NFL Preseason Odds: Falcons Host Brady and Patriots
Tom Brady and the Patriots topped New Orleans as NFL odds favorites last week while Matt Ryan and the Falcons took down the Chiefs. The two teams collide tonight in prime time on FOX.
The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons both won their preseason openers last week, but they still have question marks heading into their matchup on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome (8 p.m. ET, FOX).
New England slipped past Super Bowl champion New Orleans 27-24 as 1½-point road chalk last Thursday, while Atlanta walked past Kansas City 20-10 at home last Friday, covering as 2½-point favorites on the NFL betting odds board.
The Patriots’ three-point win over the Saints belied the play for most of the game. New England needed a 28-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski with 0:53 remaining, but it led 24-7 midway through the third quarter before the third-stringers entered the game.
If you can take anything from the first game of the preseason, it’s that the Pats appear to be hitting the ground running this season. You got the sense New England was a little overconfident because of Tom Brady’s renewed health at the beginning of training camp in 2009, but that attitude is gone after last season’s embarrassing playoff loss to Baltimore.
Brady was 5-of-8 for 67 yards against New Orleans, and expect him to get about the same amount of work on Thursday night. Backup Brian Hoyer shouldered most of the load in the opener, going 8-of-13 for 106 yards.
Wes Welker is expected to return to action in the regular season opener after having offseason knee and shoulder surgery, but his absence won’t be a problem against Atlanta. In Julian Edelman, the Patriots have found a perfect No. 2 option in the slot behind Welker.
Edelman was New England’s best player in its win at the Superdome last week, catching six balls for 90 yards to go along with a 40-yard punt return.
Thing is, the Pats will need plenty from Edelman come the regular season. Welker needs some time to get back into form, and it looks like Torry Holt (knee surgery) is out for the season. New England is also incorporating tight end Alge Crumpler into the mix.
With Edelman looking sharp and rookie TEs Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski appearing ready to contribute, the Pats’ offense is sharp. The real issues lie on the defensive side of the ball.
New England’s biggest problem last season was the lack of a pass rush, so keep an eye on the trenches on Thursday night to see if the Patriots can generate pressure against the Falcons’ offensive line.
Adalius Thomas was cut in the offseason, and while leading sack-getter Tulla Banta-Cain is back at linebacker, he doesn’t instill fear in opposing defenses. Banta-Cain finished with 10 sacks last season, but five of them came against Buffalo and its porous offensive line.
Second round draft choice Jermaine Cunningham was supposed to help New England in this area right away, but he didn’t play last week. There’s a chance Cunningham is buried in the depth chart, and that wouldn’t be good news for a Pats team that was 23rd with 31 sacks last season.
Atlanta’s difficulties are mostly on defense after the unit stumbled in last season’s 9-7 SU campaign. Like the Patriots, the Falcons watched their pass rush dry up last season: John Abraham, who led Atlanta with 16.5 sacks during its surprising 11-5 SU showing two years ago, managed 5.5 sacks last season.
Instead of upgrading directly, the Falcons have improved the pieces around their defensive ends with the hope that it’ll free up space. Rookie Sean Weatherspoon figures to start at outside linebacker, while third-round pick Corey Peters has turned heads at defensive tackle next to Peria Jerry.
Atlanta has good depth on offense that makes it worth a look on Thursday night. After Matt Ryan comes out of the game, the Falcons have veteran quarterback Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson to carry the load. Wilson went 8-of-16 for 80 yards against the Chiefs.
Atlanta can also run a top-flight running back at New England’s defense well into the second half. Michael Turner is healthy and back in shape after an injury-plagued ‘09 season, and Jerious Norwood is a nice change of pace. Third-stringer Jason Snelling has the chops to share carries on a good team.
Oddsmakers opened the Falcons as 1½-point favorites, but they were available at -2 and -2½ as of press. The total was listed at 37 across the board.
Tom Brady and the Patriots topped New Orleans as NFL odds favorites last week while Matt Ryan and the Falcons took down the Chiefs. The two teams collide tonight in prime time on FOX.
The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons both won their preseason openers last week, but they still have question marks heading into their matchup on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome (8 p.m. ET, FOX).
New England slipped past Super Bowl champion New Orleans 27-24 as 1½-point road chalk last Thursday, while Atlanta walked past Kansas City 20-10 at home last Friday, covering as 2½-point favorites on the NFL betting odds board.
The Patriots’ three-point win over the Saints belied the play for most of the game. New England needed a 28-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski with 0:53 remaining, but it led 24-7 midway through the third quarter before the third-stringers entered the game.
If you can take anything from the first game of the preseason, it’s that the Pats appear to be hitting the ground running this season. You got the sense New England was a little overconfident because of Tom Brady’s renewed health at the beginning of training camp in 2009, but that attitude is gone after last season’s embarrassing playoff loss to Baltimore.
Brady was 5-of-8 for 67 yards against New Orleans, and expect him to get about the same amount of work on Thursday night. Backup Brian Hoyer shouldered most of the load in the opener, going 8-of-13 for 106 yards.
Wes Welker is expected to return to action in the regular season opener after having offseason knee and shoulder surgery, but his absence won’t be a problem against Atlanta. In Julian Edelman, the Patriots have found a perfect No. 2 option in the slot behind Welker.
Edelman was New England’s best player in its win at the Superdome last week, catching six balls for 90 yards to go along with a 40-yard punt return.
Thing is, the Pats will need plenty from Edelman come the regular season. Welker needs some time to get back into form, and it looks like Torry Holt (knee surgery) is out for the season. New England is also incorporating tight end Alge Crumpler into the mix.
With Edelman looking sharp and rookie TEs Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski appearing ready to contribute, the Pats’ offense is sharp. The real issues lie on the defensive side of the ball.
New England’s biggest problem last season was the lack of a pass rush, so keep an eye on the trenches on Thursday night to see if the Patriots can generate pressure against the Falcons’ offensive line.
Adalius Thomas was cut in the offseason, and while leading sack-getter Tulla Banta-Cain is back at linebacker, he doesn’t instill fear in opposing defenses. Banta-Cain finished with 10 sacks last season, but five of them came against Buffalo and its porous offensive line.
Second round draft choice Jermaine Cunningham was supposed to help New England in this area right away, but he didn’t play last week. There’s a chance Cunningham is buried in the depth chart, and that wouldn’t be good news for a Pats team that was 23rd with 31 sacks last season.
Atlanta’s difficulties are mostly on defense after the unit stumbled in last season’s 9-7 SU campaign. Like the Patriots, the Falcons watched their pass rush dry up last season: John Abraham, who led Atlanta with 16.5 sacks during its surprising 11-5 SU showing two years ago, managed 5.5 sacks last season.
Instead of upgrading directly, the Falcons have improved the pieces around their defensive ends with the hope that it’ll free up space. Rookie Sean Weatherspoon figures to start at outside linebacker, while third-round pick Corey Peters has turned heads at defensive tackle next to Peria Jerry.
Atlanta has good depth on offense that makes it worth a look on Thursday night. After Matt Ryan comes out of the game, the Falcons have veteran quarterback Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson to carry the load. Wilson went 8-of-16 for 80 yards against the Chiefs.
Atlanta can also run a top-flight running back at New England’s defense well into the second half. Michael Turner is healthy and back in shape after an injury-plagued ‘09 season, and Jerious Norwood is a nice change of pace. Third-stringer Jason Snelling has the chops to share carries on a good team.
Oddsmakers opened the Falcons as 1½-point favorites, but they were available at -2 and -2½ as of press. The total was listed at 37 across the board.