NFL Week 7 Games to Watch

Any weekend with football in it is simply another good weekend in my book. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

                        Week 6 of the NFL was another roller coaster, with several surprise teams winning their games on Sunday over their heavily favored opponents. The games were watchable of course, but the one truly thrilling game was the Bills vs. Chiefs, which came down to the wire. Those two teams appear to be on a collision course to meet each other once again in the playoffs. Anyways, we’ve got four teams (Bills, Rams, Vikings, & Eagles) on a bye this week, so the upcoming slate of games this week is once again mediocre. All of the upcoming primetime games suck, but an exciting Super Bowl LIV rematch is on tap in the late afternoon window. Read on to find out more about the hottest matchups to watch in Week 7 of the NFL season.

Falcons at Bengals on FOX (Sunday early afternoon)

            All of the sudden, the Falcons are relevant after a surprising win at home over the 49ers. The Dirty Birds ran the ball an astounding 40 (!) times & completed just 13 passes in the game. Meanwhile, the Bengals were busy securing the W over the Falcons’ division rival in the Saints. Joe Burrow & Ja’Marr Chase made their Louisiana homecoming, and boy was it an exciting one. These former LSU national champions connected on 7 receptions for 132 yards & 2 touchdowns. Falcons CB AJ Terrell probably isn’t looking forward to this clash, as the last time he faced off against Burrow & Chase was in the 2019 National Championship Game where he was picked on. His draft stock surely plummeted as a result of his pitiful performance against this dynamic duo. Anyways, one of these teams will walk away with a positive record (4-3) after the contest, while the losing team sinks to 3-4 on the year. Tune in on Sunday afternoon to watch the action unfold.

Colts at Titans on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)

            Don’t look now, but the Colts are suddenly relevant again after the win over the Jaguars. Matt Ryan turned back the clock in completing 42 passes for 385 yards & 3 TDs in the victory. Meanwhile, the Titans are still in first place while feeling refreshed coming off their bye week. It’s up to the Colts to find a way to stop Derrick Henry & reclaim their status atop the division. Speaking of the division, these two teams appear to be headed on a collision course towards fighting for the division crown down the stretch. A Titans win would be huge for them, as they would then own the head to head tiebreaker over the Colts after beating them earlier in Week 4.

Browns at Ravens on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)

            Two losing teams from last week’s games duke it out this week in a big divisional affair. The Browns were simply outclassed by the Patriots, while the Ravens barely lost to the Giants. Both of these teams seem to be going through an identity crisis, as they collectively struggled to run the ball & play smothering defense (two hallmarks of these franchises) over the weekend. Unfortunately, it seems like the Jacoby Brissett experiment may be nearing an end in Cleveland as his inability to protect the football (5 INTs) at critical times has cost his team some games. Fortunately for them, their opponent this week has similarly struggled in finishing games out.  Which of these teams will get their identity back by running the ball & playing solid defense?

Chiefs at 49ers on FOX (Sunday late afternoon)

            Fun fact: these two teams met in Super Bowl LIV, where the Chiefs defeated the 49ers. Kansas City rallied from a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter to secure their Lombardi Trophy. Fast forward to today, and football fans finally get to see a rematch between these contenders. I’m sure that a win here would mean a lot to both teams coming off tough losses last weekend. My feeling is that this is the game to watch this week, if you don’t watch any other matchups. It’s been nearly three years since SB LIV, and these teams definitely haven’t forgotten about it.

Braves offseason priorities

America’s pastime is currently on hold for Braves fans as we wait for next season to begin. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            Welp, the Braves season ended yesterday at the hands of the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS. We won the NL East in a great pennant race with the Mets, and won over 100 games too. That said, the Phillies clearly exposed some of our team’s biggest weaknesses in the postseason. Not only do we need to make upgrades (i.e. sign players) to rise above these weaknesses, but we also need to take care of several of our own players by signing them to some contract extensions. The offseason begins now for our favorite team, and there’s plenty of time until baseball returns. Let’s take a look at some of the Braves biggest offseason priorities as we approach the new year.

