Mecole Hardman scores again, Roquan Smith done for the season highlights Georgia players in Week 14 of the NFL
Mecole Hardman has shown that he absolutely made the right decision to forgo his final season at Georgia and enter the NFL. Because he’s become a hugely valuable addition to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hardman had 141 all-purpose yards in the Chiefs’ 23-16 win over the New England Patriots. The big highlight for Hardman was a 48-yard touchdown catch, which was Patrick Mahomes’ only touchdown pass on the day.
Seems like every time we need a big play, @MecoleHardman4 answers the bell!@Bridgestone | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/gYN7pREj1D
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 10, 2019
The Chiefs were 0-2 against the Patriots last season, but Hardman was not on the team last year as he was still playing for the Bulldogs. Hardman very likely would’ve made a huge difference for Georgia this season given the struggles at wide receiver.
As for the other Bulldogs in the NFL, former Georgia running back Todd Gurley had another solid week as he finished with 79 rushing yards and a touchdown. The rushing touchdown featured one of the better stiff arms you’ll see.
10+ TDs in 3 Straight Seasons@RamsNFL History @marshallfaulk (5)@EricDickerson (4)@TG3II (3) pic.twitter.com/BbIFBJarnn
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) December 9, 2019
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb actually had an even better week as he finished with 106 rushing yards as Cleveland beat the Bengals 27-19. Chubb is leading the league in rushing, as he currently has 1,281 rushing yards on the season.
Two former Bulldogs recorded their first career catches this week, as Riley Ridley hauled in a 5-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky while Isaac Nauta of the Detroit Lions caught a 3-yard pass from David Blough.
Ridley’s teammate Roquan Smith did not have the best of weeks. Smith tore his pectoral muscle and will miss the rest of the season. Smith has 101 tackles on the season and was in Atlanta to watch the Bulldogs lost to LSU in the 2019 SEC championship game. The Bears were able to find a way to beat the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday, as Chicago won 31-24.
Justin Houston and Jordan Jenkins both had productive weeks as pass rushers, as he played was able to record a sack. Houston picked up his ninth sack of the season, but it wasn’t enough for the Colts as they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jenkins had 2.0 sacks for the New York Jets in their win over the Miami Dolphins. He now has 7.0 sacks on the year.
As for this week’s Top Dawg — our weekly honor which goes to the former Bulldog who had the best week in the NFL — the choice is clearly Hardman. He’s had a monster year for the Chiefs, as he ranks second among all rookies with six receiving touchdowns.
Top Dawgs in the NFL
Week 1: Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears
Week 2: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 3: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 4: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Week 5: Sony Michel, New England Patriots
Week 6: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Week 7: Justin Houston, Indianapolis Colts
Week 8: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Week 9: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Week 10: Jordan Jenkins, New York Jets
Week 11: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
Week 12: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Week 13: Roquan Smith, Chicago Bears
Week 14: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
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