Top Dawgs in the NFL (Week 1)
Continuing a series that debuted two years ago, UGASports highlights the top NFL performances by former Georgia players for the week entering the Monday night game. With our most outstanding performer for the week—or the Top Dawg—revealed towards the end, we spotlight the top NFL performances by Bulldogs for September 4 through September 7 and preview those participating in tonight’s Monday night game.
Filled with veterans and also many of those appearing in an NFL game for the first time, this week’s listing of top and notable pro performances by former Georgia players is a lengthy one, to say the least.
Matthew Stafford
In a 14-9 season-opening win over the Houston Texans, the Los Angeles Rams’ Stafford completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown—a 13-yard score to Davis Allen in the third quarter, which ultimately provided the winning margin—and no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 109.1. In the process, Stafford became only the 10th quarterback in NFL history—and just the second active player, along with Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers—to pass for more than 60,000 yards in a career.
Devonte Wyatt
Totaling three tackles, including a pivotal sack, and three quarterback hurries in Green Bay’s 27-13 win over Detroit, Wyatt was a defensive standout in the Packers’ significant victory to start the season. The sack, or “your dagger,” and the 13th in the NFL career of Wyatt, came on fourth down in the fourth quarter, and essentially clinched the game for Green Bay.
Jordan Davis
Davis was described as perhaps having the best game of his NFL career in Philadelphia’s 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. The fourth-year defensive tackle played a career-high 87 percent of his team’s defensive snaps while totaling six tackles, tying a career high. He also registered a tackle for loss and a pass defended in the victory for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Quay Walker
Named one of Green Bay’s team captains, Walker was impressive in the Packers’ season-opening win over Detroit, totaling nine tackles, including a game-high two for loss, and one pass defended. Returning from an ankle injury that forced him to miss several games last season, Walker is seeking his fourth (of four) consecutive season with 100+ tackles.
Brock Bowers
In less than three quarters of action, Bowers made five receptions for 103 yards in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 20-13 win over New England. For the second-year star tight end, it was his seventh career game (of only 18) with 90+ receiving yards. Bowers left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury; however, according to the latest reports, he is “fine” and there are “no concerns moving forward.”
The TOP DAWG: James Cook
The Top Dawg of the week goes to Buffalo’s Cook, who helped spark a thrilling comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. In the 41-40 win, the fourth-year running back was limited to a team-high 44 rushing yards on 13 carries but scored on a two-yard run midway through the third quarter, cutting the Bills’ deficit to single digits. Early in the fourth quarter, Cook gained 51 yards after catching a short pass, which led to another Buffalo touchdown. Cook finished with five receptions for 58 yards, the most receiving yards he’s had in a single game since Week 14 of 2023.
Other notable pro performances over the weekend by Bulldogs include receiver Ladd McConkey of the Los Angeles Chargers, who made six receptions for 74 yards (plus a heads-up play of knocking a teammate’s fumble out of bounds to regain possession) in a 27-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Second-year safety Tykee Smith totaled a game-high 11 tackles and had a defended pass in Tampa Bay’s 23-20 win over Atlanta. For the Falcons, rookie defensive end Jalon Walker came off the bench, appearing in 45% of his team’s plays, and totaled two tackles, as well as a tackle on a kickoff.
In Baltimore’s one-point loss, Roquan Smith totaled a game-high 10 tackles, and rookie safety Malaki Starks started and had seven tackles.
Besides Wyatt and Walker, Javon Bullard also starred for the Packers in their win over Detroit. The second-year safety totaled the second-most tackles (along with Walker) on the team with nine. Rookie defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse played on eight snaps for the Packers and assisted on a tackle on the game’s final play.
In San Francisco’s 17-13 win over Seattle, first-round pick Mykel Williams started, appeared for 39 of 52 plays, and tallied an assisted tackle. Other rookies seeing significant action over the weekend included offensive guards Jared Wilson (left guard with New England), Tate Ratledge (right guard with Detroit), and Dylan Fairchild (left guard with Cincinnati), who all started for their respective teams.
Finally, in a game that also featured cornerback Kamari Lassiter with a team-high nine tackles, it was good seeing Nick Chubb toting the ball for his new team, the Houston Texans. In the Texans’ setback to the Rams, Chubb rushed for a team-high 60 yards on 13 carries. His 4.6 yards-per-carry average against the Rams comes on the heels of averaging just 3.3 yards per rush for Cleveland a year ago.
The Monday night game tonight features the Minnesota Vikings at the Chicago Bears, where the visiting Vikings are a 1.5-point favorite. Minnesota has three former Georgia players on its active roster: Chaz Chambliss (No. 3 ROLB on the current depth chart), Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (No. 2 RDE), and Ben Yurosek (No. 3 TE)—all rookies who would be appearing in their first pro game. For the Bears, D’Andre Swift is their main running back, who rushed for more than 2,000 combined yards in 2023 and 2024.