Re-sign Dansby Swanson

            Braves fans have been clamoring for the team to re-sign Dansby over the past several months. That’s because he finally turned into the elite player that we all envisioned he could become when we acquired him from the Diamondbacks way back in 2015. He’s always been an elite defender, but being an inconsistent hitter at the plate previously limited his immense upside. Now that he’s finally figured out how to hit consistently, there’s no way we’ll let him go, right? Wrong, as I believe he will test free agency after betting on himself (and winning) last offseason. We all saw the situation with Freddie Freeman go south once he tested free agency last year, and I’m hoping history doesn’t repeat itself here. We need to sign Dansby before free agency begins.

Get Ronald Acuna Jr. healthy

            This is absolutely paramount to our success in 2023, as Acuna wasn’t healthy this year. When healthy, he’s an elite five-tool player who can carry the offense for stretches at a time. Several of his tools (defense, hitting for power, & sprint speed) were clearly affected in 2022. My guess is that he will have a cleanup procedure on his troublesome knee later this offseason. Hopefully that will be enough to get him back into form, but we must remain cautious with him. Having a whole offseason to fully recover is an absolute must for the health of Ronald Acuna Jr.

Make upgrades in the outfield, DH

            Speaking of outfielders, it’s my belief that we need to sign a new left fielder for next year. Eddie Rosario, Robbie Grossman, and Adam Duvall all profile as platoon or backup outfielders capable of contributing in spurts, but without much consistency during the year. Grossman’s a free agent and Duvall’s an arbitration eligible player, so upgrades are needed. Personally, I wouldn’t mind bringing back Joc Pederson & letting him & Rosario split time. Designated hitter is another position we could look to upgrade, as Ozuna has struggled there. Contreras is okay as a DH option, but he really started to slow down as the season progressed. I’m of the opinion that he needs a running mate, someone like old friend Jorge Soler perhaps? Soler has the option to opt out of his contract with the Marlins, which I believe that he will do. Why not re-sign the 2021 World Series MVP and give him some starts in LF & DH next year?

Trade or release Marcell Ozuna

            My plan to “bring the band back together” in re-signing Pederson & Soler could work, but this would likely be at the cost of trading or releasing Marcell Ozuna, which I’m fine with. Ozuna just hasn’t been the same player since leading the league in several hitting stats in 2020. He’s been arrested twice, hasn’t hit well, and everyone knows about his awful outfield defense. Simply put, it’s time for the Braves to move on from him, although that’s easier said than done. A designated hitter who can’t hit & an outfielder who can’t field carries no value to the Braves. The problem is that these worrisome characteristics also carry no value to any other MLB team. That’s why we may have to accept an exchange of bad contracts in order to get rid of Ozuna.

Re-sign free agents, arb. players            

Finally, the Braves simply need to take care of their own via free agency & arbitration. Max Fried, AJ Minter, and Mike Soroka are a few players who are arbitration eligible this year. Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman, and Kenley Jansen are free agents heading into the offseason. We need to decide on which of these guys we will attempt to keep and which ones we can let go. Fried and Minter will surely be retained, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what happens to the others. Anyone that we let go will need to be replaced somehow, so we must proceed with caution here. That said, the Braves certainly have their work cut out for them during the 2023 MLB offseason.

NFL Week 6 Games to Watch

Check out the latest action from around the NFL! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            I’m going to be honest and say that there aren’t very many games to watch this week. Four teams are on a bye, and there are lots of cross-conference & non-divisional games going on. That said, there are two games in particular that are important, and one of them is in primetime. The other one really should be in primetime, as it’s a pivotal matchup between AFC contenders. Unfortunately, fans are stuck with watching the Broncos struggle on national TV once again. They play the Chargers on Monday night, while the Bears & Commanders face off on Thursday. NFL schedulemakers simply must do better to ensure that football fans have better games to watch in the future. Let’s dive in & take a closer look at the top matchups in the NFL this week.

Cowboys at Eagles on NBC (Sunday Night Football)

            Two of the NFL’s most annoying fanbases will watch their teams face off on Sunday night. Talk about a pivotal game, the winner of this tilt could go on to later win the NFC East. Both teams are on serious hot streaks, as the Eagles (5-0) are the last undefeated team left while the Cowboys (4-1) are 4-0 since Cooper Rush took over for an injured Dak Prescott in Week 2. These teams are running the ball very well, and they have playmakers in the passing game too.  Defense is a hallmark for both of these teams as well, as they both feature stellar defensive units. I’m going to come out & say that if you only watch one game this week it should be this one.

