Top 5 performances for Alabama football in the NFL in Week 16

It was a historic Week 16 in the NFL for Alabama football. The touchdown streak has now reached triple digits. A former Crimson Tide player has scored a touchdown in the NFL for 100 consecutive weeks.

For those of us who cut our teeth in the DuBose/Franchione/Shula era, seeing this level of NFL success barely even feels real. Nick Saban raised the bar to an impossible level in Tuscaloosa from many perspectives, none greater than the level of talent.

A few honorable mentions this week would include Jordan Battle and Dallas Turner intercepting passes. For Turner, it was his first career INT. Josh Jacobs finished with 107 total yards and a touchdown for the Packers on Monday night. Calvin Ridley hauled in a touchdown and finished with 78 receiving yards in Tennessee's loss. Will Reichard continues being automatic for Minnesota. Tua Tagovailoa threw his 100th career touchdown pass in a win for the Dolphins that kept their playoff hopes alive.

Those guys just narrowly missed the list this week. Here's the best of the best:

Top 5 Alabama football performers in the NFL in Week 16

5. Jarran Reed

Jarran Reed spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Seahawks before spending a year in Kansas City and a year in Green Bay. He's been back with the Seahawks the last two years, and even as a nine-year NFL veteran, he continues making plays.

In Sunday's three-point loss to the Vikings, Reed finished with four tackles, 2 QB hits, a sack, and a forced fumble. He's still a disruptive force in the middle.

4. Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry didn't find the endzone in Baltimore's win over Pittsburgh on Saturday, but he did put up his 20th career game with 150+ rushing yards. Henry ran for 162 yards on 24 carries and added 27 receiving yards on two receptions.

Henry also became just the fifth player in NFL history to surpass 1500 rushing yards four or more times. Barry Sanders (five times), Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson, and Edgerrin James are the others. More elite company for the King.

No player 30 and over has rushed for 1500+ yards since Tiki Barber did it in 2006. Barber holds the NFL record for rushing yards at 30+ with 1860 in 2005. Henry is currently on pace to finish six yards short of that record.

3. Bryce Young

Bryce Young continues looking like Alabama Bryce, and showing why he was the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft in 2023. People left him for dead when he was benched after two games this season, but since getting his job back, Young has been on a tear.

In Sunday's overtime win over the Cardinals, Young was the highest-rated passer in the NFL this week. He threw for 158 yards on 17/26 with two touchdowns. He added 68 rushing yards and a touchdown as well. His passing stats would have been even more prolific if he had better receivers who could make plays. Imagine what will happen when that changes.

Young has gone from an afterthought and likely on his way out to the unquestioned franchise quarterback for the Panthers.

2. Marlon Humphrey

Most people figured if the touchdown streak was extended in the Ravens/Steelers game this week that it would be Derrick Henry or Najee Harris who did it. Instead, it was Marlon Humphrey, with his first career pick-six.

Baltimore's win keeps them alive in the AFC North as they're now tied with the Steelers at 10-5.

Humphrey's interception is his sixth of the season, which is tied for third in the NFL. He's having an All-Pro worthy season for the Ravens.

1. The Detroit Lions trio

All three of these guys deserved inclusion on this list and I didn't want the list to be nothing but Lions so we got a combo for the top spot. Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Brian Branch had big games for the Lions as they rolled over the Bears and earned a franchise record 13th win.

Williams: 5 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD
Gibbs: 23 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 45 yards
Branch: 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 PD

Jamo has enjoyed the breakout year everyone has been waiting for and is just 110 yards shy of his first career 1000-yard season. With the Lions still being tied with the Vikings for the NFC North and top-seed, Detroit will have to keep playing everyone over the last two weeks of the season to try and secure the division and home field throughout.

Gibbs carried the load for Detroit this week with David Montgomery out. He's now 7th in the NFL in rushing yards at 1156.

Branch in just his second season as a pro continues to look like perhaps the best safety in the NFL.