4. Remain healthy
I’m perfectly aware that every team gets bit by the injury bug every year, but Alabama got bit worse than most. Not only did the Tide lose key players, but they lost them at key positions.
Defensive backs were in high demand for the Tide last season. After losing Ronnie Harrison, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Anthony Averett, and Tony Brown, there were practically no players with in-game experience in the secondary. That made it devastating when Alabama lost Trevon Diggs, their best corner. He was a lockdown corner for the Tide, and it was hard to replace his talents.
Alabama also had to recover from losing Terrell Lewis, a skilled pass rusher. If Lewis was able to play last year, he probably would’ve gotten near double-digit sacks for the Tide. His presence would’ve helped take pressure off of the secondary to stay locked on their guys because he would flush the quarterback out of the pocket on a regular basis. The fact that we never got to see him play alongside Quinnen Williams is a tragedy.
Tua’s health was also an issue this year. There was a direct correlation with success on the field and Tua’s health. When he started to have knee and ankle problems, the offense failed to play up to the standard they set in the first couple of months in the regular season.
Alabama has to keep the players that have been injured in the past healthy this season. They also need to avoid catastrophic injuries to any players that haven’t been injured before. I know a lot of this is just luck, but it is still a key to a successful 2019.