Bills at Chiefs on CBS (Sunday late afternoon)

            How is this game not in primetime?! A rematch of last year’s AFC Divisional Round thriller that featured these teams, this week’s pivotal matchup is primed to be just as exciting. Simply put, these two contenders look like two of the best teams in the NFL near midseason. They also feature identical 4-1 records, and both of their tough losses were by just one score. Gabriel Davis is heating up for the Bills, with 3 catches for 171 yards & 3 touchdowns last week. This is important to note because in that playoff matchup against the Chiefs last year he went off for 201 yards & 4 touchdowns on just 8 receptions. Football fans can only hope that this game comes anywhere close to the excitement factor generated during their playoff contest last year.

Cardinals at Seahawks on FOX (Sunday late afternoon)

            What’s this? A key divisional game during a week in which such games are truly rare? Yep, that’s what we’ve got here as the 2-3 Cardinals face off against the similarly 2-3 Seahawks. We’ve all debated it, but it sure looks like Geno Smith is the real deal as we approach midseason. Smith will surely be tested in this one as the winner of this game will suddenly have life, while the loser will probably sink to the bottom of the division. It’s a really important game for the Cardinals too, as they need as many wins as possible before Kyler Murray becomes distracted with the new Call of Duty release next month. Tune in to this one & watch the drama unfold.

Bengals at Saints on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)            

I’m rooting for the Bengals to win this one as a biased Falcons fan, but to each their own. Joe Burrow really needs Tee Higgins to come back from injury, and for his offense to step it up. His unit looked abysmal last week against the Ravens, as they were lacking in explosive plays. I’ve got Ja’Marr Chase on my fantasy team, and I’m not exactly thrilled about that right now. Meanwhile, Taysom Hill carried the Saints offense last weekend with Andy Dalton under center. His final stat line was absurd: 9 carries for 112 yards & 3 touchdowns, 22 passing yards & 1 TD. He even recovered a fumble on special teams! Make sure to tune in & watch this key cross-conference tilt.

NFL Week 5 Games to Watch

Are you ready for some football?! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            Week 4 in the NFL was a doozy, with nine of those games decided by one score or less. Right now, there are a total of fifteen (!) NFL teams with 2-2 (.500) records on the young season. This week will be pivotal in determining the direction for several of these teams going forward. I’m excited to hopefully be able to watch the few primetime games, as all of them have potential. I will obviously follow my Falcons, even though they might get exposed by Brady this weekend. I’ve rambled on long enough, so let’s dive in & analyze the best games from week 5 in the NFL.

Colts @ Broncos on Amazon Prime (Thursday Night Football)

            Honestly, this one could go either way as both of these teams have underachieved so far. Despite that disclaimer, my belief is that both quarterbacks (Matt Ryan & Russell Wilson) will bring their A-game tonight with their seasons on the line. This is a particularly important game for the Colts, who are 1-2-1 & are playing without star RB Jonathan Taylor tonight. They need this win to keep pace with the Titans & Jaguars (who are both 2-2) in the AFC South division. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson just hasn’t looked right this season as he’s struggled to create plays. Call me crazy, but I believe that whoever wins tonight’s game goes on quite a run going forward.

Bengals @ Ravens on NBC (Sunday Night Football)

            The last time these two teams faced off, it was the Joe Burrow show as he repeatedly shredded the Ravens defense in completing 80% of his passes for 525 yards & 4 touchdowns! That was the point where I think everyone started taking the Bengals seriously as contenders. Could history repeat itself this week, as the Bengals have again gotten off to a sluggish start? They’d better bring their A-game against the Ravens, who are surely mad about blowing another late lead at home to the Bills last weekend. Which of these contenders shows up in primetime?

Raiders @ Chiefs on ESPN (Monday Night Football)

            Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs have certainly had the Raiders number in recent years, as they have an 8-2 record against them since the start of the 2017 season. Throw those stats out the window this week, as this should be a highly entertaining matchup. It seems like the Raiders are finally finding their identity on offense, loading up RB Josh Jacobs with 33 touches last week. Similar tactics could work well for them here too, as this would keep Mahomes off the gridiron. They would be smart to use this approach, as everyone saw what Mahomes just did in primetime. He recently threw for 249 yards with 3 touchdowns while putting up 41 points against the Bucs.

