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Dawgs in the NFL: Georgia contingent selected to Pro Bowl

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•01/04/24•

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Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Four former Georgia players were announced as pro bowlers on Wednesday night including a pair that’ll make their first appearance. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and linebacker Roquan Smith make return trips to the NFL’s season-ending event, their second each, while running backs James Cook and D’Andre Swift will suit up representing the AFC and NFC for the first time in their young careers.

Stafford’s previous trip to the Pro Bowl came in 2014, and he earned this year’s nod by helping the Rams rebound from a 5-12 campaign last season. In 15 starts, Stafford is averaging 264.3 yards per game with 24 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

Then you’ve got the two running backs: Cook and Swift. Georgia is the only school with a pair of players at the position represented. In just his second season in the league, Cook has developed into a go-to-guy for the Bills with 1,086 rushing yards (third in the NFL) on 224, plus another 429 receiving. He’s combined to score six touchdowns, doubling his total from 2022. As for Swift, he’s just behind Cook with the league’s fourth-highest rushing total of 1,049 on 229 carries. Swift has also found the end zone six times in his first season with the Eagles after a trade from Detroit in the offseason.

Georgia’s lone representative on the defensive side of the ball is a good one, and the only Bulldog that got a starting nod. Smith has 84 solo tackles and 158 total including 1.5 sacks. He also has a forced fumble and an interception.

If any of their teams make the Super Bowl, a trip to Orlando wouldn’t be in the cards. That of course is a trade off any would be willing to make.

In the NFC, Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are locked in to a wild card spot while Swift and the rest of the former Georgia players with the Eagles in Philadelphia still have an outside shot at the NFC East division title. They would need a Washington Commanders win over the Dallas Cowboys and a win themselves over the New York Giants.

Meanwhile, in the AFC, Cook and the Buffalo Bills don’t quite have a playoff spot secured but hold a greater than 50% chance to do so on Sunday. Going from a fringe “in the hunt” squad to a legitimate contender with four straight wins, the Bills take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Night Football with the winner taking home the division crown and the No. 2 seed. If the Bills were to lose, they would need help earlier in the day from the Ravens and Titans.

Speaking of the Ravens, Smith and company have the No. 1 seed and a first round bye as a result clinched. John Harbaugh’s team holds the best record in the NFL, and the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC runs through Baltimore.

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