Dawgs in the NFL: Matthew Stafford shines, Azeez Ojulari notches first sack

Matthew Stafford being a good NFL quarterback shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has followed his career.

He may have never won a playoff game in his 12 seasons in Detroit, but that could rarely be blamed on him. The now-former Lions’ quarterback was constantly leading late-game rallies, doing his best to put his team in front.

He may not have to do that all that often now as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford made his much-anticipated debut with the Rams this past Sunday and did not disappoint. He threw for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns as he dazzled in a 34-14 win over the Bears.

Stafford wasn’t the lone Bulldog suiting up between the Bears and Rams. Sony Michel also made his debut for the team, carrying the ball once for 2 yards. Leonard Floyd had 3 tackles for the Rams.

Roquan Smith led the Bears with 11 tackles, while Alec Ogletree had 5 in a losing effort.

Elsewhere in the NFL, a number of rookies made their debuts. Azeez Ojulari had the top highlight as he notched his first career sack for the New York Giants. The Giants ended up losing 27-13.

In that same game, Lorenzo Carter added 4 tackles while Tae Crowder had 3. Andrew Thomas also had a strong game while starting at left tackle.

Other Georgia rookies who made their debuts this week include Richard LeCounte, Tyson Campbell, Mark Webb, Monty Rice and Eric Stokes.

As for the Georgia running backs in the NFL, D’Andre Swift and Nick Chubb both scored in the first week of the NFL season. Swift did his best work as a receiver, hauling in 8 catches for 65 yards. His score came on an impressive 43-yard touchdown reception.