Falcons @ Buccaneers on FOX (Sunday early afternoon)

            All of the sudden, my beloved Dirty Birds are tied with the Bucs atop the NFC South! Unfortunately, Tom Brady is undefeated (9-0) when playing against the Falcons in his career. We’re hopeful that this statistic will change soon, and who knows, maybe it will this weekend? I’ll remain skeptical until I see it, but the Falcons have played with a winning mentality lately. They’ve successfully ran the ball & played “bend but don’t break” defense, and it’s worked well. I still have doubts about the long-term implications of this approach, but hopefully it works this week. Father Time just hasn’t yet found a way to slow down Tom Brady, but could the Falcons find a way to do so this weekend? Tune in & find out in this NFC South Sunday matinee affair.

Eagles @ Cardinals on FOX (Sunday late afternoon)

            It’s a battle of the birds here as the 4-0 Eagles travel on the road to face the 2-2 Cardinals. Two former Oklahoma quarterbacks will square off as Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray do battle. Both guys have shown the ability to create plays on their own by running the ball & scrambling. When two talented quarterbacks duel against one another, it often brings out the best in both guys. Let’s see if that could be the case here, as football fans gear up to watch all of the action.

Perfect weekend in Atlanta sports

There were plenty of these to go around as Atlanta teams dominated this weekend in sports. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            I mean seriously, when was the last time Atlanta sports fans had such a great weekend? The Braves, Falcons, Dawgs, & Yellow Jackets all won games this weekend in dramatic fashion. Not only that, but some of our rival teams like the Saints, Patriots, & Buccaneers all lost to boot. Atlanta United fans can complain about the team’s ugly loss to New England, but that’s about it. We can even talk about the nice weather we had, as we were mostly unaffected by the hurricane. Without further ado, let’s dive in & recap a fantastic weekend for Atlanta sports fans worldwide.

Braves impress & sweep the Mets

            We definitely needed to win this series, and on top of that we really needed to sweep the series in order to stay relevant in the NL East. Needless to say, we took care of business in winning all three games by a total score of seven runs. I was in attendance for the Braves series clinching win over the Mets on Saturday night, and let me tell you it was such an impressive win. Kyle Wright facing off against Max Scherzer was entertaining, and it served as a reminder for me as to why Wright leads MLB in pitcher wins with 21 on the season. He went 5 solid innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits with 3 strikeouts on 87 pitches to basically match Scherzer on the day. No offense to him or any of our other starters though, but the story of this series was our offense coming to life & our bullpen reclaiming their status as one of the most elite units in all of MLB. Matt Olson & Dansby Swanson homered in all 3 games, and the “Arm Barn” shut the Mets out.

Falcons hang on against the Browns

            I hate that I missed most of this game, but sometimes gaming with the boys is important. This was a back & forth affair with several lead changes throughout, an impressive win for sure. Believe it or not, we’re actually tied for first place atop the NFC South standings with the Bucs! We play against them this coming weekend too, which sets up an entertaining game on the road. Anyways, despite Mariota’s recent struggles we’ve been able to win games by running the ball & playing “bend but don’t break” defense. Who thought we could ever say that about the Falcons?

Bulldogs rally late against Missouri

            Ya know, being at the Braves game while the Dawgs were playing was a surreal experience. People were whispering about Georgia being on upset alert against Missouri around the 7th inning, and these conversations continued as I journeyed towards my car after the game. The latest update I heard before separating from the crowd was that the Bulldogs were down by a score of 19-22 with around 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Things were not looking good, and it wasn’t until after I reached my car that I found out that we had survived the road upset. Now, we got bumped down a spot in the CFP & AP rankings, but to be honest who really cares? We all know that Georgia will be there at the end of the year, and kudos to them for their win.

Tech stuns Pittsburgh on the road

            My coworker is a huge Pitt fan, an alumni who watches them religiously on Saturdays. She was not happy about her team’s loss to Georgia Tech, and honestly who could blame her? Tech had recently fired both head coach Geoff Collins (who wasn’t properly dismissed) and athletic director Todd Stansbury after the team’s abysmal start to the season with a 1-3 record. They were outscored 127-55 during this timeframe, and these wholesale changes were needed. Not even the most die-hard Tech fans expected a win against Pitt, who seemingly had Tech’s number in recent seasons. Who knows, maybe there’s something brewing on North Avenue?

