NFL Saturday afternoon: John Metchie III scores his first pro touchdown (2024)

Continuing his comeback from cancer, Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III scored his first touchdown as a pro during a 28-10 victory over the New York Giants in an NFL preseason game on Saturday afternoon.

In Saturday afternoon’s other NFL preseason games:

· Beaten on the final snap of their preseason opener last week, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Atlanta Falcons 13-12 by stopping a 2-point conversion attempt after former Alabama running back Jase McClellan scored his first pro touchdown on a 3-yard run with 36 seconds remaining.

· No. 1 draft choice Caleb Williams completed only 6-of-13 passes and started the game with three three-and-outs, but the Chicago quarterback warmed up for a field-goal drive and his first pro rushing touchdown in the Bears’ 27-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

· Jake Bates’ fourth field goal of the game – a 43-yarder on the final snap – lifted the Detroit Lions to a 24-23 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

· First-half quarterback Nick Mullens passed for 135 yards and one touchdown and second-half quarterback Jarren Hall’s two TD passes included a 71-yarder in the Minnesota Vikings’ 27-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Selected from Alabama in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Metchie missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia just before his first training camp.

Metchie returned to catch 16 passes for 158 yards in 16 regular-season games and three passes for 44 yards in two postseason contests in the 2023 campaign. But he did not reach the end zone.

At NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday, Metchie caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Case Keenum as the Texans took a 14-7 lead with 3:48 left in the first half.

On the 12-play, 79-yard drive that ended with his touchdown, Metchie had third-down receptions for gains of 19 and 15 yards for first downs.

Metchie finished with six receptions for 68 yards on Saturday to lead all receivers in the game. His best showing in a game in a Texans uniform before Saturday in the preseason, regular season or postseason came in the first round of the AFC playoffs on Jan. 13, 2024, when he had three receptions for 44 yards in a 45-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

RELATED: JOHN METCHIE III: TEXANS RECEIVERS FOLLOW ‘THE ALABAMA WAY’

During Saturday afternoon’s NFL preseason games, 45 players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field:

Baltimore Ravens 13, Atlanta Falcons 12

· Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama) started at cornerback for the Ravens. Armour-Davis made one tackle and broke up one pass.

· Falcons running back Spencer Brown (Mortimer Jordan, UAB) ran for 26 yards on four carries after signing with Atlanta on Monday.

· Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) started at wide receiver for the Ravens. Cunningham had three receptions for 28 yards.

· Ravens guard Darrian Dalcourt (Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams (Alabama) did not play. Hellams has not practiced since getting hurt in last week’s preseason opener.

· Ravens running back Derrick Henry (Alabama) did not play.

· Falcons wide receiver OJ Hiliare (Alabama A&M) had a 16-yard reception.

· Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, Alabama) did not play.

· Eddie Jackson (Alabama) started at free safety for the Ravens. Jackson made three tackles.

· Ravens guard Tashawn Manning (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Ravens cornerback Christian Matthew (Samford) did not play.

· Falcons running back Jase McClellan (Alabama) led Atlanta with 55 yards on 11 rushing attempts. The sixth-round draft choice scored his first pro touchdown on a 3-yard run with 36 seconds to play. Baltimore stopped McClellan on a 2-point conversion run after his TD.

· Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (Gadsden City) did not play.

· Ravens nose tackle Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford) did not play.

Chicago Bears 27, Cincinnati Bengals 3

· Jordan Battle (Alabama) started at safety for the Bengals. Battle made two tackles.

· Bengals defensive tackle Travis Bell (Jeff Davis) made one tackle.

· Bears fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) caught a pass that went for no gain.

· Jermaine Burton (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Bengals. Burton had a 19-yard reception, returned two punts for 7 yards and ran back two kickoffs for 58 yards.

· Bears defensive lineman Byron Cowart (Auburn) made one tackle.

· Bears tight end Gerald Everett (UAB/South Alabama) had two receptions for 10 yards.

