After opening the season with three losses by a total of 13 points, the Houston Texans have won three of their past four games as they seek their third straight postseason berth.
On Sunday, the Texans downed the San Francisco 49ers 26-15, and Houston cornerback Kamari Lassiter came down with an interception that made sure of the victory.
After former Saks High School quarterback Tremon Smith downed a punt at the San Francisco 1-yard line, former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones passed the 49ers to the Houston 29-yard line as San Francisco sought to overcome its 11-point deficit.
But when Jones tried to connect with wide receiver Jauan Jennings down the left sideline, Lassiter caught the football instead at the Texans 1-yard line with 1:56 to play.
Lassiter’s second interception of the season was the fifth in his 21 regular-season games since joining Houston from Georgia in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Lassiter was an All-State selection for American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa in 2020.
Lassiter was among the 33 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who got on the field on the eighth Sunday of the NFL’s 106th season.
Nine other former state players were involved in the San Francisco-Baltimore game:
Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore, Troy) started at center for the Texans.Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (Clay-Chalkville) was designated as a game-day inactive. A concussion kept Collins out of Houston’s lineup.Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and not eligible to play.Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State) started at right offensive tackle for the Texans. Forty-Niners defensive end Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) was designated as a game-day inactive. A hamstring injury prevented Huff from playing. Forty-Niners cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (South Alabama) did not record any stats.Forty-Niners defensive back Siran Neal (Eufaula, Jacksonville State) made two tackles on special teams. Texans cornerback Tremon Smith (Saks) did not record any stats.Texans safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson) is on reserve/physically unable to perform and not eligible to play.
In the other Sunday games:
Miami Dolphins 34, Atlanta Falcons 10
Falcons cornerback Cobee Bryant (Hillcrest-Evergreen) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) started at wide receiver for the Falcons. Mooney had an 11-yard reception.Dolphins offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible play.
Baltimore Ravens 30, Chicago Bears 16
Ravens offensive tackle Carson Vinson (Alabama A&M) was designated as a game-day inactive.
Buffalo Bills 40, Carolina Panthers 9
Bills offensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.Mike Jackson (Spain Park) started at cornerback for the Panthers. Jackson made one tackle and broke up two passes.Panthers linebacker Jeremiah Moon (Hoover) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (Troy) made two tackles on special teams.
New York Jets 39, Cincinnati Bengals 38
Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne) made a 26-yard field goal and five extra points as he connected on all his kicks against the Jets.Jets wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett (Jackson, South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.Cam Taylor-Britt (Park Crossing) started at cornerback for the Bengals. Taylor-Britt made four tackles, registered one quarterback hit and broke up two passes in his first start since the opening game of the season. Taylor-Britt returned to the lineup after being a game-day inactive in Cincinnati’s previous contest.Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams made seven tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up two passes in his return from a four-game injury absence.
New England Patriots 32, Cleveland Browns 13
Browns linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) made four tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and forced one fumble. Cleveland recovered the fumble at its 1-yard line with 4:51 to play.Browns safety Christopher Edmonds (Samford) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (Enterprise, Troy) made six tackles, recorded one tackle for loss, broke up two passes and returned one punt 8 yards.Quinshon Judkins (Pike Road) started at running back for the Browns. Judkins ran for 19 yards on nine carries and caught three passes that netted minus-2 yards before he left the game because of a shoulder injury.Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy) did not record any stats.Browns linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play. Patriots wide receiver Jeremiah Webb (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) started at defensive end for the Browns. Wright made four tackles, recorded one sack and had three tackles for loss. Wright has three sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2025.
Philadelphia Eagles 38, New York Giants 20
Eagles cornerback Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.Reed Blankenship (West Limestone) started at safety for the Eagles. Blankenship made five tackles. Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) started at cornerback for the Giants. Flott made two tackles before leaving to be evaluated for a concussion.Eagles cornerback Mac McWilliams (UAB) did not record any stats.Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) started at defensive tackle for the Giants. Nunez-Roches made three tackles and recorded his first sack of the season. The sack was the seventh of Nunez-Roches’ 11-year career.Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins (Athens) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.Jameis Winston (Hueytown) was designated as the Giants’ emergency third quarterback. He could play only if Jaxson Dart and Russell Wilson could not.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, New Orleans Saints 3
Tez Johnson (Pinson Valley, Troy) started at wide receiver for the Buccaneers. Johnson had five receptions for 43 yards.
Denver Broncos 44, Dallas Cowboys 22
Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort) made eight tackles on defense and one tackle on special teams. His career high had been four tackles, but Abrams-Draine got extended play with the Denver defense on Sunday after an injury to cornerback Patrick Surtain II.Trikweze Bridges (Lanett) started at cornerback for the Cowboys. Bridges made four tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another one in the seventh-round rookie’s first NFL start. Bridges intercepted Denver quarterback Bo Nix on the third snap of the game and returned it 7 yards to the Dallas 48-yard line to set up a field goal. Shemar James (Faith Academy) started at linebacker for the Cowboys. James made four tackles.George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Cowboys. Pickens had seven receptions for 78 yards. Cowboys defensive back Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy) made three tackles on defense and two tackles on special teams.Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) had two receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown. Tolbert caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Milton III with 4:44 left in the game. Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) made one tackle for loss.
Indianapolis Colts 38, Tennessee Titans 14
Colts running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) ran for 5 yards on two carries and caught a 3-yard pass. Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (Fairhope) ran the offense on Indianapolis’ final two possessions in his NFL debut. The sixth-round rookie had two incomplete passes and 1-yard run.Colts safety Trey Washington (Hewitt-Trussville) made one tackle. Titans guard Clay Webb (Oxford, Jacksonville State) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Green Bay Packers 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 25
Steelers punter Corliss Waitman (South Alabama) averaged 48.5 yards on four punts, with a 44.3-yard net. Waitman had a 46-yard punt that was muffed and recovered by Green Bay at the Packers 18-yard line, a 51-yarder returned 3 yards to the Packers 23 (and moved back to the 10 by a holding penalty), a 51-yarder returned 11 yards to the Packers 40 (and moved to the Pittsburgh 45 by an unnecessary-roughness penalty) and a 46-yarder returned 6 yards to the Packers 44.
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Week 8 started on Thursday night, when the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 37-10.
Week 8 concludes on Monday, when the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.
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