Saints, Patriots, Buccaneers all lose

            Atlanta sports fans sure are a petty bunch, aren’t we? We were certainly rooting for the Vikings, Packers, & Chiefs on Sunday to beat our rival teams. It’s as the age-old saying goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Luckily for us, we made many new friends on Sunday. All of these teams losing was just icing on the cake of this wonderful weekend in Atlanta sports.

Week 3 NFL Games to Watch

Technically, tonight is “Game Night,” but it’s whatever. Enjoy your football, people! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            Last week was a wild one, with three comeback wins & several close games throughout. NFL on FOX noted this was the first time since 2011 that the Jaguars, Jets, & Lions all won on the same day. Not only that, but here’s a graphic detailing all of the epic comebacks in Week 2. Almost every game was close, with a whopping nine (!) games decided by just one score or less. I’m looking forward to sitting back on my couch & watching football on my Sunday afternoon. Without further ado, let’s check out the hottest NFL matchups to watch in week 3 of this season.

 Steelers @ Browns on Prime Video (Thursday Night Football)

            I’m probably in the minority here, but I actually think tonight’s game has some juice to it. The AFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in all of football, and I think both of these teams are trying to stay afloat despite subpar QB play in the early going of their seasons. Both teams are coming off of tough losses while dealing with quick turnarounds on a short week. Will the Steelers’ squeaky wheel on offense (George Pickens) finally get the grease this week? Meanwhile, can the Browns defense rebound after blowing a late lead to the Jets last weekend? Tonight’s a good night for one of these teams to potentially turn their season’s fortunes around.

49ers @ Broncos on NBC (Sunday Night Football)

            Let’s face it, more was expected from both of these teams as they prepare to square off in primetime. Sure, both teams are 1-1, but the Broncos had big plans to let Russ cook while the 49ers were preparing to take the training wheels off of Trey Lance. Unfortunately, none of that has happened yet & Lance is out for this year after undergoing surgery on his fractured ankle. It’s a good thing that the 49ers decided to keep Jimmy Garoppolo on their roster after all, as his return as the team’s starting QB gives this team a renewed sense of confidence, moxie, and life. Russell Wilson may be without one of his top cooking ingredients in this one, as WR Jerry Jeudy is questionable to play with shoulder & ribs injuries that have cost him practice time this week. This is an important game for both teams, as expectations are at an all-time high for all involved.

Bills @ Dolphins on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)

            Two 2-0 teams within the same division are preparing to square off in such an epic game. The Dolphins, fresh off their stunning comeback win over the Ravens, appeared to find their groove on offense last week, with QB Tua Tagovailoa throwing for a career high 6 touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bills absolutely steamrolled the Titans on national television earlier this week. WR Stefon Diggs looks like a man amongst boys, and WR Gabe Davis will join him this week. I’m expecting the Bills to pull out the win, but this score will be a lot closer than previous scores.

Packers @ Buccaneers on FOX (Sunday late afternoon)

            Storied quarterbacks are the focus of this game as Tom Brady takes on Aaron Rodgers. It’s possible that we might see these two teams squaring off in a January rematch down the road. Regardless, it will be interesting to watch both QBs struggle with depleted weapons on offense. WR Mike Evans was suspended for this contest after fighting Marshon Lattimore of the Saints. Meanwhile, Rodgers is dealing with a whole new cast of weaponry after the Packers (stupidly?) traded away star player Davante Adams & let Marquez-Valdez Scantling walk in free agency. The NFL is built on a “next man up” mentality, and that’s especially true regarding this game.

Jaguars @ Chargers on CBS (Sunday late afternoon)

                Call me crazy, but I believe these two 1-1 teams will actually entertain us on Sunday. After all, the Jaguars are a surprising 1-1 after last week’s upset shutout win over the Colts. Meanwhile, the Chargers could easily be 2-0 after a grueling loss to the Chiefs last Thursday. Will Justin Herbert & Keenan Allen be ready despite clearly not being 100% due to injury? The Chargers certainly look like a team that’s on upset watch heading into this weekend’s contest.

Week 1 NFL Games to Watch

Football is finally upon as we’re set to kickoff Week 1 on Thursday night! Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            Football season is finally here which means it’s time for me to dust off my old Games to Watch series! I will preview the upcoming slate of NFL games each week & clue you into which ones are must-see TV. There are plenty of great matchups this week, as the NFL schedulemakers have loaded the opening week slate with tons of revenge games, divisional tilts, & lots of drama. Basically, almost every game this weekend should be entertaining. After all, it’s week one, right? Without further ado, here’s my ultimate list of the best NFL games to watch on kickoff weekend.

