Top Dawgs in the NFL (Week 7)
UGASports continues its series highlighting the top NFL performances by former Georgia players for the week, entering the Monday night game(s). With our most outstanding performer for the week—or the Top Dawg—revealed towards the end, we spotlight the top NFL performances by Bulldogs from October 16 through October 19 and preview those participating in tonight’s two Monday night games.
Tyson Campbell
Playing for Cleveland for the second game after four-plus seasons with Jacksonville, Campbell was one of the Browns’ defensive standouts yesterday in their 31-6 rout over the Miami Dolphins. Starting at cornerback, he totaled two tackles and defended two opposing passes. Just before halftime, Campbell broke up a pass in the end zone intended for Jaylen Waddle. On the first play of the second half, he returned a Tua Tagovailoa pass 34 yards for a touchdown. For Campbell, it was his seventh career pro interception—but the first since Week 1 of the 2023 season—and his first interception returned for a score.
Nakobe Dean
After appearing for just a few special-teams snaps last week, Dean returned at linebacker for Philadelphia for the first time since his season-ending injury in last year’s playoffs. Coming off the bench for the Eagles, he appeared for 31 snaps (45% of his team’s), making six tackles—tied for the second-most on his team—in Philadelphia’s 28-22 win over Minnesota on the road. One of his tackles was for a four-yard loss of running back Zavier Scott. Despite missing two regular-season games last season, Dean was second on the Super Bowl-winning squad in tackles (128) and third in tackles for loss (9).
Matthew Stafford
In yesterday’s early game in London, Stafford continued to have an MVP-like season in the Los Angeles Rams’ 35-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the victory, the 17th-year veteran completed 21 of 33 passes for 182 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions (117.7 rating). The five touchdown passes were Stafford’s most as a Ram (four times he passed for five touchdowns at Detroit). Stafford, who entered the week leading the league with 1,684 passing yards, has thrown for a league-high 17 touchdowns this season while being intercepted just twice.
The TOP DAWG: D’Andre Swift
Swift is the Top Dawg of the week for his offensive performance yesterday in Chicago’s 26-14 win over the New Orleans Saints, as the Bears won their fourth game in a row. The former Georgia running back rushed 19 times for 124 yards (6.5 avg.), including an 11-yard touchdown burst midway through the second quarter. He also made a reception for a 14-yard gain. Swift’s outing comes on the heels of rushing for 108 yards (7.7 avg.) against Washington on Monday night—after he had averaged just 46.8 rushing yards (3.3 avg.) through the Bears’ first four games of the season. For the sixth-year veteran, his performance yesterday marked the third time in his NFL career that he rushed for 100+ yards in back-to-back games.
Other notable performances by former Georgia players over the weekend include from a few other “Philly Dawgs,” besides Dean, in Philadelphia’s 28-22 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Cornerback Kelee Ringo totaled five tackles; defensive tackle Jalen Carter had three tackles and two quarterback hits; and defensive tackle Jordan Davis made three tackles, including one for loss.
From the Thursday night game, the receiving stat line for tight end Darnell Washington of Pittsburgh in a 33-31 setback to Cincinnati is an unusual one: 3 catches for 2 yards (with a long of 8 yards), including a 2-yard touchdown reception.
A host of Bulldogs were defensive contributors with Green Bay in the Packers’ 27-23 win over Arizona on the road. Linebacker Quay Walker made a game-high nine tackles, including one-and-a-half sacks, and three quarterback hits. Safety Javon Bullard totaled seven tackles, while rookie defensive linemen Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse made four and two tackles, respectively.
Finally, we spotlight a couple of receiving performances from over the weekend. Although totaling just 67 yards, Ladd McConkey made nine receptions (15 targets) in the Los Angeles Chargers’ 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. For McConkey, the nine catches were a season-high (the 15 targets, a career-high). In Dallas’ 44-22 win over Washington, George Pickens continued his stellar season with the Cowboys. The fourth-year veteran, who currently ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards, made four catches for 82 yards, including a long of 44—that was a “bucket.”
Monday Night Football
Starting at 7:00 pm ET tonight, the first Monday night game features the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the 4-2 Detroit Lions, with the home Lions a 6-point favorite. Tampa Bay has one former Georgia player on its active roster: Tykee Smith, the team’s No. 1 strong safety and leading tackler. There are two Bulldogs on the Lions’ active roster: Tate Ratledge, the Lions’ No. 1 right guard, and Dominic Lovett, the No. 2 slot receiver.
Starting at 10:00 ET tonight, the second Monday night game matches the 2-3 Houston Texans at the 4-2 Seattle Seahawks, with the home Seahawks a 3-point favorite. Houston has two former Georgia players on its active roster: Nick Chubb, the No. 1 running back on the team’s latest depth chart, and Kamari Lassiter, the No. 1 right cornerback. Seattle has one former Georgia player on its active roster: Derion Kendrick, the Seahawks’ No. 3 nickelback.
BYE teams this week: Ravens and Bills