A novelization of the sights and sounds from the Mavericks’ home opener

A novelization of the sights and sounds from the Mavericks’ home opener

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Few days throughout the NBA calendar are as special as day one. There is no dread of a lost season or any regret of games that got away. There is only excitement and hope, which are amplified when you experience game one in person. I have been going to games my whole life, as my dad has had season tickets for the Dallas Mavericks since 1984. I am fortunate to have experienced so much, but inherently the volume of games I have been to takes away from the allure of any single one. Despite this, the first game I go to every year is always a special feeling, and having it be the first game of the Mavericks’ season this year, I wanted to document the experience to look back on.

Before even walking in, the buzz around the stadium was clear. They rolled out the blue carpet and player cutouts on Victory Plaza, and there was not a road within two miles not being traversed by fans. The lines to get in were long well before tip and the excitement was palpable. Once you got inside, the colors and smells of the concession stands helped bring about a sense of deja vu. Public address announcer Sean Heath’s voice crept through the hallways leading to the seats like your mother calling you down for dinner. In an ever-changing world, so much of American Airlines Center was the same, which gives the returning fan a sense of home.

Seeing the players warm up is always a treat, as you gain a new appreciation for just how big they are. This was especially true on Thursday night when Victor Wembanyama towered over 20-plus NBA athletes. He truly felt larger than life. The lights went down and the National Anthem was sung and the lights came back on for a minute while the Spurs’ starting lineup was announced. The arena went dark again, and the Mavericks were ready to be recognized for the first time this year. The announcement of the players was goosebump-inducing. From the confusion of Brandon Williams’ name coming first to the roar for Klay Thompson to the ambiance of Eminence Front by The Who playing during the pregame video (which has been their hype song for as long as I can remember), there was not an aspect of the before-game antics that did not increase your readiness for the game. The only thing left before tipoff was Heath telling the fans to be “rowdy, loud, and proud” from “the opening tip to the final buzzer”. He said his peace and the game was underway.

The tradition (originating from something the Thunder do) of standing until Dallas scores continued, and the fans were able to sit down when Daniel Gafford threw in a hook shot for their first points of 2024-25. The verbal relief of sitting down paled in comparison to the cheer of the next made basket when Klay Thompson’s first field goal as a Maverick went around, up, and down just over a minute later. The rest of the first half was fairly uneventful as Dallas shot poorly and trailed by two. After waiting out the halftime bathroom lines, it was time to get seated for the second half.

The third quarter was far more reminiscent of last year’s team. Every Luka Doncic three felt familiar and exciting, and when Dereck Lively dunked the arena felt the vibrations. Their 40-point third-quarter outburst had the crowd rocking like a playoff game. The fourth quarter had a nervous anxiety to it after Dallas went up by 21 points and Jason Kidd left Luka Doncic and Lively in the game. Many people stayed to the end to hear Heath end the night with his signature “Mavs win! Mavs win!”. As the exits were flooded with happy Mavericks supporters, the drum line could be heard echoing through the concourse. It was a great feeling to be back and an even better one with a Mavericks win.


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Falcons – Panthers final score predictions

Falcons – Panthers final score predictions

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Feeling real confidence in these Atlanta Falcons after the past six years is perhaps a dangerous thing to do, but after the past couple of weeks it’s difficult not to feel pretty good about the team’s direction. That’s especially true with a really injured, shaky opponent next on the docket.

Will that add up to a road win for the Falcons? Adnan Ikic and I weighed in with our predictions for today, and then we welcome yours.

Falcons 27 – Panthers 17

Look at this matchup from any angle and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an area where the Panthers outmatch the Falcons. They might be about the same against the run and a little better at forcing the occasional turnover, but in every other way you can think of, the Panthers are worse. What we all fear is the Falcons coming out flat, making loads of mistakes, or both.

I think a team that has shown some real signs of improvement and learning from their past mistakes, and now they get by far their most straightforward matchup of the season with the passing game humming, clear improvement attainable and a favorable matchup for the ground game, and a weak offense for this scuffling defense. I don’t think it’ll be lopsided and I doubt it will all be pretty, but the Falcons should win this one, and they should do so by two scores. -Dave Choate

Falcons 31 – Panthers 14

I get that this is a road divisional game, and that anything can happen when two NFC South teams clash. I understand the apprehension to fully trust the Falcons to not play down to their competition when they have made that not only a habit but even an identity over the past seven years, but this is the moment when this Atlanta team will prove to be different from past renditions who have let us down over the years.

