Starting with franchise QB Matt Ryan, the Falcons have been building something special and might just have the schedule this year to knock off the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in the NFC West. Ryan may not have been a low-round draft gem like Tom Brady, but he definitely has the leadership and poise to take his team to the next level this season.
Atlanta also has a veteran RB in Michael Turner who is finding himself to be quite a workhorse with his second team after coming over from San Diego two years ago much like former New England RB Corey Dillon. Both Turner and Dillon enjoyed the best years of their respective careers in their first seasons with their new teams. One more similarity between the Patriots and Falcons is that they both had a WR who would not go away. Atlanta’s 11-year veteran Brian Finneran had knee surgeries three of the last four years but remains a valuable possession receiver for the team, much like Troy Brown was in New England for more than 14 seasons.
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Gonzalez has been a huge weapon for Ryan so far in his young career, and perhaps no team has used the tight end better than Brady with the Patriots over the years. The Falcons still have an elite receiver in Gonzalez despite the fact that he is going into his 14th season and hope to send him off into retirement with a Super Bowl ring, something the Chiefs were unable to accomplish.
The similarities may end there with Atlanta, but they are also present in Kansas City where former New England coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel have resurfaced after failing elsewhere on their own. Chiefs head coach Todd Haley put a lot of pressure on his team last preseason, changing the offensive scheme 10 days before the regular-season opener after firing offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Kansas City should have a much higher comfort level in Haley’s second year and with Weis aboard to run the same offense that led to three championships for the Pats. Weis will do his best to turn QB Matt Cassel into a Brady clone.
The Chiefs brought in a veteran RB of their in Thomas Jones to help stabilize Weis’ offense after he rushed for a career-high 1,402 yards last year for the New York Jets. Jones might be on the wrong side of 30 years old but will be looking to prove he still has something left in the tank while mentoring young running back Jamaal Charles, who figures to be the future star in KC. With Jones dealing with a knee injury he recently suffered in training camp, look for Charles to be the man on Friday.
As for the free NFL pick, lets go with the under 34.5 in tonights game. We also have a premium football pick on the side of this game that is now ready for purchase. Dont delay and start your season off right.
