Jumbo Package: Gump Day!

If we’re talking math, 50% chances aren’t always worth taking on the football field.

Throw it up and see what happens? Nah.

Alabama receivers aren’t thinking about a coin toss when Mac Jones fires one deep through four games. DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and John Metchie are the main targets in those moments with Smith winning his share of jump balls.

“We expect him to make those type of plays,” Waddle said. “We don’t consider them 50-50 balls when Smitty’s the one after it.”

Honestly, at this point calling it a 75% ball seems a bit low for this receiving crew. The funniest part is that Alabama’s doing it with a bunch of shorter receivers, rather than the 6’4” monsters that some times like to trot out.

No, instead, it’s a 5’10” blur of dreadlocks that’s going 2 feet over the heads of defenders to come down with passes against great coverage.

“I think Miller’s always played really well for us,” Alabama Coach Nick Saban said. “Miller’s always been a really consistent player. He’s very smart. He understands exactly what his role is and exactly what he needs to do to help the offense function and has been very efficient and effective for us. I’m happy to see that he is getting more involved in the passing game, and I think that’s something that could be helpful to us in the future, as well.”

Thus far, the troika of DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Jonathan Metchie have been the explosive receiving targets for Tide quarterback Mac Jones, and that’s the bulk of Bama’s Southeastern Conference-leading 393 yards per game output.

Saban said, “We’ve just had so many skill guys around him that he hasn’t had a chance to get the ball as much. But I think the way people are trying to play us now, taking away Smitty, Waddle, Jonathan, that the tight end has more opportunities, and we certainly hope to take advantage of those.”

Forristall has had a relatively quiet career compared to the expectations around the highly athletic former QB. Some of that was due to some bad injury luck, and more just that Alabama has been so focused on the quartet of likely 1st round draft picks the Tide had at wide receiver in 2018 and 2019.

He still doesn’t have the volume, but he’s made a couple of crucial catches on sideline fade routes this year that weren’t just tosses to a wide open guy that everyone thought was a blocker. Forristall has gone up and over defenders to come down with tough catches, and he’ll continue to be that kind of weapon on critical plays when the opposing defense is slanting all of their coverage to take away Alabama’s deep shots to the receivers.

1,169:05 Of clock time, plus two overtime periods, between TD runs by running backs against Georgia. Alabama RB Najee Harris’ 2-yard TD run with 51 seconds left in the third quarter of the Crimson Tide’s 41-24 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday was the first TD run by an opposing RB against Georgia since Alabama’s Josh Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run four seconds into the second quarter of the Tide’s 35-28 win in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 1, 2018. Between the TDs by Jacobs and Harris, Georgia gave up six rushing TDs – all to quarterbacks (three by Texas’ Sam Ehlinger and one apiece by Alabama’s Jalen Hurts, Auburn’s Bo Nix and Baylor’s Charlie Brewer).

I just love this entire paragraph. Najee Harris, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Jacobs all make appearances here. No wonder Georgia fans hate Alabama!

The Washington Football Team will soon have an eighth former Alabama player in its organization.

The team is expected to sign ex-Crimson Tide wide receiver Robert Foster, a source told AL.com.

Foster, who spent the early part of the season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad, will be signed to the Washington Football Team’s active roster.

Congrats to Robert Foster! He can join former running mate Cam Sims in DC to catch passes from the unkillable Alex Smith.

Speaking of, by special request, here’s a compendium of highlights from Bama players in the pros from last weekend:

Oh, and in case you missed it, Tua Tagovailoa was officially named the starter for the Miami Dolphins.

That’s all for today. Roll Tide!