The Panthers are maybe the worst team in football. They sit in a cluster of disappointing 1-4 teams and have by far the worst net point differential in the league, having lost by two scores or more in all four of their defeats. Atlanta is on a heater right now and coming off of an extra three days of rest. I expect the offense to continue where they left off from in Week 5 and for the defense to stifle Carolina for the most part. This should not even be close. –Adnan Ikic


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Falcons induct franchise legend QB Matt Ryan into Ring of Honor

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When Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts back in 2022, he held the Atlanta Falcons franchise records for completion percentage, passing yardage, passing touchdowns, and game-winning drives, as well as one of the team’s two Super Bowl appearances and its sole Most Valuable Player award under his belt. There was never any question that Ryan was heading to the Falcons Ring of Honor after he retired.

Tonight, the Falcons make the induction official, putting the most productive passer in franchise history into the most esteemed inner circle of Atlanta greats. Ryan will join owner Arthur Blank, who was inducted earlier this year, as well as all-timers like Jessie Tuggle, Roddy White, and Deion Sanders.

After the team selected him third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft and immediately installed him as a starter, Ryan’s Falcons rattled off five straight winning seasons and four playoff berths in that span, including an NFC Conference Championship run in 2012. After two down years for Ryan and the team, Kyle Shanahan came to town and revitalized the passing attack after a rough 2015, with an MVP season in 2016 followed by a playoff year in 2017 and another great season in 2018.

Working with Falcons greats like Michael Turner and Roddy White early in his career and Julio Jones later on, Ryan led this passing attack to heights we had never seen as fans and are praying we’ll see someday soon with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix. Underrated by fans and analysts throughout much of his career (at least until 2016), Ryan quietly excelled and won more games at the helm of the offense than any quarterback who came before him could dream of doing. If the ending for his career was dispiriting and the lack of a Super Bowl win will likely always haunt him the way it haunts us, it’s impossible to deny that the regular season success, postseason success, and franchise relevance Ryan brought changed everything.

Ryan then hung around through the first year of the Arthur Smith era before the Falcons made the foolish decision to chase a Deshaun Watson trade, which directly led to Ryan being shipped out to the Colts. He finished a tough season there and then retired. When he hung up his cleats, he was 7th in NFL history in passing yardage, 9th in touchdowns, and 19th in passer ratings, with the 4th-highest number of fourth quarter comebacks ever. Whether Ryan will wind up in the Hall of Fame is anyone’s guess, but his place as a Falcons and NFL great is still quite secure. The fact that he was and remains active in the Atlanta community, spending time and money to support causes around the city while he embarks on his second career in broadcasting, is just another points in Ryan’s favor.

Congratulations to Matt Ryan, who takes his deserved place alongside the Falcons greats of yesteryear, and will likely be more appreciated for that greatness with each passing year.


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Falcons – Saints instant recap: Younghoe Koo makes magic to win it

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The Atlanta Falcons don’t know how to play the New Orleans Saints without creating a dramatic, nerve-wracking, heart-stopping contest, and that’s to our collective detriment. In this one, Atlanta had repeated opportunities to salt the game away that they could not take advantage of, owing to plays that came up short, defensive stops that didn’t materialize, and calls that didn’t go their way. That left them down a point with Younghoe Koo needing to make a 58 yard field goal attempt to win, the kind of outcome that only happens when you make far too many mistakes.

But because life can be beautiful and Younghoe Koo is capable of greatness, we got to be happy on this Sunday afternoon. Koo hit his 58 yard field goal try against the odds and the Falcons walked out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 26-24 win over the hated Saints, the kind of gut punch that not only broke the career wins tie between these two franchises, but also evened their records in 2024. It was a frequently dumb, often frustrating game, but it ended in glory. Against the Saints, that’s all that matters, and I was almost in tears of joy when I saw that one go through.

Here’s the full drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.