Bills @ LA Rams on NBC (Thursday Night Football)

            Football is back, baby! We’ve got a primetime matchup for the ages here, as the defending Super Bowl Champion LA Rams take on this year’s SB favorites in the Buffalo Bills. Von Miller returns to LA after recently hoisting the Lombardi as a part of the Rams title team. This time around though, he’ll be playing for the opposing team; could this be a revenge game?  There’s also motivation for both teams here, as WR Odell Beckham Jr announced that he might sign with the winner of the game. Could we be watching a Super Bowl LVII preview in Week 1? I’m skeptical of that outcome; however, this will surely be an exciting Thursday night matchup!

Buccaneers @ Cowboys on NBC (Sunday Night Football)

Another primetime thriller! This time, it’s a rematch of last year’s kickoff game. Both teams are locked & loaded again, and this could certainly be an NFC playoff preview as well. Tom Brady returns for his 64th season in the NFL, as he continues his defiance of Father Time. The Cowboys offensive line is suddenly in shambles after the recent injury to OT Tyron Smith. They signed Jason Peters to play a starting role for them, but will he be ready in time for week 1? Regardless, this Buccaneers defense seems like it could give Dak Prescott fits the entire night.

Broncos @ Seahawks on ESPN (Monday Night Football)

Russell Wilson makes his much-anticipated return to Seattle on Monday Night Football. The football gods are pleased with the scheduling here, as this is a great way to start the season. I’m expecting a Broncos win here, but the Seahawks & their 12th Man won’t go down without a fight on their home turf. Can Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, & company rise to the occasion? Every win counts in the wild, wild AFC West, so the Broncos need this win more than anybody else.

Raiders @ Chargers on CBS (Sunday late afternoon)

            Speaking of the AFC West, the Raiders and the Chargers are the first two teams to duke it out head-to-head within thisloaded division. Last year, we watched a de-facto playoff game in Week 17 that secured a Raiders playoff berth while also putting an end to the Chargers season. This year, the Chargers loaded up on defensive players (Khalil Mack, JC Jackson) while the Raiders focused on adding offensive firepower (Davante Adams, Zamir White) to their mix. Perhaps the biggest addition the Raiders made though was the hiring of HC Josh McDaniels. McDaniels & new GM Dave Ziegler are in the process of changing the Raiders culture, notably trading away, releasing, and declining the options for many first round picks of the prior regime. Will the Raiders secure an early divisional lead, or will the Chargers pay them back for last year?

Browns @ Panthers on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)

            Okay, so this game may not be pretty with Baker Mayfield & Jacoby Brissett duking it out. That said, this is the ultimate revenge game for Baker Mayfield as the Browns unceremoniously dumped Mayfield in the Panthers lap two months ago for just a 5th round pick. Mayfield’s always played with a chip on his shoulder as a former walk-on player at Oklahoma. He’ll need little motivation to prove the Browns wrong here as he attempts to revive his career. Meanwhile, the Browns may have set themselves up for failure this season after Deshaun Watson received an 11-game suspension for his role in sexual misconduct with 24 women. Brissett pulling off an upset here would go a long way towards the Browns remaining relevant.

Just missed: NO @ ATL, PIT @ CIN, NE @ MIA

            Divisional rivalries are in abundance on the schedule this week as these teams duke it out. Falcons-Saints is always a heated contest even when both teams are obviously rebuilding here. Mitchell Trubisky will try to upset Joe Burrow on the road in Week 1, good luck with that kid. Okay, so the Patriots seriously need to solve their problems in relation to competing in Miami. They’re trying something new this time around, making the trip to the Dolphins stadium early. Will this be enough to finally solve Bill Belichick’s kryptonite, a 9-13 all-time record in Miami?

Braves blueprint to win the NL East

Inspiration for this article comes from a recent text exchange with my dad!

            Time will tell whether or not these Braves catch the Mets in the NL East division race. I’m still a believer in this team’s ability to catch the Mets & win our fifth straight division title.  Not everyone feels that way, and it certainly won’t be easy, but I believe that this will happen. There are several reasons for my belief in this team, some of which I will detail further below. Think of this exercise as a reference to the “Ford Keys to the Game” played before every contest. Here’s how our beloved team can “get it done” and deliver another trip to baseball’s postseason.

