Alabama football alums ball out in NFL Week 1, especially Josh Jacobs and Julio Jones

Alabama football alums like Josh Jacobs and Julio Jones starred in Week 1.

Week 1 of 2020 NFL action saw many Alabama football alums star on the professional gridiron.

Though Nick Saban has sent plenty of former Alabama Crimson Tide greats to the NFL, not every one of them ends up doing much of anything in their professional careers. However, he should be proud of the players on the offensive side of the ball starring at the next level, as well as some of the guys doing work in the trenches. Here’s the best of Alabama football in NFL Week 1.

Josh Jacobs ran all over a reeling Carolina Panthers defense in Charlotte.

There was a reason I named Josh Jacobs The Dude of the Week, Man. The Las Vegas Raiders running back was allowed to cook on Sunday afternoon by head coach Jon Gruden. He rushed for 93 yards and three touchdowns on 25 attempts, as well as hauling in four balls for 46 yards out of the backfield. Jacobs was named Snickers’ Hungriest Player of the Week in the Raiders’ road win.

Las Vegas enters is home opener at brand-new Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 2 at 1-0 largely because of Jacobs’ dominating ground performance. This was what we knew Jacobs was capable of in college, but rarely got his opportunity to go full-blown, bona fide bell-cow. Gruden and the Silver and Black have to love what they saw out of him last Sunday.

Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley helped Matt Ryan lead the NFL in passing Week 1.

It may not have been a banner day for the Atlanta Falcons‘ secondary, but it was a tremendous day for the Dirty Birds’ passing offense. Even though they lost by double figures at home to the Seattle Seahawks, former Alabama star wideouts Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley were major reasons Matt Ryan led the league in passing in Week 1 with 450 yards. They were sensational.

Jones had nine receptions for a league-best 157 yards. While his issues in finding pay dirt continue, this is the type of performance we regularly get out of arguably the best receiver in football. Ridley was just as good Sunday, as he had nine catches for 130 yards and two trips to pay dirt. If he can play all 16 games, he’ll go over 1,000 yards and make the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Da’Ron Payne was a major factor in Washington’s shocking Week 1 victory.

There were a few big upsets in the NFL in Week 1, but none more head-scratching on the NFC side of things than the Washington Football Team‘s come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Carson Wentz played terribly, as he was a turnover machine and kept getting sacked seemingly every other drop back. Washington defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne had a great day.

Payne had two combined tackles, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble and half a sack. While it was a total team effort defensively for Washington, we saw first-hand what happens when you continually draft well at one position group. Washington may only win six games this year, but they will be a fun watch in the trenches, with Payne, Jonathan Allen and company for sure.

Amari Cooper gave the Dallas Cowboys a chance to win in primetime.

Now in his second full season with the Dallas Cowboys, Amari Cooper has to play up to lofty standards of the lucrative contract he signed back in March. Though the Cowboys didn’t win on the road on Sunday Night Football in Week 1 vs. the Los Angeles Rams, Cooper was a reliable target for quarterback Dak Prescott, as he had 10 catches for 81 yards on 14 targets.

However, Cooper’s notable highlight from the game was getting lit up on a third-and-5 by Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The Cowboys didn’t convert and this was yet another example of Cooper’s issues with ball security at the professional level. It was a close game, but one Dallas still feels empty over Ramsey flopping for a questionable OPI call on Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup.

When you have as many players in the NFL as Alabama does, you’re bound to get a few weeks where the best of the best thrive on Sundays independently of each other. What Week 1 shows us is if the Raiders pound the rock, the Falcons air it out and the Washington Football Team get after the quarterback, it’s going to be a great Sunday for Alabama football alums. Catch the ball, Amari!

There will be other former Alabama standouts to make their presence felt in the league in Week 2.

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