1st Quarter

The Falcons began the game with the ball, and it was a touchback. We kicked things off with a two yard gain up the middle for Bijan Robinson, and then a quick swing pass to Bijan picked up a first down, with a picked up holding flag on the play. Kirk Cousins then took a deep shot to Drake London that was a little , but Alontae Taylor was draped all over him and he couldn’t bring it in. On second down, a bullet pass to Kyle Pitts was dropped as he was hit, but Cousins came back to London over the middle on third down for a first down. Robinson then picked up a yard on first down, and then Cousins zipped one over the middle for a first down to Ray-Ray McCloud, but it was called back owing to a 15 yard penalty on Matthew Bergeron. A quick pass to McCloud then got about five yards, and then another quick pass to Bijan picked up eight yards, setting up a 4th and 11. The Falcons punted, but the fair catch was bobbled and fell into the end zone, and KhaDarel Hodge fell on it for a touchdown. 7-0 Falcons.

After a touchback, Derek Carr swung out a quick pass to Chris Olave, who zoomed for about 15 yards. Alvin Kamara then took it about four yards, and then Carr once again threw a quick one to Olave that Mike Hughes stopped short of a first down. Taysom Hill then took it for a first down. A quick swing pass to Kamara picked up three yards, and then Kamara was able to cut back into the middle of the field for a first down, and a holding call on Kentavius Street did not help matters. Hill then picked up three yards. A quick swing pass to Shaheed got the Saints close to the end zone, but Jessie Bates threw a hurdling Shaheed out of bounds. Hill then ran it in for an easy touchdown as the Saints tied things up. 7-7 game.

A quick swing pass to McCloud went for four yards. A second down pass to London was in his hands but jarred loose by a big hit, and on third down Cousins found McCloud on the sideline for a 14 yard pickup. A pass interference penalty was declined. Tyler Allgeier then rumbled for seven yards, and then Cousins threw an interception to Paulson Adebo over the middle after McCloud fell on the route. Turnover, and a big yargh from me.

Olave was taken down after an eight yard catch, and then Kamara picked up about eight on the carry. Shaheed then picked up six before Hughes took him down. Hill then took a toss for about two yards, and Kamara was taken down after a yard, coming up just short of a first down. Carr then handed it off to Hill for a first down on the fourth down try, and then Carr hit Shaheed for about five yards. Kamara then picked up a yard.

2nd Quarter

A short pass to Mason Tipton (?) got the first down. Jamaal Williams then took it five yards up the middle, and then Taysom Hill went into the end zone basically untouched with great blocking up front. 14-7, Saints, yarrrrgh.

McCloud took the return to about the 23 yard line. Bijan then took it seven yards on first down, and then got it up the middle to pick up six yards. Cousins then took a sideline shot to Darnell Mooney for 25 yards. A quick throw to Kyle Pitts picked up a few yards before he got rocked, but an offensive pass interference call on Drake London backed it up. The pass over the middle to London gained 14 yards back, and under pressure, Cousins lofted it to London but too high for the catch to be made. A quick out to London then saw him dive and come up just short of a first down—it certainly looked like a first on replay, but there was no challenge—setting up a fourth down try near the Saints 30. A false start on Ryan Neuzil moved it back from 4th and 1 to 4th and 6. Younghoe Koo came on for the 53 yard try, and of course he nailed it. 14-10 Saints.

Jamaal Williams took the return to about the 30. Carr then scrambled for five yards after pressure came into the pocket. Kamara then rolled for a first down, picking up about seven yards. A fake to Kamara that was flipped to Shaheed got only about three yards, thanks in part to good instincts and pursuit from James Smith-Williams. On the next play, Matthew Judon got his hands up and tipped the Carr pass into the air, and Troy Andersen settled under it, picked it off, and then turned on the jets to return it for a touchdown, leaving multiple Saints in the dirt. 17-14 Falcons!!

Shaheed took it to the 36, with Antonio Hamilton suffering what looked like a mild injury on the return. Kamara then took it about 15 yards. Williams then picked up about three, and then another four yards on second down. On third down, Kamara tried to get outside and was met by Andersen and multiple defenders then cleaned it up, leading to the end of the drive. Punt.

Robinson took it a yard or two on first down, and then Matthew Bergeron was flagged again to back Atlanta up. Robinson then took it for a yard or two again, and Cousins got rid of it under pressure to McCloud for about a ten yard gain and a 3rd and 5. A quick pass to Robinson saw him leave a defender in the dirt and keep going for almost 30 yards. A low pass to London was dug out of the dirt by the receiver for a catch (or that was the call on the field), but the Saints challenged and it was reversed. A quick pass to London went for just four yards, with Alontae Taylor once again doing a nice job of bringing down the big receiver. The Falcons then wound the clock down to the two minute warning without running a play. Cousins then tried to force one in on third down that thankfully fell incomplete, given there were two defenders nearby. Punt, with Shaheed taking a fair catch without fumbling it this time just past the 10 yard line.

