Last season marked my 2nd worst POW record posting here @ the RX. Even my normally reliable Teasers had a losing record. Conf championship wk & SB thankfully ended my awful season on a high note. Just like golfing, no matter how bad you do on the course, you have to finish the 18th hole well to keep you coming back. I always look @ my previous season’s writeups to learn where my mistakes were & I didn’t make too many of them. Just a few balls bouncing the wrong way or atrocious play/coaching by the better team torpedoed so many of my POWs. That’s what makes capping the NFL so difficult. There are so many outside factors that can influence a gm that we just aren’t privy to.
Started this season well w/KC handling BAL in opener, however that aforementioned poor play/coaching showed up in Brazil w/both teams playing terrible, & Jordan Love somehow playing worse than Hurts (14 incompletions, 33 yds rushing, 2 INTs, 1 FL). I think both teams spent too much time @ the Copacabana the night before. Actually Rio is miles away from Sao Paulo, but you get the picture. My total thankfully pushed w/Likely’s toe helping me out.
ATL -3 ½ is starting a new chapter w/incoming HC Raheem Morris (LAR DC) & QB Cousins. W/a “D” coach coming in it’s no surprise that ATL picked up QB headhunter Matthew Judon & 4x 2nd team All-Pro S Justin Simmons. They join an already talented “D” w/Grady Jarrett returning from injury, CB AJ Terrell, S Bates & DT Onyemata. Morris is a good “D” mind, so how he deploys this underrated “D” will be key to any success in ‘24. Bringing in Cousins & drafting Penix Jr got the headlines, however ATL’s returning 5 on oline is also a big victory. RG Lindstrom was rated as the #1 RG in the NFL last season & Dalman was rated as the #2 C. McGary & Matthews solidify the ends & if LG Bergeron takes the next step, this could be the #1 oline in the league. On the other side, PIT has a big amount of questions on their oline & will likely need most of the yr to figure things out. Stalwart LG Seumalo will miss some time & rookie T Fautanu has been injured in preseason, which shuffles the oline around. C Frazier is a rookie & had to navigate 2 different QBs w/Wilson & Fields. This is all bad news going against a “D” ready to turn the page on a bad ’23 season. Even the starting QB is in question w/Wilson nursing a bad calf. Regardless of who starts, I feel Raheem will coach up his dline to maintain the pocket & force either QB to pass. Not much needs to be written about PIT’s “D” as they come in being the unquestioned strength of the team. TJ Watt will vie for DPOY & their front-7 will likely finish top-5. But w/ATL’s strong oline & Cousins used to being under pressure, I feel they can make hay w/a talented bunch of receivers, balanced also by stud RB Bijan Robinson (4.6 ypc w/awful QB play last yr). Former ATL HC Arthur Smith is PIT’s OC, so there’s some intel there for PIT to use. But Smith just doesn’t seem like a smart coach to me. He will have to juggle between his 2 QBs, w/a shaky oline, & a bare cupboard of weapons outside of Pickens. ATL’s trio of pass rushers (Judon/Jarrett/Onyemata) totaled 20 sacks last yr. Tomlin surprises me sometimes w/inspiring his team to perform above expectation, but ATL’s team is rejuvenated w/a new coaching staff & QB, & will be ready.
PIT 16
ATL 27
6 Units
GL to all & comments are most welcome.
Started this season well w/KC handling BAL in opener, however that aforementioned poor play/coaching showed up in Brazil w/both teams playing terrible, & Jordan Love somehow playing worse than Hurts (14 incompletions, 33 yds rushing, 2 INTs, 1 FL). I think both teams spent too much time @ the Copacabana the night before. Actually Rio is miles away from Sao Paulo, but you get the picture. My total thankfully pushed w/Likely’s toe helping me out.
ATL -3 ½ is starting a new chapter w/incoming HC Raheem Morris (LAR DC) & QB Cousins. W/a “D” coach coming in it’s no surprise that ATL picked up QB headhunter Matthew Judon & 4x 2nd team All-Pro S Justin Simmons. They join an already talented “D” w/Grady Jarrett returning from injury, CB AJ Terrell, S Bates & DT Onyemata. Morris is a good “D” mind, so how he deploys this underrated “D” will be key to any success in ‘24. Bringing in Cousins & drafting Penix Jr got the headlines, however ATL’s returning 5 on oline is also a big victory. RG Lindstrom was rated as the #1 RG in the NFL last season & Dalman was rated as the #2 C. McGary & Matthews solidify the ends & if LG Bergeron takes the next step, this could be the #1 oline in the league. On the other side, PIT has a big amount of questions on their oline & will likely need most of the yr to figure things out. Stalwart LG Seumalo will miss some time & rookie T Fautanu has been injured in preseason, which shuffles the oline around. C Frazier is a rookie & had to navigate 2 different QBs w/Wilson & Fields. This is all bad news going against a “D” ready to turn the page on a bad ’23 season. Even the starting QB is in question w/Wilson nursing a bad calf. Regardless of who starts, I feel Raheem will coach up his dline to maintain the pocket & force either QB to pass. Not much needs to be written about PIT’s “D” as they come in being the unquestioned strength of the team. TJ Watt will vie for DPOY & their front-7 will likely finish top-5. But w/ATL’s strong oline & Cousins used to being under pressure, I feel they can make hay w/a talented bunch of receivers, balanced also by stud RB Bijan Robinson (4.6 ypc w/awful QB play last yr). Former ATL HC Arthur Smith is PIT’s OC, so there’s some intel there for PIT to use. But Smith just doesn’t seem like a smart coach to me. He will have to juggle between his 2 QBs, w/a shaky oline, & a bare cupboard of weapons outside of Pickens. ATL’s trio of pass rushers (Judon/Jarrett/Onyemata) totaled 20 sacks last yr. Tomlin surprises me sometimes w/inspiring his team to perform above expectation, but ATL’s team is rejuvenated w/a new coaching staff & QB, & will be ready.
PIT 16
ATL 27
6 Units
GL to all & comments are most welcome.
