State NFL roundup: Miami Dolphins WR on record pace
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill stayed on pace to become the first player in NFL history with 2,000 receiving yards in a season by catching 10 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown in a 20-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The former West Alabama standout has 79 receptions for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns as the Dolphins improved to 7-3.
Hill is the first player in 62 years and the fifth in NFL history with at least 1,200 receiving yards in his team’s first 10 games of a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer members Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (1,268 receiving yards in 1951), Raymond Berry (1,264 in 1960) and former Alabama All-American Don Hutson (1,204 in 1942) as well as Charlie Hennigan (1,245 in 1961).
Hill caught a 38-yard pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the first touchdown of the game, taking a pass in the middle of the field and outrunning Las Vegas defenders to the end zone with 2:03 left in the first quarter.
“Our receiver coach (Wes Welker), he tells us, ‘Man, like you guys are fast enough to split guys,’” Hill said, “and sometimes me and (Jaylen) Waddle look at him like, ‘Bro, you don’t know what it’s like to be fast.’ But that’s one of those situations that he wasn’t wrong, so I know we’re going to go back into the film room, we’re going to watch it. He’s going to be like, ‘I told you. You guys could have been doing this since last year, and Reek, if you would have listened to me, you probably would have had 2,000 last year.’ It’s just one of those things. I’ve just got to trust my speed, and that’s what I did right there. I was like, ‘(Expletive) it. If I get tackled, I get tackled.’”
Hill recorded his sixth 100-yard game of the season even though the Dolphins announced during the game that his return to the field was questionable because of a hand injury.
“I was able to make a play, but got my ass popped,” Hill said, “and my hand, it was just in the middle of me catching a ball when dude’s helmet hit my hand. But it’s nothing serious, thought. It was just a little pain.”
Hill was among the 33 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the 11th Sunday of the NFL’s 104th season.
Three other former state players were involved in the Las Vegas-Miami game:
· Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) caught a 4-yard pass and made one tackle on special teams.
· Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen) did not record any stats.
· Raiders defensive end Malik Reed (Dothan) made one tackle.
In the other Sunday games:
Dallas Cowboys 33, Carolina Panthers 10
· 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 in his first game with Carolina. Davis had played eight games with the Atlanta Falcons this season before joining the Panthers last week.
· Panthers wide Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) caught two passes for 12 yards.
· Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) recorded one sack and registered two quarterback hits. Williams has had a sack in three consecutive games.
Cleveland Browns 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 10
· Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Browns linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) did not record any stats.
· George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Steelers. Pickens caught four passes for 38 yards to lead Pittsburgh.
· Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) started at defensive end for the Browns. Smith made two tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
· Browns wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) made one tackle.
Detroit Lions 31, Chicago Bears 26
· Bears fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) did not record any stats.
· Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Bears cornerback Christian Matthew (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) started at wide receiver for the Bears. Mooney had a 24-yard reception.
Green Bay Packers 23, Los Angeles Chargers 20
· Packers wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Chargers tight end Gerald Everett (UAB/South Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive. A chest injury kept Everett from practicing for the game.
· Chargers safety A.J. Finley (St. Paul’s Episcopal) did not record any stats.
· Packers cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Chargers defensive tackle Nick Williams (Minor, Samford) made three tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
Houston Texans 21, Arizona Cardinals 16
· Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (Clay-Chalkville) had seven receptions for 65 yards.
· Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) started at wide receiver for the Texans. Dell had eight receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown. Dell caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud as Houston took a 21-10 lead with 26 seconds left in the first half. With his fourth TD reception in the past three games, Dell set a Texans rookie single-season record with six. Dell has three 100-yard games this season.
· Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) started at left guard for the Texans.
· Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V (Ramsay, UAB) made two tackles.
· Texans safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson) was designated as a game-day inactive. A hamstring injury kept Ward sidelined for a second straight game.
Jacksonville Jaguars 34, Tennessee Titans 14
· Josh Allen (Abbeville) started at weakside linebacker for the Jaguars. Allen made three tackles and shared a sack. He has 9.5 sacks this season.
· Jaguars offensive lineman Chandler Brewer (Florence) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Titans defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Jaguars defensive end DJ Coleman (Jacksonville State) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Titans defensive back Eric Garror (McGill-Toolen) made two tackles and returned a punt 15 yards. Garror lost a fumble at the Tennessee 30-yard line on the punt return.
· Chris Hubbard (UAB) started at right offensive tackle for the Titans.
· Titans linebacker Monty Rice (James Clemens) reached a season high with eight tackles to lead Tennessee. Rice recorded one tackle for loss.
· Titans offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons (Selma) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Darious Williams (UAB) started at cornerback for the Jaguars. Williams made two tackles and broke up one pass.
· Jaguars center Darryl Williams (Bessemer City) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
New York Giants 31, Washington Commanders 19
· Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) started at cornerback for the Giants. Flott made two tackles and forced one fumble before being ejected from the game as one of the two players disqualified during a scuffle with 1:32 left in the first half. New York recovered the fumble that Flott forced at the Washington 45-yard line and went on to score the first touchdown of the game.
· Giants safety Bobby McCain (Oxford) was designated as a game-day inactive. McCain was sick.
· Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) made one tackle.
· 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.
San Francisco 49ers 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
· Buccaneers cornerback Keenan Isaac (Midfield, Alabama State) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Buccaneers wide receiver Cephus Johnson III (Davidson, South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Forty-Niners cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (South Alabama) did not record any stats in his NFL debut.
· Buccaneers guard Logan Stenberg (James Clemens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Buffalo Bills 32, New York Jets 6
· 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 two tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
· Bills cornerback Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) made two tackles on defense and two tackles on special teams.
· Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams led New York with 10 tackles, including one tackle for loss.
Los Angeles Rams 17, Seattle Seahawks 16
· Seahawks cornerback Mike Jackson (Spain Park) did not record any stats.
Denver Broncos 21, Minnesota Vikings 20
· Vikings running back DeWayne McBride (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (Spain Park) dressed for the game but did not play.
· Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) did not record any stats.
Week 11 started on Thursday night, when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 34-20.
Week 11 concludes on Monday, when the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. 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.