Each week, TideIllustrated will break down the top performances of former Crimson Tide players in the NFL.

Several former Alabama players were in action during Sunday's AFC and NFC Championship games, attempting to help their sides reach Super Bowl LVIII, which kicks off Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

Former Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey returned for the Ravens as they battled for a spot in the Super Bowl on their home turf for the first time in franchise history. The Ravens were ultimately unable to come up with enough scoring in the second half and fell to the Chiefs 17-10.

Humphrey made his first appearance since Week 17, after missing Baltimore’s final regular season game and divisional-round win over the Houston Texans due to a calf injury. He logged one tackle Sunday as the Ravens saw its season ended by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Humphrey finished what was an ultimately disappointing seventh season in Baltimore, having played in a career-low 10 games in 2023. He still managed to log 27 tackles, five pass deflections and an interception this season.

Former Alabama cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis also plays for the Ravens but was unavailable Sunday. He was placed on injured reserve Dec. 30 due to a concussion. Armour-Davis finished his second season as a pro with six tackles in eight games.

Detroit fans will have a bitter taste in their mouths after the Lions surrendered a 17-point halftime lead and lost to San Francisco 34-31.

Several former Alabama players, however, gave the Lions their brightest moments of Sunday’s contest. Three former Tide players suit up for the Lions, including running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Jameson Williams and safety Brian Branch.

It was Williams who got the party started in the first quarter when he rattled off an impressive 42-yard touchdown run to open the scoring.

The outstanding run was the only carry for Williams on Sunday. He also finished with a pair of catches for 25 yards and a touchdown grab that made it a three-point game late in the fourth quarter.

With the Lions season in the books, Williams ended his second NFL campaign with 24 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season. He scored one touchdown on the ground and one through the air in the playoffs.

Gibbs had another productive postseason outing as he racked up 45 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and added 11 yards on three catches.

Unfortunately for Gibbs, a fumble in the second half was one of several mistakes by the Lions, which cost them a spot in the Super Bowl. The fumble shouldn’t detract however from a stellar rookie campaign that’s seen Gibbs secure his spot as a cornerstone of Detroit’s offense moving forward. He finished the 2023 regular season with 182 carries for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns in 15 games, and scored three rushing touchdowns in the playoffs.

Branch capped off his rookie campaign with four tackles, including one for loss against the 49ers. His ability as a blitzing safety helped him rack up 20 tackles and a sack, along with one pass deflection over the Lions three playoff games.

While it was a disappointing ending for Detroit, Branch, along with Williams and Gibbs represents the Lions potential longevity as each are younger key pieces of their roster. Branch finished the regular season with 74 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and three interceptions, including a pick-6 in his NFL debut against the Chiefs on Sept. 7.

No matter which team takes home the NFL’s most coveted prize, a former Alabama player will be a Super Bowl champion this season.

The Chiefs boast former Crimson Tide defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs on their practice squad. Buggs played in 10 games for the Lions this season and had 12 tackles and a sack. He was waived by Detroit on Jan. 2 and signed with the Chiefs on Jan. 4.

The 49ers have tight end Cameron Latu on their roster, but he’s spent the entire season on injured reserve due to a knee injury. Latu, a rookie, had 56 catches for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns in five seasons with Alabama.

While neither player will likely be active in the big game, having a Super Bowl representative on both teams in some capacity highlights the Tide’s ability to consistently put players in the pros. Alabama has had a representative see the field in 14 of the last 15 Super Bowls.