Kamara took it about seven yards before Andersen tackled him. On second down, Carr fired one to Olave for a first down, but New Orleans finally had their first called penalty with an illegal formation that backed them up five yards. Judon came in hot but wasn’t quite able to get to Carr, who got it to Kamara for a first down. Another pass to Kamara fell incomplete, with Andersen flying in to try to pick it off. On the next play, pressure came in and Carr threw a short one to Kamara, with Andersen tackling him after a few yards. A Matthew Judon penalty gave the Saints a 15 yard surplus. Carr was able to hit Shaheed for seven yards despite Richie Grant trying to break it up, and then pressure got home and Carr threw it incomplete to Juwan Johnson, who had a foot out of bounds when he caught it. Carr then threw it over the middle all wibbly-wobbly and it was nearly picked off by Justin Simmons. Punt.

Nine yards for Bijan on the first carry, and then the Falcons let it run down to halftime.

3rd Quarter

Shaheed’s kickoff return went to about the 30 yard line. Kamara then went zero yards as the Falcons defense swarmed him. On second down, a slant to Kamara went for a first down. A false start backed the Saints up a few yards, and under considerable pressure, Carr threw it downfield for 29 yards. He only got that throw off thanks to a hold on Trevor Penning, however, so that backed up New Orleans ten yards. A quick five yard pass to Shaheed after a Dee Alford tackle brought it to 2nd and 20, and then under pressure Carr dealt it to Kamara for another six yards. Mike Hughes then took out Juwan Johnson after maybe five yards to ensure the Saints had to punt.

Avery Williams caught the fair catch at the 10 yard line. Cousins didn’t find an open man, tried to scramble, and eventually threw it away. On second down, he took a deep sideline shot to Darnell Mooney, who made an unreal catch despite being interfered with most of the way through his route. On the next play, Cousins was able to just get rid of it under pressure to Robinson, but it only got a yard. He then fired one in to Kyle Pitts, but it was Marshon Lattimore knocking the ball out on the play. On third down, Cousins threw a short one to Allgeier that seemed like it was doomed to be short of a first down, but Allgeier displayed impressive balance and effort to bully his way to a new set of downs. Allgeier then took the handoff for 11 yards and another first down, followed by another six yards. Then Cousins tried Mooney but couldn’t get him owing to tight coverage from Adebo. A screen to Mooney was blown up immediately for a loss. Younghoe Koo was able to salvage the drive with a field goal, and it was 20-14 Falcons.

A quick pass from Carr to Chris Olave got the Saints eight yards. Kamara then tried to spin out of contact and was taken down for no gain by Ta’Quon Graham. Carr was able to roll away from pressure and find a first down to Shaheed. A desperation pass to Williams then picked up close to five yards, but A.J. Terrell was hurt on the play. Carr then found a stumbling Olave for another first down. Then Carr found a wide open Shaheed down the sideline for about 25 yards. James Smith-Williams was able to drop Kamara for a loss of three yards on the next play. Then Carr was sacked by Dee Alford on the next play. A short pass to Kamara was decisively ended by a big tackle from Hughes, setting up a field goal try. 20-17 Falcons.

McCloud returned it to the 19. Allgeier then took a toss about seven yards on first down, and then rolled out to find McCloud for a first down.

4th Quarter

Tyler Allgeier rumbled for a first down, and then another one plus about five yards. On the next carry there was contact in the backfield and he got about three yards. Cousins then fired one over the middle to get London for 12 yards and a first down. Bijan Robinson took a screen pass to the end zone for a touchdown, but unfortunately a (questionable) flag on Jake Matthews brought it back. Robinson then got a couple of yards on first down, and then Cousins was hit and fumbled, with Matthew Bergeron falling on it. He then managed to come back and find London for a pickup of about 16 yards. Koo hit the field goal try to make it 23-17 Falcons.

