Jumbo Package: Saban encouraged by Will Anderson’s progress, looks for more consistency

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Saban held his customary Monday press conference yesterday, including some encouraging news on WIll Anderson.

“Will Anderson has been very encouraging,” Saban told reporters via Zoom. “He’ll probably take a day off today, is kind of day-to-day. But we feel a little more encouraged than maybe after the game. We’ll just see how he progresses through the course of the week.”

Although he was more relaxed as Alabama began its preparations for Florida, Saban did list some areas where the offense needs to get better.

“The overall timing of the passing game,” he said. “Efficiency in runs and RPOs and the things that we try to tie together in our offense. I think it’s the entire unit that has to grow and develop. We’re making progress. We’re not probably there yet. But we’re making progress.”

Sounds like Will is going to be fine. Saban harped on consistency, focus, discipline, etc. for most of the presser, which is embedded below.

QB Bryce Young echoed the head man.

“I don’t feel like, as a team, we were very proud of what we put on film this weekend,” Young said Monday, “and that’s something that we have to acknowledge, watch, learn from and make sure that we’re growing this week and making sure that we’re preparing and pushing ourselves during practice.”

Hopefully they do that.

Down in Gainesville, young QB Anthony Richardson is the talk of the town.

“Ahhh, I think he’s doing good,” Mullen said Monday in Gainesville. “I saw him today watching the film. So, like I said, he kinda had some tightness in his hamstring so he’ll do treatment and we’ll see how he’ll be this week. We expect him to practice and we’ll see how he comes along at practice and deals with it during the week.”

The plan has been to insert Richardson, a redshirt freshman, into the action on the third possession of wins over FAU and South Florida.

No. 9 Florida is 2-0 with Emory Jones as its starter, but if you’ve watched the Gators, you’ve noticed what Mullen surely cannot have missed: They’re better with backup Anthony Richardson on the field.

Even Jones is impressed by the redshirt freshman.

“I’m doing the same thing y’all (are) doing, just trying to see what exciting thing he’s going to do,” Jones said after Florida’s 42-20 win over South Florida on Saturday.

Mullen said after the win that Jones will remain the starter when the Gators host No. 1 Alabama (2-0) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS). Not only that, but Mullen for the second straight week expressed disbelief when asked about a potential change in starter.

Richardson has thrown all of 11 passes on the season, matching his 11 carries. While he has looked good, that isn’t much to go on.

Last, Carson Tinker got a job.

Long snapper Carson Tinker hasn’t played in an NFL game since Oct. 7, 2018. But that could change on Sunday.

On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they had signed Tinker to their active roster.

Tampa Bay long snapper Zach Triner sustained a hand injury during a 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the season-opening game on Thursday night. The Bucs have placed Triner on injured reserve.

Good for him.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.