Former Alabama Quarterbacks to Face Off for Third Time in NFL

Former Alabama quarterbacks and first round draft picks Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa will play against each other for the third time in their professional careers in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

New England and Miami also played each other Week 1 of last season, where the Dolphins won the tightly contested game 17-16 after the Patriots fumbled the ball inside the 10-yard line late in the fourth quarter, and never received possession back. It was Jones' first game playing in the NFL, where he went 29-of-39 for 281 yards and one touchdown. Tagovailoa went 16-of-27 for 202 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The second time they played each other was Week 18 of last season, where the Dolphins won again, 33-24. Jones went 20-of-30 for 261 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Tagovailoa went 15-of-22 for 109 yards and one touchdown..

Even though the Dolphins got the better of the Patriots twice last year, New England (10-7) still finished with a better record than Miami (9-8) and made the playoffs, where they lost in the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills, 47-17. Jones finished the regular season with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, as well as having a completion percentage of 67.6, which is the second highest in NFL history for a rookie QB. Tagovailoa finished with 2,653 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, as well as being in the top 10 in completion percentage for the season.

Both Jones and Tagovailoa were named as captains of their teams for this upcoming season.

The New England Patriots will play on the road against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, September 11 at noon CST. The game will be aired on CBS in certain areas. Jones and the Patriots look to return to the playoffs for a second straight time this season while Tagovailoa and the Dolphins look to make their first playoff appearance since 2016.