A Super Bowl tradition… Dawgs in the Big Game!

Home >

A Super Bowl tradition… Dawgs in the Big Game!

It’s Super Bowl week as Super Bowl LIX is set to kickoff on Sunday in New Orleans! For the 24th consecutive time, at least one Georgia Bulldog will be playing in the Super Bowl, the longest active streak, and this time, the Dawgs have the second most former players in the big game… Eight Damn Good Dawgs are on the two rosters: Mecole Hardman and Malik Herring for Kansas City and Jalen Carter, Lewis Cine, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Kelee Ringo and Nolan Smith for Philadelphia. 

All eight Dawgs in the game won an SEC title, a national title or won both in their Georgia careers. Four of the eight were first round picks: Carter (No. 9 overall, 2023), Davis (No. 13 overall, 2022), Smith (No. 31 overall, 2023) and Cine (No. 32 overall, 2022 to the Vikings).  

We’re all aware of the “PhillyDawgs” that were acquired by the Eagles in the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts. Now with recently acquired Cine off of the Bills practice squad, six former Georgia players are on the Eagles roster. 

 

 

 

 

Dean and Hardman are inactive for the Super Bowl in New Orleans, both suffering knee injuries late in the season. Dean made a name for himself this season prior to his injury in the first round of the playoffs, racking up 128 tackles in the regular season, good for second most on the Eagles’ defense. However, just as Smith carried Dean’s jersey out of the tunnel ahead of Philly’s second round matchup with the Rams, the rest of The PhillyDawgs are making up for Dean’s loss on the defensive side of the ball, carrying the Philly defense.

Smith set the franchise record for the most postseason sacks in Eagles’ history with four to go along with a forced fumble. Carter adds two more sacks and a forced fumble while Davis brings one sack to the table as well. These PhillyDawgs just keep chopping… 

Despite Hardman not being active for Super Bowl LIX, we would be remiss not to bring up his heroics in last year’s Super Bowl that brought Kansas City back-to-back titles. As the Chiefs drove down the field in overtime, quarterback Patrick Mahomes found Hardman in the corner for the game-winning score, a play that will be remembered forever in Chiefs lore.

 

 

 

 

Mahomes has been the clutchest, most dominant, overall best player in the NFL for many years now, and he’s done it again, leading the Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl with a chance to three-peat, something no NFL franchise has done before… standing in his way—that fierce front of three Dawgs on the Philadelphia defense.

Smith must contain Mahomes on the edge. Unlike almost any other quarterback in the NFL, Mahomes is most comfortable in the uncomfortable situations. When he rolls, he’s dangerous; his legs are most effective in the postseason, and that has shown thus far. Carter and Davis must get to Mahomes on the inside, disrupting that offensive line presence and shutting down Isaiah Pacheco in the run game. If they apply the pressure in various blitz packages, Smith will need to aid in coverage, taking away the threat of Travis Kelce over the middle on short to medium routes.

This is a Georgia-centered mindset looking into the Super Bowl, but ask any Philly fan or NFL analyst, Carter, Davis and Smith will be among the most important pieces in Super Bowl LIX.

Good luck to all of our Dawgs in the Super Bowl!

 

 

 

 

share content