Crimson Tide in the NFL: Week 5

Tzali Nislick, Contributing Writer

Following a huge win for Alabama over Texas A&M on Saturday, it was a relatively quiet day for Crimson Tide alumni in Week 5 of the NFL season. However, there were still significant storylines. The Philadelphia Eagles continued their undefeated season thanks to a pair of former Alabama players, “The King” sustained his reign and there was a very important pro debut for one former Alabama fan favorite. 

Player of the Week: Brian Robinson Jr. 

Brian Robinson Jr. (2017-2021) did not have eye-popping numbers on Sunday, carrying the ball just nine times for 22 yards. But he earned his place as the player of the week after making his NFL debut just six weeks after being shot twice in late August.  

It has been an improbable comeback for the Washington Commanders running back, who was activated from the non-football injury list Saturday morning. He had responded well in practice leading up to yesterday’s game, and he made his highly anticipated debut less than two months after facing death. He had a special moment after the game, swapping jerseys with Derrick Henry (2013-2015) and figures to be a key piece to Washington’s offense going forward. 

“The King” Rules Again 

Speaking of Henry, he had another impressive performance against the Commanders, going for 132 total yards and two touchdowns. It was the third consecutive game he has gone over 100 all-purpose yards, and as usual, carried the Titans’ offense to a third straight win. 

Eagles Remain Undefeated 

It was not pretty, but the Philadelphia Eagles managed a 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday to continue their undefeated season. Jalen Hurts (2016-2018) did his thing with 300 total yards and two rushing scores. He is second in the NFL and first among quarterbacks with six rushing touchdowns on the season. 

Of Hurts’ 239 passing yards, 87 of them went to DeVonta Smith (2017-2020), who also hauled in 10 receptions on 11 targets. He bounced back after a quiet Week 4 and has played an integral role as the Eagles’ second-leading receiver this season. 

Quinnen Williams Flashes His Strength 

One of the more amusing plays on Sunday came courtesy of Quinnen Willaims (2016-2018). The big defensive tackle recovered a fumble and, on his return, stiff-armed Tyreek Hill to send him flying. Williams made many other plays, totaling three tackles, 0.5 sacks and two quarterback hits in the New York Jets’ third victory of the year. 

Looking Ahead 

The Monday Night Football game features the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders have Josh Jacobs (2016-2018), who is looking to build off a career game last week.

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]