Bama in the NFL: Seven Things to Watch For During Week 17
We'll start with a quick look around the National Football League, which is in the final two weeks of its regular season.
- Houston, which has already won a league-best five more games than in 2022, will close against the Titans and Colts, and already know it'll be in the playoffs with two wins. Even if the Texans (8-7) don't manage to make the playoffs, look for DeMeco Ryans to get strong consideration for NFL coach of the year honors.
- Another hot player is Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who last week had a career-high eight tackles and three sacks, and his first forced fumble. He's had at least a half-sack in four straight games and needs 1.5 more for his first 10-sack season.
- Remember when a lot of people questioned Jahmyr Gibbs being the 12th-overall pick in the draft? He's the only rookie with 1,000-plus scrimmage yards (1,188) and 10-plus scrimmage touchdowns (10) as the Lions clinched their first division title in 30 years.
- Eagles fans who have been hard on Jalen Hurts may want to take note that his four game-winning drives this season are tied for the most in the NFL along with Geno Smith and Russell Wilson.
- Running back watch: Everyone knows the of the Derrick Henry era with the Titans may be at hand. He needs just 28 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown away from another 1,000-yard, 12-touchdown season, his fifth. The only running backs in history to do that are former Crimson Tide standout Shaun Alexander, Emmitt Smith, and LaDainian Tomlinson
- Receiver watch: With DeVonta Smith going over 1,000 receiving yards for the season (1,036), there are two receiving tandems with both players over 1,000 yards and they both include Alabama players: Smith and A.J.Brown, plus Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (who is not expected to play this week due to an ankle sprain). Meanwhile, Calvin Ridley has had a nice bounce-back season with the Jaguars and needs 106 more yards for his second career 1,000-yard season (1,374 in 2020 with Atlanta).
- Record watch: Waddle's record for receptions by a rookie, 104 in 2021, may be in jeopardy as Puka Nacua has 96 for the Rams. Last week he caught nine passes.
Helping Turn the Playoff Picture Upside Down
How's this for an interesting turn in the NFL season: The former Alabama Crimson Tide player who might have the biggest impact on the playoffs could turn out to be wide receiver Amari Cooper.
That's not a knock un any way against him, more a reaction to how the Joe Flacco-to-Cooper combination is altering the late-season league landscape as the 10-5 Cleveland Browns have become a very dangerous team. Over the previous two weeks he's had 15 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns, including last Sunday's 11 catches for a Browns-record 265 yards at Houston that led to his being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Cooper didn't play Thursday against the New York Jets due to a foot injury that can obviously benefit from some rest, as the Browns clinched a playoff spot and close in on securing the AFC's top wild-card spot. The defense has been more than stout this season, but now the offense is making Cleveland a team no one wants to play, and a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Nevertheless, consider the following:
• Cooper is the first Browns player ever with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
• Overall, he has seven career 1,000-yard seasons. The only active players with that many are Mike Evans (nine) and Travis Kelce (seven).
• Cooper is just the fourth player all-time with three career games with at least 200 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions, joining former Crimson Tide standout Don Hutson (four), along with Charlie Hennigan and Tyreek Hill (both with three).
• He's just the sixth player all-time with four career 200-yard receiving games, the others being Lance Alworth and Alvin Johnson (both with five), Hutson, Rice and Hennigan (with four).
• Cooper (Oakland, Dallas, Cleveland) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (San Francisco, Cincinnati, Dallas) are the only players in NFL history to record a 200-yard receiving game with three franchises.
Don't Count Mac Jones Out Yet
Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien threw his quarterback a bone this week, when asked if he still believes in the third-year quarterback (and former first-round draft pick).
“I feel good about Mac Jones. I really do,” O’Brien said . “I think Mac Jones is a smart guy. He’s a very hard worker. He’s really done a good job in this situation here of being a good teammate. Look, these are things that happen in the course of a lot of careers. You have some ups and downs. He’s approached it the right way. He’s working hard. I believe in Mac, so I think Mac is going to be just fine.”
Jones hasn't played since Nov. 26. There also appears to be a lot of doubt about head coach Bill Belichick's future in New England.
NFL Week 17 Schedule
Thursday's Game
New York Jets at Cleveland Browns, Prime, 7:15 p.m. CT
Saturday's Game
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys, ABC/ESPN, 7:15 p.m.
Sunday's Games (New Year's Eve)
Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens, CBS, noon
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, CBS, noon
Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears, CBS, noon
Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts, CBS, noon
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars, CBS, noon
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, Fox, noon
Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants, Fox, noon
Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles, Fox, noon
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fox, noon
San Francisco 49ers at Washington Commanders, Fox, noon
Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks, Fox, 3:05 p.m.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, CBS, 3:25 p.m.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, CBS, 3:25 p.m.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, NBC, 7:20 p.m.
