Two former Alabama prep standouts helped the Houston Texans break Denver’s five-game winning streak and move ahead of the Broncos in the AFC standings with a 22-17 victory on Sunday.

Houston safety Jimmie Ward from Davidson High School picked off Denver quarterback Russell Wilson’s third-and-goal throw from the Texans 8-yard line in the end zone with nine seconds to play to seal the victory.

In addition to his eighth career interception and first of the 2023 season, Ward made six tackles as he returned after a three-game absence caused by a hamstring injury.

Houston wide receiver Nico Collins from Clay-Chalkville High School had nine receptions for 191 yards and one touchdown. Collins reached career highs in receptions and receiving yards in the fourth 100-yard game of his career – all this season.

Collins caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud as Houston took a 22-10 lead with 14:16 left to play. Collins had receptions that gained 59, 52 and 39 yards on Sunday.

Collins and Ward were among the 25 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the 13th Sunday of the NFL’s 104th season.

Three other former state players were involved in the Denver-Houston game:

· Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) did not record any stats before he was carted off the field with a fractured fibula. Dell’s season will end with 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns. Dell set a franchise rookie record for TD receptions.

· Texans guard Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play. Howard sustained a knee-patellar tendon injury in Houston’s previous game and will miss the remainder of the season.

· Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) did not record any stats.

In the other Sunday games:

Los Angeles Chargers 6, New England Patriots 0

· Patriots center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) dressed for the game but did not play.

· Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) dressed for the game but did not play. New England elevated Cunningham from its practice squad to make him eligible for Sunday’s game.

· Gerald Everett (UAB/South Alabama) started at tight end for the Chargers. Everett had four receptions for 44 yards.

· Chargers safety A.J. Finley (St. Paul’s Episcopal) made one tackle on special teams and downed a punt at the New England 6-yard line.

· Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Chargers defensive lineman Nick Williams (Minor, Samford) made three tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

Detroit Lions 33, New Orleans Saints 28

· Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (Hueytown) completed 2-of-5 passes for 41 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Winston entered the game after Derek Carr was injured on a play that merited a roughing-the-passer penalty with 10:18 remaining and New Orleans trailing 33-21. Winston had a 30-yard completion to the Detroit 2-yard line to set up a touchdown with 7:30 to play. But three straight incompletions at the Lions 40-yard line ended the Saints’ final possession.

Atlanta Falcons 13, New York Jets 8

· Falcons defensive tackle Travis Bell (Jeff Davis) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Jets cornerback Tae Hayes (Decatur) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Jets defensive end Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) made one tackle.

· Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams made eight tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

Arizona Cardinals 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 10

· Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Steelers. Pickens had four receptions for 86 yards to lead Pittsburgh.

· Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V (Ramsay, UAB) was designated as a game-day inactive.

Indianapolis Colts 31, Tennessee Titans 28 (OT)

· Titans defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Titans cornerback Eric Garror (McGill-Toolen) returned four punts for 36 yards.

· Titans offensive lineman Chris Hubbard (UAB) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Titans linebacker Monty Rice (James Clemens) made one tackle on defense, registered one quarterback hit and had one tackle on special teams.

· Titans offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons (Selma) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Miami Dolphins 45, Washington Commanders 15

· Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Hill had five receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns and two rushing attempts that lost 4 yards. Hill caught touchdown passes from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of 78 yards with 9:28 left in the first quarter and 60 yards with 9:14 left in the second quarter. Hill’s 1,481 receiving yards in 2023 are the most for a player in his team’s first 12 games in the Super Bowl era. He became the fifth player in NFL history to have five games with at least 150 receiving yards in the same season. With his 11th touchdown of at least 75 yards and his 20th and 21st touchdowns of at least 60 yards, Hill is tied for the fourth-most and the third-most, respectively, at those distances in NFL history.

· Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Commanders offensive tackle Trent Scott (Lee-Huntsville) did not record any stats.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21, Carolina Panthers 18

· Panthers running back Spencer Brown (Mortimer Jordan, UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Panthers linebacker Tae Davis (Oxford) did not record any stats.

· Buccaneers cornerback Keenan Isaac (Midfield, Alabama State) dressed for the game but did not play.

· Buccaneers wide receiver Cephus Johnson III (Davidson, South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Panthers wide Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Buccaneers guard Logan Stenberg (James Clemens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Los Angeles Rams 36, Cleveland Browns 19

· Browns linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) did not record any stats.

· Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) started at defensive end for the Browns. Smith made one tackle.

· Browns wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) did not record any stats.

San Francisco 49ers 42, Philadelphia Eagles 19

· Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship made seven tackles.

· James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) started at cornerback for the Eagles. Bradberry made one tackle.

· Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) was designated as a game-day inactive. A hamstring injury kept Cunningham out of the lineup.

· Forty-Niners cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (South Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville) started at middle linebacker for the Eagles. Morrow led Philadelphia with eight tackles.

· Quez Watkins (Athens) started at wide receiver for the Eagles. Watkins had three receptions for 28 yards.

Green Bay Packers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 19

· Packers wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chiefs defensive end Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Packers cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chiefs running back La’Mical Perine (Theodore) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chiefs tight end Gerrit Prince (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City) is on the Commissioner Exempt List and not eligible to play.

· Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) had a 6-yard run.

· Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Week 13 started on Thursday night, when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks 41-35.

Week 13 concludes on Monday, when the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.

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