Alabama football quarterback Jalen Milroe hasn’t looked like the same player who dismantled Georgia in the first half at the end of September.
That night, he completed 27 of 33 passes (81.8%) for two touchdowns and one interception with a 98.8 passer rating. And that one interception wasn‘t even really Milroe’s fault; it bounced off tight end CJ Dippre’s hands.
Each game since, Milroe has distanced himself from that performance.
He went from looking like a Heisman Trophy favorite against the Bulldogs to now, three weeks later, a quarterback who has appeared not near as comfortable or confident. Milroe has thrown five interceptions over the past three games.
That included two in the 24-17 loss to Tennessee on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The second came on the final drive to clinch the game for the Vols.
Milroe completed 25 of 45 passes (55.6%) for 239 yards, one touchdown with two interceptions against Tennessee. His quarterback rating was 65.3. He also rushed for 11 yards on 14 carries and no scores.
This season, that was Milroe’s worst completion percentage, second straight game with two interceptions and first game without a rushing touchdown all season.
It’s worth noting that it happened against the No. 4 scoring defense and No. 4 total defense in the country. Alabama also gave up frequent pressure, and receivers dropped four passes, per Pro Football Focus’ charting. All of that put together, there‘s some understanding why it wasn’t Milroe’s best game. But he needed to make more plays for Alabama than he did. Especially if he wants to be considered one of the top quarterbacks in the sport.
A closer look at his numbers reveals Milroe’s struggles in the deep passing game.
On five attempts, Milroe didn‘t complete a pass 20 or more yards downfield, per PFF. He went 6-for-17 on passes 10 or more yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
“(Accuracy) is definitely something I can improve on,” Milroe said postgame. “Giving our guys a chance. We harp on giving our guys a chance because they are very explosive with the ball. So just putting it in the range and trusting in them. They‘re going to make big plays if the ball is in their range. That‘s something I’ve definitely got to improve on.”
Milroe struggled while facing pressure, which was almost constant; PFF credited Tennessee with 26 pressures. He completed 5 of 16 passes (31.3%) for 26 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while under pressure.
When he was kept clean, Milroe completed 20 of 30 passes (66.7%) for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Alabama offense as a whole needs to improve if the Crimson Tide still wants to make the College Football Playoff. It’s not just Milroe, but he was certainly a notable part of the struggles in Knoxville.
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
