Offensive linemen rarely get the credit that they deserve. They don’t make flashy plays like a quarterback or other skill position player, yet their roles in a football game are incredibly important. To
learn why, go watch Sandra Bullock’s opening monologue in The Blind Side.
Under Kirby Smart, several former o-line Dawgs have been sent to the NFL. Six of them started over the weekend for multiple teams:
- Andrew Thomas, the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, started at tackle for the New York Giants on Sunday. Despite their loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Giants only allowed former Ole Miss standout Jaxson Dart to be sacked once. Thomas was also the highest-graded player in the game, according to Pro Football Focus, earning a grade of 84.7.
- Three former Georgia o-linemen were featured in the matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday: Tate Ratledge for the Lions, Amarius Mims, and Dylan Fairchild for the Bengals. Ratledge helped the Lions amass 37 points and 365 yards of offense in the victory.
- Jared Wilson got another start as a guard for the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. The rookie’s efforts ultimately helped the Patriots hand the Bills their first loss of the season in a 23-20 victory. Both he and Tate Ratledge were named to the week five rookie team of the week by Pro Football Focus. Wilson, who played center during his time at Georgia, seems to have adjusted well to his new position under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
- Warren McClendon Jr. started at tackle for the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. He, along with the Rams’ offensive line, allowed just one sack to Matthew Stafford the entire night. Unfortunately, they were unable to move the line enough for running back Kyren Williams on a fourth-and-one run play in overtime, which ultimately resulted in a 26-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Speaking of Matthew Stafford, the veteran had himself another great game against the 49ers. Despite a tough overtime loss, the Texan Dawg threw for nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns. The 37-year-old now leads the NFL with 1,503 passing yards and is second behind Jared Goff with 11 passing touchdowns on the season. If he keeps up his current pace, Stafford will likely find himself as a MVP candidate at season’s end.
Former Georgia running back Nick Chubb also had a nice game against the free-falling Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. His Texans dismantled the Ravens 44-10. Chubb carried the ball 11 times for 61 yards and a touchdown. His fellow teammate and former Dawg, Kamari Lassiter, also intercepted his first pass of the season in this game. The Savannah native’s head coach, Demeco Ryans, praised him after the game for the interception.
For the Ravens, rookie safety and first-round pick Malaki Starks was tied for second on the Ravens with 10 tackles on the afternoon.
That’s all for this week on the NFL report. Best wishes to all the former Dawg greats in their upcoming matchups this week.
Go Dawgs!!
