Here’s a little bit of background about me: I was offered a new job opportunity over the summer, so I decided to take my talents out west. My new friends and associates out here almost immediately recognized that I was a Dawg fan (it helped that a majority of my wardrobe includes several UGA shirts or hats). Over the past couple of days, many of them have apologized for Saturday’s loss and expressed surprise that Georgia was unable to defeat the Crimson Tide.
My response to them has been the same:
I was disappointed in the outcome, but I was not surprised by it. I told them I could tell many, many stories about how Alabama has ripped the heart out of the Dawgs, dating back to when I was a teenager and saw Chris Conley catch an Aaron Murray pass in bounds on the Tide’s five yard line, only for the clock to run out on Georgia’s chance of winning a SEC Championship and likely a BCS National Championship victory…
Anyway, let’s get back to the subject at hand.
This past week’s slate of NFL games brought some entertaining games. The highlight was the Sunday night thriller between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. The two teams matched each other on offense, ultimately ending in a 40-40 tie (where was this offense from Brian Schottenheimer when he was Georgia’s offensive coordinator in 2015?). A big reason for Dallas putting up 40 points was their new wide receiver and former Bulldog, George Pickens. Pickens had a career day, catching eight passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. His best catch came in the second quarter when he made an incredible grab in double coverage.
Pickens, who is in his first season in Dallas, has stepped up to become Dak Prescott’s top receiver when Ceedee Lamb went down with an injury earlier this season. Once Lamb returns, the Cowboys could have one of the most lethal passing attacks in the NFL.
Out in Los Angeles, veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford proved to the NFL world that he is still one of the top gunslingers in the league. Stafford was 29-of-41 for 375 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The highlight play was the go-ahead 88-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tutu Atwell. This would become the longest passing play of Stafford’s career. While it’s unclear how long Stafford will continue to play, it’s nice to see that he can still deliver as an elite NFL quarterback in a big moment.
Other notable moments from Dawgs in the NFL included:
- James Cook earned his third straight 100-yard rushing game in a Bills’ win on Saturday. As of now, he leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns (five) and is second in rushing yards (401).
- It was reported today that Eagles’ linebacker Nakobe Dean would be returning to practice. The Mississippi native and a vocal leader of the 2021 Dawgs defense suffered a patellar tendon injury in Philly’s Wild Card win against the Green Bay Packers last season, which caused him to miss playing in their Super Bowl victory later in the season. After a career year, the Eagles will be excited to welcome Dean back to the playing field.
- With a loss to the Chiefs on Saturday, the Baltimore Ravens fell to 1-3. If there is a coaching change following the season, offensive coordinator Todd Monken could be looking for a job (a fan can only dream right?).
That’s all the NFL news for the week. In the meantime…
Go Dawgs!
