NFL Betting: Falcons vs. Patriots
Written by Greg Waters
Sat, 26 Sep 2009
Category sportsbook
Feedback Rating - no votes
The Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots of the South, come to New England this Sunday in a matchup that will highlight a burgeoning marquee battle at the QB spot. Golden boy (and three-time Super Bowl champ) Tom Brady will compete against the up-and-comer Matt Ryan in what should be one of the better games of Week 3 NFL betting action.
The Falcons GM Tom Dimitroff was a former director of college scouting for the Patriots. He saw close-up how important it is to have a star quarterback to produce a winning team. In his first year as GM, he hit the ball out of the park with the hiring of coach Mike Smith and drafting Ryan. The Falcons went to the playoffs in Ryan’s first year with an 11-5 record. They are off to a 2-0 start and have a very balanced offensive attack with Michael Turner leading a solid ground game.
Ryan has looked good as well when he has gone to the air, sporting a very impressive passer rating of 108.5. Brady? Well, not so much. He’s actually struggled out of the gate, sitting with a rating of 76.8 after a pair of games. He has thrown 19 more balls than any other QB in the league. That will wear your arm out if you’re knee doesn’t go first.
The Jets hit Brady 23 times and harassed him the entire game. He didn’t look comfortable throughout play and obviously was pissed about 1) losing to the Jets, and 2) being outperformed by the new toast of the town and young hotshot QB Mark Sanchez.
But that could spell trouble for the Falcons, who could be caught in the old “wrong place at the wrong time”, as Brady and the team will be bent on making amends for that loss last week. He will be determined to prove to the naysayers that he still has plenty of game and is still one of the two top quarterbacks in the league. The Patriots are all about the passing game and getting dynamic Wes Welker back is a huge benefit to Brady. Look for Welker’s replacement Julian Edelman to have some plays this week, as he looked decent vs. the Jets.
For young Matt Ryan it will be a homecoming as he starred for Boston College. Ryan has all the tools to be the next Tom Brady and he will be out to demonstrate just how good he and the Falcons are and why they might be the key to the next NFL dynasty.
The Falcons a dynasty – go figure.
Online sportsbook is reporting pretty even betting action on this one, with 53% favoring the underdog Falcons, which shows you how far the Pats have fallen in a short time and how far the Falcons have come -- at least in the eyes of the betting public.
link: http://www.wheretobet.com/redirect/sportsbetting.com-205/all