Touchback. Kamara picked up about eight yards on first down, and then Kamara got a first down and four yards. Carr then threw it about 20 yards to Shaheed. Williams then caught a pass for six yards, with Andersen in on the tackle. Kamara was able to pick up about a yard on the next run outside. Then Carr found Olave for a first down on third down. On first down, he tried Olave in the end zone, but Olave caught it out of bounds. Unfortunately, Kamara cut inside for 12 yards and a first down. On first down, Kamara picked up about five yards, and the Falcons got called for two separate penalties to give the Saints yet more yardage. Then Kamara was tackled for no gain by Andersen, and then Carr sailed one out of the back of the end zone under pressure from Kaden Elliss and company. Kamara was swallowed up on the third down run by the defense. The Saints stayed on the field to go for it on fourth down. It was an incomplete pass to Shaheed, working against Dee Alford, who had excellent coverage to force the incompletion. Turnover on downs.

Allgeier took the carry inside the ten on first down to pick up inches. Cousins then tried to hit Pitts, but Pitts tripped on the route. A quick pass to Allgeier got about eight yards, but he got out of bounds to stop the clock. Shaheed then took it to about the Atlanta 45 yard line, and Andersen had to be helped off the field.

A false start to start things off. Carr then fired one to Olave over the middle, but an illegal motion call on the Saints wiped that gain out. Carr then found Kamara on 1st and 20 for three yards, with Lorenzo Carter making the shoestring tackle. Shaheed then caught one and was knocked out of bounds by Terrell after 11 yards. Carr then found Olave on the sideline for a first down. Juwan Johnson then caught a pass for eight yards. The swing pass to Kamara was too low and went incomplete. Carr then found Olave over the middle as the Falcons blitzed, bringing the Saints inside the five yard line, and a Carr over the top attempt went nowhere. Carr was once again stopped just short on second down, but a Kamara handoff got in on the next play. 24-23 Saints after the extra point.

A knee in the end zone brought the Falcons out to the 30. McCloud caught it for five yards and had to hustle back, and then a false start on Atlanta backed them up five yards. Then Cousins took a sideline shot to Darnell Mooney that earned a 30 yard defensive pass interference call (and it was legitimate). Cousins then tried it downfield to London but it was overthrown and incomplete. Another shot to Mooney downfield unfortunately was not close enough for the speedy receiver to reel in. The third down throw to Mooney was then broken up, and Koo was on for the 58 yard attempt, and Koo hit it for the longest field goal in Mercedes-Benz Stadium history, and perhaps the single most clutch kick of his storied career. Falcons 26-24, and after the Saints kickoff return went nowhere fast, it stands.


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Falcons vs. Chiefs instant recap: A gritty effort comes up just short in Atlanta

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The Atlanta Falcons were always going to have a tough time knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs. Add in two injured offensive linemen and a defense that couldn’t get pressure on Patrick Mahomes and what looked rough soon became insurmountable.

To their eternal credit, the Falcons never stopped struggling and trying to make a game of it, and they were remarkably close to succeeding at times. This is a tougher, more capable Falcons team than it has been in some time, one capable of suffering losses and then continuing to not just fight but actually land punches. Zac Robinson was able to, after time and a little bit of a painful stretch, find his way to a more successful game plan despite being down two key offensive linemen. Jimmy Lake and Raheem Morris managed to get the defense clamping down in key stretches, especially late in the game.

It was, unfortunately, not quite enough. The Falcons managed to drive down the field with under two minutes to go, getting close enough to give themselves a shot, but third and fourth down short yardage carries couldn’t get the yardage and effectively ended the game. Atlanta’s decision earlier to not kick a field goal and go for the end zone on fourth down—a perfectly logical choice given the situation and opponent—will probably be scrutinized this week, given that a field goal on that final drive plus a field goal earlier would’ve potentially won the game. But you go for the knockout punch against a great team every time, and the Falcons wanted to land it. Their best late game blow just wasn’t enough to overcome Kansas City.

The Falcons have, however, beaten the Eagles on the road and come awfully close to toppling the defending Super Bowl champions in primetime in back-to-back weeks. Despite the 1-2 record, it’s impossible not to feel like this Falcons team is finally heading in a better direction, and with an NFC South run coming up and then a softer schedule following that, there’s plenty of hope their improved play and learnings from these first three games can add up to something special. I wish they had won, but for once, I’m looking forward instead of dwelling.

Here’s the full drive-by-drive recap, if you’re interested in re-living the game or missed it live.

