5 Things to Watch, Crimson Tide Players in Divisional Round: Bama in the NFL

Alabama has seven former players on the Giants and Eagles, who will meet for the third time this season.

Christopher Walsh | Jan 19, 2023

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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Alabama Crimson Tide

The Bengals and Bills will finally play after their regular-season meeting was cancelled, which means that Joe Burrow and Josh Allen will officially square off for the first time.

The Cowboys and 49ers will meet on the 30th anniversary of their 1993 NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park, en route to Dallas winning its first Super Bowl under owner Jerry Jones.

The top-seeded Chiefs and Eagles get into the action after enjoying byes during the crazy wild-card round.

And the Jaguars are still, amazingly, playing. Last week they overcame a 27-0 deficit, the third-largest comeback victory in NFL postseason history, and beat the Chargers to advance. The only two greater comebacks were Buffalo's 1992 wild-card win over the Houston Oilers (32 points) and the Colts' 2013 wild-card win over Kansas City (28).

But here's what Alabama Crimson Tide fans need to know about the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs:

1) Game of the Week

For the Alabama faithful it's the Giants at Eagles as there could be seven former Crimson Tide players active Saturday night (7:15 CT, Fox). Landon Collins, Xavier McKinney and Evan Neal are on the Giants, while Landon Dickerson, Jalen Hurts, Josh Jobe and DeVonta Smith are on the top-seeded Eagles.

It's the third meeting between the teams this season.

However, it'll be the first playoff matchup in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks each had at least 600 rushing yards in the regular season and the fifth with each having at least 500 rushing yards.

2) Can he back up the talk?

After the Dallas Cowboys got their first playoff win in the Mike McCarthy era on Monday night against the Buccaneers, cornerback Trevon Diggs sent a very loud message to an ESPN personality.

While still on the field after the 31–14 win, Diggs let Stephen A. Smith know that he'd had enough of saying the Cowboys will always crumble and fall short whenever there’s hope for the franchise.

“We just won,” Diggs said. “Stephen A., watch your mouth.”

Trevon Diggs has words for @stephenasmith postgame 😂🤠 pic.twitter.com/h3KWweIMnf
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 17, 2023

However, this week the Cowboys visit the 49ers on Sunday evening (5:30, Fox). Not only is there an historic playoff rivalry between the franchises, but San Francisco knocked Dallas out of the playoffs last year.

3) Player to watch: Devonta Smith

The Eagles wide receiver had career highs in catches (95), receiving yards (1,196) and receiving touchdown (seven) this season. Smith and A.J. Brown were the only pair of teammates in which each had 85-plus catches and 1,100-plus receiving yards this season.

Smith has had a touchdown reception in two of his last three games against the Giants.

4) Coaches to watch

The Giants' Brian Daboll is bidding to become just the 15th rookie head coach since the 1970 merger to lead his team to a conference championship game. Only one coach has done it over the last 10 years, Green Bay's Matt Lafleur in 2019. Last week, Daboll became the first Giants head coach to win postseason debut since Dan Reeves in 1993.

Of course, Daboll was Hurts' offensive coordinator for a season at Alabama.

Also, former Crimson Tide linebacker DeMeco Ryans is the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

5) History chase

With a touchdown reception, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer John Stallworth (12 touchdown receptions) for the third-most postseason touchdown receptions in NFL history. Jerry Rice holds the record with 22.

Stallowrth was born in Tuscaloosa and played for Alabama A&M before he was a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974.

The Jaguars at Chiefs is at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, (NBC), and the Bengals at Bills is set for 2 p,.m. Sunday (CBS).

Bama in the NFL Database

Published Jan 19, 2023

CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.