Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts are forever linked from their time at Alabama.
Tagovailoa, a freshman, replaced Hurts, who had led Alabama to a pair of national championships, at halftime of the 2017 national championship game. Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes to give the Crimson Tide their fifth national championship.
Hurts eventually transferred to Oklahoma and re-established himself as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Philadelphia made him a second-round draft choice, while Miami chose Tagovailoa with the fifth pick of the 2020 draft.
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“I never had two players that were really, really good players at the same position who actually supported each other the way those two guys supported each other when they were here,” Alabam coach Nick Saban told reporters. “I think that comes from mutual respect and both guys being great team guys and putting the team before their personal feelings
“One guy went like 26-2 as a starter and got replaced by another guy for a whole year and supported him. And when that guy got hurt, he went in and won the game.”
Now, the two quarterbacks are dueling for NFL supremacy.
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Hurts, who played magnificently in a 38-35 loss to Kansas City in last year’s Super Bowl, has Philadelphia at 5-1 in first place in the NFC East; Tagovailoa has Miami at 5-1 and in first place in the AFC.
Hurts, who finished second in the MVP voting last year, isn’t playing to that level this year, but he remains one of the game’s most dangerous duel-thereat quarterbacks.
Hurts has passed for 1,542 yards, which is eighth in the league, but he also has seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His passer rating of 84.7 is 20th in the league.
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“I got a lot of respect for Jalen. He’s been a great competitor since I got there to Alabama,” Tagovailoa said. “He’s been a special player since I’ve been there, and he’s been a special player throughout his entire college career.”
Miami has the NFL’s best offense, which has made Tagovailoa one of the front runners to win the MVP.
The Dolphins have scored 233 points, 39 points more than any other team. They put 70 on the Denver Broncos last month and 42 on Carolina last week. Three times, they have gained more than 500 yards, including 726 against the Broncos.
Tagovailoa conducts this high-powered offense with speed at every position. He leads the league in passing (312.6 yards per game), yards per attempt (9.5), passer rating (114.1) and touchdown passes (14). Receiver Tyreek Hill leads the NFL in yards (842), yards per catch (19.8), and touchdown catches (6).
Hurts was in no mood to reminisce after a three-interception performance in a loss to the Jets last week.
“It’s been great to see the things he’s been able to do over his career,” Hurts said.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills take on Bill Belichick’s defense
Buffalo has beaten New England five straight times. The Bills have won four straight, but Josh Allen said he isn’t overlooking the Patriots.
You couldn’t blame them if he did. After all, the Patriots have lost three in a row, and they’re one of the league’s worst offensive teams.
They don’t have a single playmaker on offense, and their two best defensive players, linebacker Matthew Judon and cornerback Christian Gonzalez are hurt.
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“It’s no easy task going against the Patriots and Bill Belichick,” Allen told reporters on Wednesday. “We have to understand that. We’re not going to score every time we touch the ball, but going out there and just trying to execute every play and taking it one play at a time.
“It seems like every game is a different game plan designed specifically for a different quarterback and a different offense. It’s going to be a feel-out process early on, and we’re going to have our assumptions of what they’re going to do, but — to be honest — we’re not sure until we get to the game and see their specific game plan and what they want to do against us.”
Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens battle for the top
The Lions have won 10 games or more three times in the last 30 years. They won 10 in 1995 and 2011 and 11 in 2014.
That’s it.
Well, coach Dan Campbell’s team can win its fifth straight game and move closer to 10 wins Sunday with a victory over Baltimore.
Stopping Lamar Jackson from controlling the game with his running is the best way to beat the Ravens.
“If I were dreaming about how to stop these guys, he’d be the first one I would think of if I was coming out of a nightmare,” Campbell said. “He is dangerous. They don’t ask him to do as much as he did before with his legs, but there’s plenty of it still in there, and he’s throwing it pretty good.
“They’ve made a concerted effort to do a little more dropback with him, and he is, he is throwing the ball well. And he’s got guys that are making plays for him. But if it’s not there, he’ll take off, and he gets up the middle, gets to the edge, and he’s gonna hurt you.”
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The Ravens are 16-2 when Jackson gains 90 yards or more and 11-1 when he gains more than 100 yards.
Around the NFL: Brock Purdy vs VIkings’ blitz, Matthew Stafford under pressure
Cleveland pressured San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy into a poor performance last week in a loss to the Browns.
Minnesota wants to replicate that formula because the Vikings need a win in the worst way. It’s no secret quarterbacks under duress make mistakes.
Purdy completed only 12 of 27 passes for 127 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He had a passer rating of 55.3.
The Vikings have sent five or more rushers on 60.5% of passing plays they’ve faced this season. The league average for 2023, according to Sportradar, is 29%.
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“There’s a lot to prepare for,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. “Not only just the skill of the players at the skill positions and then the intellect and command of the offense that Purdy has.
“On top of that, you’ve got Kyle sitting there who’s done this for a long time, has really seen every front structure, every coverage concept, every blitz. He’s got an answer for all those.
Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt is ahead of his 2021 pace when he wrecked offenses with 22.5 sacks and was named Defensive Player of the Year.
That’s bad news this week for Rams quarterback Matt Stafford, who’s easily found in the pocket. He’s been sacked 16 times, ninth most in the league.
The Rams struggle to run, which means Stafford will be throwing to Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua.
Watt has eight sacks, forced three fumbles, recovered two, and scored a touchdown.
He missed practice Thursday with a heel injury.
“You look at Watt and (linebacker Alex) Highsmith off the edges. They’ve got excellent depth behind them,” coach Sean McVay told reporters. “They can push the pocket interior-wise, and they do a great job of playing hard on all three levels, and they can do it in various ways.
“And a lot of times when they’re creating that pressure, it’s just coming off of a four-man rush.”
Jean-Jacques Taylor is the NFL Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter. He’s the author of Coach Prime: Deion Sanders and the Making of Men.