By Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com
Josh Allen was an all-state wide receiver at Abbeville High School, but now he’s a record-breaking pass-rusher in the NFL.
In the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 26-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the outside linebacker made six tackles, recorded three sacks and registered four quarterback hits.
Allen became the second player since 1982, when individual sacks became an official statistic, to record four games with at least 2.5 sacks in the same season, joining Lawrence Taylor in 1986, when the New York Giants outside linebacker was The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Allen has 16.5 sacks this season. On Sunday, he broke the franchise single-season sack record set by Calais Campbell with 14.5 in 2017.
The Jaguars won without quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who missed the game with a shoulder injury, and kept control of their fate in the AFC South.
Jacksonville has an 9-7 record and is tied for the division lead with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, who both won on Sunday, too. The Jaguars have the tiebreaker advantage on those teams, so if Jacksonville defeats the Tennessee Titans in its regular-season finale on Jan. 7, it will have a home game against the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the AFC playoffs. If the Jaguars lose to the Titans, then Jacksonville will fall into the jumble of teams seeking the AFC’s final wild-card spot.
Allen was among the 32 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the 17th Sunday of the NFL’s 104th season.
Six other former state players were involved in the Carolina-Jacksonville game:
· Panthers running back Spencer Brown (Mortimer Jordan, UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Jaguars defensive end DJ Coleman (Jacksonville State) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Panthers linebacker Tae Davis (Oxford) did not record any stats.
· Panthers wide Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Darious Williams (UAB) started at cornerback for the Jaguars. Williams recorded one tackle for loss.
· Jaguars center Darryl Williams (Bessemer City) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
In the other Sunday games:
Baltimore Ravens 56, Miami Dolphins 19
· Ravens quarterback Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Ravens guard Tyrell Doss (Aliceville) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Hill had six receptions for 76 yards and one rushing attempt for no gain. By boosting his 2023 totals to 112 receptions for 1,717 yards and 12 touchdowns, Hill broke the franchise single-season record of 1,710 yards that he established in 2022 and became the first player in NFL history to record two seasons with at least 1,700 receiving yards.
· Ravens outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon (Hoover) made one tackle. Baltimore elevated Moon from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.
· Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford) started at nose tackle for the Ravens. Pierce made three tackles and recorded one quarterback hit. He missed a portion of the game while being evaluated for a head injury.
Buffalo Bills 27, New England Patriots 21
· Patriots center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) did not record any stats.
· Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Bills cornerback Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.
Chicago Bears 37, Atlanta Falcons 17
· Bears fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) did not record any stats.
· Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) returned two kickoffs for 54 yards and gained 2 yards on a rushing attempt.
· Bears cornerback Christian Matthew (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) was designated as a game-day inactive. A concussion kept Mooney out of the lineup.
Houston Texans 26, Tennessee Titans 3
· Titans defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Buffalo Bills 27, New England Patriots 21
· Patriots center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) did not record any stats.
· Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Bills cornerback Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.
Chicago Bears 37, Atlanta Falcons 17
· Bears fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) did not record any stats.
· Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) returned two kickoffs for 54 yards and gained 2 yards on a rushing attempt.
· Bears cornerback Christian Matthew (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) was designated as a game-day inactive. A concussion kept Mooney out of the lineup.
Houston Texans 26, Tennessee Titans 3
· Titans defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
