.5 avg, 1 inside 20, 55 long

Las Vegas Raiders 34, San Francisco 49ers 7

Las Vegas Raiders (3)

Josh Jacobs, RB – Did not play
Cam Sims, WR – No stats
Byron Young, DT – Started at DT; No stats

San Francisco 49ers (1)

*Anthony Averett, CB (Reserve / Injured)
Cameron Latu, TE – 1 catch, 9 yards; lost fumble

The post Tide in the NFL: Tracking Alabama players in Week 1 of preseason appeared first on On3.