10 hours ago
(This post was last modified: 10 hours ago by purplefaithful.)
PENIX:
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. isn’t untouchable. He might have a bright future, but people need to stop gushing about him like he’s already great and above being benched. He showed some promise in going 1-2 after supplanting Kirk Cousins as a rookie last year. People fawned. Too much. Too soon. This year, he’s again 1-2 and not very good. Among opening-day starters, his passer rating of 71.3 is worse than everyone’s but Trevor Lawrence (70.3) and Joe Flacco (65.9). The Falcons are coming off a 30-0 shutout loss at woeful Carolina.
They’re 31st in scoring (14.0). Penix had a career-low 40.5 passer rating and missed several open receivers in getting shockingly blanked as the betting favorite.
Next up is 2-1 Washington at home. The Commanders have the league’s best third-down defense (28.57%). If I’m paying Kirk Cousins a guaranteed $100 million and he’s only started 14 games ($7.1 million a start so far), I’m taking the untouchable crown off Penix – eighth overall pick or not -- and handing it to Cousins if things stay ugly on Sunday.
Stats of the week:
3.9 yards per play. That’s all the Browns offense mustered in a 13-10 win over the Packers last Sunday. Of course, Jordan Love and the Packers offense averaged 3.8. The Browns defense ranks second in yards per play allowed (3.76) — behind the Packers (3.73) — and now travel to Detroit, which is 2-1 with an offense averaging 6.26 yards per play, No. 3 behind Indianapolis (6.61) and Baltimore (6.32).
Jones heads into this week’s game against the Rams with a 111.7 passer rating. His highest passer rating in six previous NFL seasons was 92.5 in 2022, the year he went 9-6-1 and used (and abused) former Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell’s ridiculously soft defensive schemes — in the Purple’s one-and-done playoff appearance — to coax the Giants into giving him the mega-deal contract that he couldn’t live up to.
Did you know?
The Cowboys gave up five pass plays longer than 28 yards against the Bears last week. Next up: Home against a Packers’ offense that is itching to stretch its legs after being stifled in Cleveland. Green Bay is fourth in average yards per pass (7.74).
STRIB
I'm already looking to Dallas vs GB
This one could turn ugly and fast imo...It's a long season, but it Dallas lays another egg Sunday? Thing will get hotter in Big D.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. isn’t untouchable. He might have a bright future, but people need to stop gushing about him like he’s already great and above being benched. He showed some promise in going 1-2 after supplanting Kirk Cousins as a rookie last year. People fawned. Too much. Too soon. This year, he’s again 1-2 and not very good. Among opening-day starters, his passer rating of 71.3 is worse than everyone’s but Trevor Lawrence (70.3) and Joe Flacco (65.9). The Falcons are coming off a 30-0 shutout loss at woeful Carolina.
They’re 31st in scoring (14.0). Penix had a career-low 40.5 passer rating and missed several open receivers in getting shockingly blanked as the betting favorite.
Next up is 2-1 Washington at home. The Commanders have the league’s best third-down defense (28.57%). If I’m paying Kirk Cousins a guaranteed $100 million and he’s only started 14 games ($7.1 million a start so far), I’m taking the untouchable crown off Penix – eighth overall pick or not -- and handing it to Cousins if things stay ugly on Sunday.
Stats of the week:
3.9 yards per play. That’s all the Browns offense mustered in a 13-10 win over the Packers last Sunday. Of course, Jordan Love and the Packers offense averaged 3.8. The Browns defense ranks second in yards per play allowed (3.76) — behind the Packers (3.73) — and now travel to Detroit, which is 2-1 with an offense averaging 6.26 yards per play, No. 3 behind Indianapolis (6.61) and Baltimore (6.32).
Jones heads into this week’s game against the Rams with a 111.7 passer rating. His highest passer rating in six previous NFL seasons was 92.5 in 2022, the year he went 9-6-1 and used (and abused) former Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell’s ridiculously soft defensive schemes — in the Purple’s one-and-done playoff appearance — to coax the Giants into giving him the mega-deal contract that he couldn’t live up to.
Did you know?
The Cowboys gave up five pass plays longer than 28 yards against the Bears last week. Next up: Home against a Packers’ offense that is itching to stretch its legs after being stifled in Cleveland. Green Bay is fourth in average yards per pass (7.74).
STRIB
I'm already looking to Dallas vs GB
This one could turn ugly and fast imo...It's a long season, but it Dallas lays another egg Sunday? Thing will get hotter in Big D.
