The eyes of many Georgia football fans were on Glendale, Az., Monday when the Arizona Cardinals hosted their NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams for a primetime showdown.
This game had significant playoff implications for both teams, as they are battling to win their division to receive a top seed in the NFC.
Georgia is known for putting talent in the NFL, but this game featured many beloved Dawgs from years past.
The game was tied 13-13 at halftime, but the Rams took over in the second half and ultimately won 30-23.
On both offense and defense, Georgia football playmakers played a role in an entertaining Monday Night Football game.
Former Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd played a big part in kickstarting the Ramsβ second-half dominance. He intercepted Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray early in the third quarter, leading to a second straight touchdown drive for the LA offense.
Floyd, who was originally a first-round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 NFL Draft, finished the game with eight tackles to go along with his interception. He had 182 tackles, 17 sacks, and 26.5 tackles for loss during his time as a Bulldog.
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β Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 14, 2021
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Though he was on the losing end on the evening, wide receiver AJ Green made the history of his own. He had seven catches for 107 yards, helping himΒ eclipse 10,000 receiving yards in his NFL career. He is one of only five active NFL players to have 10,000 career receiving yards.
The seven-time pro bowler is in his first season in Arizona after spending 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals after they drafted him fourth overall in 2011.
From 2008-2010, Green had 23 touchdowns and 2,619 receiving yards, whichΒ ranksΒ third all-time in Georgia career receiving yards.
The most well-known NFL Dawg, Matthew Stafford, had another impressive night. He completed 23 out of his 30 pass attempts for 287 yards and three touchdowns, pushing his season touchdown number to 33. That is already the second-highestΒ passing touchdown total in his pro career.
He continues to have a great first season with the Rams, where he has access to offensive weapons such as Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., and former Dawg Sony Michel. This trade is proving to be highly beneficial to his career and something he needed desperately.
Aside from Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, he didnβt have many elite weapons in Detroit.
Both Green and Stafford are proving sometimes you just need a new environment to thrive again at the game you love.
With National Signing Day here, you can bet that the performances of these former Dawgs will have an influence on the decisions of many young recruits.
If you want to perform at the highest level of football someday, playing for the Georgia Bulldogs is a great place to prepare you for that goal.