Week 3 is here in the NFL, and I really hope it is nothing like Week 2. Let’s toss aside the sports betting aspect for a moment, but we saw three young quarterbacks- Caleb Williams, Jaxon Dart, and Jayden Daniels- get injured. Timetables are uncertain for some returns, but either way, football is better with primary quarterbacks available. We have two in tonight’s game between the Falcons and Packers.
The Atlanta Falcons are getting back a starting quarterback of their own. Well… kind of.
They are getting Michael Penix Jr. back, but he is returning and taking over for Cooper Rush. The original starter was supposed to be Tua Tagovailoa, but he’s been unavailable all season. Penix Jr. will have his hands full trying to figure out what to do with this offense. They don’t lack playmakers – Bijan Robinson is solid, Drake London is a really good receiver, and Kyle Pitts (although drafted too high) is still a solid option.
In the first two games, the Falcons were essentially outmatched. Is that because Rush was under center? In game one, they scored 13 points, but last week they could only get 3 points against a team that almost allowed 60 points in Week 1. The offense wasn’t terrible by some measures – they had 17 first downs, one fewer than the Panthers. However, they had three turnovers; if they shore those up, maybe it’s a more competitive game.
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On the other side of the field is a team with more than enough questions of their own. The Packers are 1-1, but it wasn’t easy to get that victory. They had to go into New Jersey to face the Jets, and they were forced into an overtime game with them. They came out on top 20-17. I don’t want to act like we should be impressed or pleased with that performance, but perhaps it is something to build on, and now they get their first home game.
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In Week 1 it wasn’t much better for the Packers. Green Bay was fine against the Vikings, at least for the first half of the game. They struggled to get much going against the Minnesota defense and gave up their lead in the second half. It wasn’t just that; they barely could score and couldn’t keep Carson Wentz from marching down the field. I do blame the front office. I’m not exactly sure that Jordan Love is an elite quarterback, but his receiving options certainly don’t help make him much better. Couple that with Josh Jacobs being out, and this offense should be expected to struggle.
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The Falcons haven’t done much on defense to give you reason to believe this, but there should be adjustments here. On a short week, facing 0-3, you’re trying everything out of desperation. I think they will put pressure on the Packers, and Love hasn’t looked all that comfortable yet this season. Maybe being at home will help, but I think that’s where we see a boost to their defense as well. Give me the under 45.5 for this “Thursday Night Football” game.
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