Continue winning series

            It’s just as legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis famously said, “just win, baby!” The Braves won five straight series before dropping two of three to the Cardinals this weekend. Luckily, we’re still just three games back of the Mets as the Mets lost 1-0 to the lowly Rockies. We’ve got the Rockies in town next after an off-day on Monday, which is a very winnable series. Upcoming series against the Marlins & A’s are ones that we should be clear favorites in as well. After that, the team’s got a huge west coast trip to face the surging Mariners & slumping Giants. From there, it’s all division games the rest of the way culminating in a home series vs. the Mets. That late-September Mets series is essential, as the NL East will likely come down to the wire.

Take advantage of off-days

            We’ve got a total of five off-days the rest of the way, including the one today (Monday). We’ll need to strategize our pitching rotation to have our best starters pitch against the best teams, our weaker pitchers face weaker teams, and rest our studs as-needed down the stretch. The ideal model for managing the rotation was revealed during a mid-August stretch where we played the Marlins in four games on the road followed by a four-game home series vs. the Mets. Basically, we let our weaker pitchers (Odorizzi, Muller, Anderson, & Elder) start against the Marlins while saving our studs (Strider, Morton, & Fried) for the pivotal series against the Mets. This method also allowed Max Fried & Kyle Wright an extra few days rest to heal some injuries. All in all, this formula worked pretty well as the team won seven of those eight games played.

Evaluate players returning from injury

            Ozzie Albies & Mike Soroka are set to re-join the team at some point in September. They’ll be joined by role players like Orlando Arcia & Ehire Adrianza as late-season call-ups. There’s not a whole lot of time left for these guys to get stretched out & contribute to the team; however, if any of these guys are able to help us out, even in a limited role, that’s a huge bonus. Last year, we saw Eddie Rosario make his Braves debut in August & become a key factor for us. Who knows? Maybe some of these guys instantly contribute & make our team’s playoff rosters.

Remember: we’ve been here before

            Aaron Rodgers perhaps said it best when famously telling Packer Nation to “R-E-L-A-X” after a disappointing 1-2 start to their 2014 season. Granted, he was probably high as a kite while  on Percocet’s at the time of delivering the message, but the point still stands. Simply put, the Braves have been through this late-season push each of the last four years & the Mets haven’t. We were down by double-digit games in the standings last year, just as we were earlier this year. None of that matters if the team comes through in September & October when it really counts. We must remember that although our road ahead is difficult, we also just might be those m’fers.

Falcons finish strong preseason

Preseason football is finally over! Can’t wait for the real thing in two weeks. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            We went 2-1 against the Lions, Jets, & Jaguars who, in all likelihood, will have several of the top picks in next year’s NFL Draft. So, whatever that means (or doesn’t mean), we’ll take it. After all, a win’s a win, and it’s especially sweet that our win against the Jaguars was our first home preseason win since 2016. Our new regime places an importance on preseason action, which is something that Dan Quinn & Thomas Dimitroff failed spectacularly at accomplishing. The Falcons next game is our season opener at home against the Saints, which will be exciting.

Desmond Ridder continues to impress

            Ridder piloted the Falcons offense to four touchdown drives on the day after rebounding from two ugly interceptions earlier in the contest. He continues to look like the real deal, and if nothing else he’s a great backup QB for us this year, and we haven’t had one of those in a while. His final stat line was adequate: 14/21 for 185 yards, 1 TD, & 2 INTs for a passer rating of 98.0. Time will tell whether or not we draft another QB next year, but Ridder is certainly making his case to stay on the roster long-term. We’ll see if he gets into any regular season action this year.

Pass rush is still a concern

            The Falcons defense managed just two sacks in our key win over the Jaguars yesterday. That’s a slight improvement from last week’s zero sacks & the one sack in week 1; however, I believe the team should’ve had several more as we repeatedly struggled to take down the QB. AKA, we missed out on several sack opportunities yesterday, and doing that during the season could come back to haunt us. I will say that we did a good job of generating pressure though, as the defense had two takeaways, and the special teams blocked a kick at the Jaguars 1-yard line. I’m still waiting for it to all come together for this defense, but we certainly have some players.