· Bengals cornerback Allan George (Andalusia) made two tackles.

· Shedrick Jackson (Hoover, Auburn) started at wide receiver for the Bengals. Jackson had two receptions for 10 yards.

· Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson) recorded one tackle for loss on defense and made one tackle on special teams.

· Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) ran for 13 yards on six carries as he worked at running back. Jones also returned a kickoff 18 yards.

· Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne) made his only kick of the game, connecting on a 54-yard field-goal attempt on the final snap of the first half to account for Cincinnati’s points.

· Bears defensive back Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy) tied for the team lead with six tackles.

· Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (Park Crossing) did not play.

· Bears cornerback Ro Torrence (Bessemer City, Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Bears punter Corliss Waitman (South Alabama) had a 53-yard punt that went for a touchback.

Houston Texans 28, New York Giants 10

· Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) did not play.

· Nico Collins (Clay-Chalkville) started at wide receiver for the Texans. Collins had a 24-yard reception.

· Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) started at wide receiver for the Texans. Dell did not record any stats. He lost a 23-yard reception to an offensive-holding penalty.

· Giants cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) did not play.

· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (Alabama) did not play.

· Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) started at defensive tackle for the Giants. Nunez-Roches did not record any stats.

· Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (Auburn) had three receptions for 59 yards, including a 44-yard gain to the Houston 1-yard line to set up New York’s touchdown in the second quarter.

· Henry To’oTo’o (Alabama) started at linebacker for the Texans. To’oTo’o made two tackles.

· Jimmie Ward (Davidson) started at safety for the Texans. Ward made two tackles.

· Texans offensive tackle Kilian Zierer (Auburn) did not record any stats.

Detroit Lions 24, Kansas City Chiefs 23

· Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (Alabama) did not play.

· Lions defensive back Brian Branch (Alabama) did not play.

· Lions cornerback Carlton Davis (Auburn) did not play.

· Chiefs defensive end Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) made three tackles and shared a sack.

· Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) did not play.

· Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Lions. Martin made three tackles.

· Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Samford) completed 6-of-7 passes for 99 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Oladokun threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cornell Powell as Kansas City took a 23-15 lead with 9:25 to play.

· Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City) did not record any stats.

· Chiefs tight end Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama) had two receptions for 11 yards.

· Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) had one reception that lost 4 yards.

· Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford) returned a punt 13 yards.

· Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (Alabama) did not play.

Minnesota Vikings 27, Cleveland Browns 12

· Tony Brown (Alabama) started at cornerback for the Browns. Brown made four tackles and broke up one pass.

· Javon Cohen (Central-Phenix City, Alabama) started at left guard for the Browns.

· Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (Alabama) did not play.

· Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) started at linebacker for the Browns. Diabate made two tackles and registered one quarterback hit.

· Chris Edmonds (Samford) started at defensive back for the Browns. Edmonds tied for the team lead with six tackles.

· Browns running back Jerome Ford (Alabama) did not play.

· Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (Alabama) did not play.

· Vikings running back DeWayne McBride (UAB) gained 17 yards on six rushing attempts.

· Bobby McCain (Oxford) started at safety for the Vikings. McCain made two tackles.

· Nick Mullens (Spain Park) started at quarterback for the Vikings. Mullens completed 11-of-21 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Mullens threw a 14-yard pass to wide receiver Trishton Jackson to open the scoring with 11:45 left in the first quarter. Minnesota produced one touchdown and two field goals on its first four possessions of the game with Mullens under center.

· Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover, Alabama) made all his kicks – field goals of 41 and 38 yards and three extra points.

· Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) did not play.

· Browns defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (Alabama) did not play.

· Dallas Turner (Alabama) started at outside linebacker for the Vikings. Turner made one tackle.

· Browns linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville) did not play.

· Browns offense tackler Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama) did not play.

· Browns quarter back Jameis Winston (Hueytown) did not play.

· Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) did not play.

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