State NFL roundup: Jordan Howard overpowers Steelers

After finishing second in the NFL with 1,313 rushing yards as a rookie in 2016, Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard had 59 rushing yards and a shoulder injury after two games in 2017.

Howard left Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers twice when hits aggravated his right acromial clavicular joint injury. But he shook off the pain to score the first and last touchdowns in the Bears’ 23-17 overtime victory.

Howard (Gardendale, UAB) ran for 138 yards on 23 carries and caught five passes for 26 yards against the Steelers.

Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/XDLugn1iUX

– Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 24, 2017

Howard scored on a 3-yard run with 9:09 left in the first quarter as Chicago took a 7-0 lead.

In overtime, the Bears got the ball first. After a 1-yard run by Howard, Tarik Cohen broke a 36-yard run. Howard then covered the remaining distance to the end zone and victory with consecutive runs of 18 and 19 yards as Chicago won four plays into overtime.

Howard was among the 35 former Alabama high school or college players (that didn’t play for Alabama or Auburn) who got on the field during the third Sunday of the NFL’s 2017 season.

Other former state players who started on Sunday included:

• Nose tackle Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford), outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) and defensive back Lardarius Webb (Beauregard) of the Baltimore Ravens. Pierce made three tackles, Smith had a quarterback hit and Webb made three tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage, in a 44-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Smith returned to the field after an injury suffered in the season opener kept him sidelined last week. He started at defensive tackle with regular Brandon Williams sidelined by an injury.
• Wide receiver Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) of the Buffalo Bills caught three passes for 61 yards, including a 28-yarder, in a 26-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.
• Defensive end Mario Addison (Tarrant, Troy) and left cornerback James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) of the Carolina Panthers. Addison made six tackles, including a sack, and Bradberry had four tackles in a 34-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
• Right defensive end Michael Johnson (Dallas County) of the Cincinnati Bengals had three tackles, including a sack, and two quarterback hits in a 27-24 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers.
• Running back Isaiah Crowell (Alabama State) of the Cleveland Browns ran for 44 yards on 12 carries and caught two passes for 10 yards in a 31-28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
• Free safety Darian Stewart (Lee-Huntsville) of the Broncos made seven tackles against the Bills.
• Running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) of the Detroit Lions ran for 47 yards on 14 carries and caught three passes for 39 yards in a 30-26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
• Middle linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) of the Houston Texans made a team-leading seven tackles in a 36-33 loss to the New England Patriots.
• Wide receiver Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) and left defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) of the Kansas City Chiefs. Hill caught five passes for 77 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown reception for the first score in a 24-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Hill also had three carries for 13 yards and two punt returns for 10 yards. Nunez-Roches made a tackle.

• Quarterback Philip Rivers (Athens) of the Chargers completed 20-of-40 passes for 237 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions against the Chiefs. Rivers has played in 184 regular-season and nine playoff games in his NFL career, and Sunday’s game was the second in which he had no touchdown passes and three interceptions. The first came in a 37-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 2, 2014. 
• Cornerback Bobby McCain (Oxford) of the Dolphins.
• Cornerback Malcolm Butler (West Alabama) and defensive end Trey Flowers (Columbia) of the Patriots. Flowers had six tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits and Butler made three tackles against the Texans.
• Center Rodney Hudson (B.C. Rain) of the Oakland Raiders.
• Right offensive tackle Chris Hubbard (UAB) of the Steelers.
• Quarterback Jameis Winston (Hueytown) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed 28-of-40 passes for 328 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in a 34-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

• Center Ben Jones (Bibb County) of the Tennessee Titans.

Other former state players seeing action on Sunday included:

• Bills linebacker Deon Lacey (Hueytown, West Alabama) and quarterback Joe Webb (Wenonah, UAB). Webb made two special-teams tackles and Lacey had a tackle against the Broncos.
• Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (Murphy) had three tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage, against the Saints.
• Bengals wide receiver Cody Core (Auburn High).
• Chargers defensive tackle Darius Philon (Vigor) made two tackles against the Chiefs.
• New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama) made three tackles and broke up two passes in a 27-24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jenkins returned after sitting out last week’s game with an injury, but he didn’t resume his usual spot in the starting lineup.
• New York Jets defensive tackle Steve McLendon (Carroll-Ozark, Troy) made a tackle for loss in a 20-6 victory over the Dolphins.
• Raiders outside linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville), wide receiver Seth Roberts (West Alabama) and Xavier Woodson-Luster (Eufaula). Morrow made four tackles and Roberts caught four passes for 20 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Washington Redskins.
• Eagles safety Trae Elston (Oxford) made a special-teams tackle against the Giants. Elston played even though he’d been claimed by Philadelphia off the waiver wire from the Buffalo Bills only on Wednesday.
• Tennessee Titans safety Brynden Trawick (Troy) made a special-teams tackle in a 33-27 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
• Redskins outside linebacker Junior Galette (Stillman) shared a sack and broke up a pass against the Raiders.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Ravens cornerback Jaylen Hill (Jacksonville State), Panthers cornerback LaDarius Gunter (Jeff Davis), Colts wide receiver Chester Rogers (Lee-Huntsville), Raiders offensive tackle Jylan Ware (Valley, Alabama State), Seahawks running back J.D. McKissic (Central-Phenix City), Buccaneers middle linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford), Titans cornerback Kalan Reed (Briarwood Christian) and Redskins defensive tackle Anthony Lanier (Alabama AM) were designated as inactive on Sunday.

On Thursday night, San Francisco 49ers safeties Jaquiski Tartt (Davidson, Samford) and Jimmie Ward (Davidson) tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece in a 41-39 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

On Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys will visit the Arizona Cardinals at 7:30 CDT. ESPN will televise the game

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.

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