Injured players return

            Deion Jones & Isaiah Oliver made their preseason debuts yesterday after overcoming offseason injuries. Jones didn’t record any stats in his limited playing time, while Oliver was credited for a tackle & two assisted tackles. Getting these two guys back into form would be a huge boost for our defense. Basically, our defensive unit needs all the help it can possibly get. We’ll see if they’re ready to rock in two weeks when we play against our hated division rival.

The bottom line

            This has been an encouraging preseason overall. There are still areas for improvement, as the pass rush & offensive line has looked very mediocre at times; however, we haven’t had anyone of consequence get injured & we’ve finally strung together some preseason wins to boot. I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll start to see signs of overcoming this rebuild later in the year. There’s no doubt that this season will be a forgettable one, but maybe we’ll start to see the fruits of our labor pay off and head into next season with momentum, cap space, and good draft picks. Desmond Ridder, Drake London, Arnold Ebiketie, and others are the future of our beloved team. Growth from those players, as well as veterans like Kyle Pitts, would greatly boost our chances.

NFL Preseason Week 2 Storylines

We’re getting closer & closer to watching actual football games. Photo credit: Adobe Stock

            Week 2 of the preseason brought us even more headlines & football activity to discuss. Baker Mayfield is the Panthers new starting QB after beating out Sam Darnold, a move that I anticipated would happen in my column last week. Pete Carroll continues to send a message about having “two No. 1s” at quarterback, but this still seems like Geno Smith’s job to lose. Desmond Ridder continued on his efficient preseason for the Falcons, which is great news for us. That was a great recap of last week’s action; however, let’s move on & discuss this week’s news.

QB competition in Pittsburgh?

            Bucky Brooks, analyst on the NFL’s Move the Sticks podcast, said the following (31:00) of Steelers QB Kenny Pickett, “[he] has the highest passer rating of any young quarterback in the preseason since 2015!” That’s pretty impressive stuff, and it’s one of several reasons why he’s still in the running with Mitchell Trubisky to become the next great Steelers starting quarterback. I wasn’t really sure if this storyline was worth believing after Pickett had an impressive debut against the Seahawks last week, but I’ve changed my tune now that he’s put together consecutive great performances. The Steelers game against the Lions this week will be worth monitoring.

Ravens continue undefeated preseason

            NBC Sports called the Ravens feat, “the most impressive meaningless streak in sports.” They’ve won an unprecedented 22 (!) straight preseason games dating all the way back to 2016. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kinsbury spoke to the media pregame about the notable streak before a loss to the Ravens, noting, “that’s part of their culture… obviously, their team believes. They have one of the most successful franchises in the league. We’ll get their best shot [tonight].” Winning one more game against the Commanders this coming week would ensure that NFL reporters will still be talking about this storyline at the start of next year’s preseason games.

Bills offense steamrolls Broncos

            The Bills racked up six (!) touchdowns against the vaunted Broncos defense this week. They won in convincing fashion 42-15, with Josh Allen & Case Keenum leading the offense to four combined scoring drives with the team’s starters in only one half’s worth of football action. The Josh Allen to Gabriel Davis connection looks as though it’s already in midseason form here. With the Bills emerging as Super Bowl favorites, performances like this make that seem realistic.  

New kick returner in Dallas

KaVontae Turpin certainly made a name for himself against the Chargers over the weekend, returning not just one, but two (!) kicks for touchdowns in leading the Boys to victory. His first touchdown was a 98-yard kickoff return to put the Cowboys on the board, and the second score was an 86-yard punt return that strengthened the team’s lead just before halftime. Nobody should be surprised then that he’s now working with the first team in practice this week. Turpin’s fantastic outing bought him a roster spot, and perhaps a starting role on offense to boot.

Trevor Lawrence ready for a breakout?

                Trevor Lawrence looks way more comfortable this year in an actual NFL-style offense. Urban Meyer was a disaster for the Jaguars last year, as he regularly stunted Lawrence’s growth.  Now that Meyer’s been dismissed & Doug Pederson has been brought in to lead the team, the vibes around Jacksonville have certainly changed. Pederson brings with him leadership & offensive prowess that made Carson Wentz & Nick Foles look like good QBs in Philadelphia. Put the coach & QB together, & a breakout season is likely for the former No. 1 overall pick.