1st Quarter

The Falcons got the ball first, and the opening kickoff was a touchback. A quick pass from a rolling Kirk Cousins to Darnell Mooney allowed the speedy receiver to pick up almost ten yards. On second down, Cousins got time in the pocket and was able to find Mooney downfield for 24 yards, with a slipping defender making it easier for the receiver to reel in his second straight grab. Bijan Robinson then lost a yard on first down before Cousins, again with plenty of time, found Ray-Ray McCloud over the middle for a first down. Robinson then picked up five yards on the ground. A screen to McCloud seemed dead on arrival but resulted in a couple of yards because he fought to earn them. A wide open Drake London then caught the touchdown from Cousins to cap off an impressively early opening drive. 7-0 Falcons.

A weak return and a holding call backed Kansas City up deep. Patrick Mahomes ran a bit and fired a low pass that Rashee Rice still almost came up with, but thankfully it fell to the turf. The second down quick pass to Xavier Worthy saw him use his speed and moves to pick up a first down, and then Worthy got it again for about six yards. Carson Steele then picked up a first down, and then Dee Alford dropped Travis Kelce for a one yard gain. A strike to Rice then got 17 yards working (where else?) over the middle. An incomplete pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster followed on first down, and then Mahomes escaped pressure to pick up nine yards on the ground. A Steele carry up the middle was spotted just shy of the first down, and the Chiefs went for it and a Rice carry that appeared to come up just short was not overturned after the Falcons challenged the first down ruling. Mahomes then took a shot to the end zone that Mike Hughes played brilliantly to break up, and then a quick pass went for only a couple of yards. A quick, low pass to Rice resulted in another first down. The Falcons then got hit with a too many men on the field penalty, and then Samaje Perine took it four yards. Steele then took it for another first down. A quick pass to Steele got just two yards, and an end zone shot from Mahomes was picked off by Justin Simmons again, adding to the safety’s league-leading Mahomes interception total. Falcons ball.

Robinson took it four yards on first down with a little shimmy to get free, and then he bullied his way forward for a first down. Bijan then got crushed in the backfield on the next carry, and then a quick pass to Mooney went for a couple of yards. On third down, Cousins had to escape heavy pressure and deliver one in the direction of Kyle Pitts, who wasn’t able to reel it in. and a call on Jake Matthews did nothing to rescue Atlanta. Punt, and it was a Pinion boot and 11 yard return to set the Chiefs up just past the 20.

2nd Quarter

Six yards for the Chiefs and then a quick pickup for another three, setting up a 3rd and 1. Unfortunately, Mahomes then found Kelce for a first down. Steele picked up maybe three yards on first down, and then a quick pass to Rice resulted in a first down. Perine then picked up nine yards on the ground. Perine then easily got a first down and more, but a two yard gain and a near-sack on Mahomes set up a third and long. Somehow, Mahomes got loose and threw a first down pass to Justin Watson. Perine was hit quickly by Ta’Quon Graham on the next play, but offsetting penalties created a first down. Mahomes then missed Steele, and then Rice took a short pass for about seven yards. The next play was a touchdown pass to Rice, who got loose and into the end zone to tie it up, and a shorter than usual extra point because they also called roughing the passer on Lorenzo Carter. 7-7.

Touchback. A first down throw to Ray-Ray McCloud was knocked out of his hands for an incompletion. Tyler Allgeier then took it for four yards, and then Cousins took a deep shot to London that went a little too far for him to get. A roughing the passer call on Chris Jones kept the drive alive, but Kaleb McGary got hurt on the play. Bijan picked up a couple of yards. Cousins then fired one deep and got it to Kyle Pitts, who rumbled after the catch to the one yard line for a 50 yard gain, and a defensive holding call was declined. Bijan then punched it in from a yard out. 14-7, Falcons.

Steele picked up a first down up the middle, and then another before Mahomes hit a tight end for a 13 yard gain. A.J. Terrell then got Rice after about two yards, and then another pass to Rice got about seven. An ill-advised carry up the middle to Perine then lost a yard, setting up a 4th and 2. Harrison Butker came on and hit the long field goal try. 14-10, Falcons.

A couple of yards on first down for Robinson, and then Cousins got drilled from behind while throwing it into the turf, and the play was ruled a fumble (it looked like an incomplete) that Robinson appeared to deliberately kick out of bounds. That may have prevented the Chiefs from recovering it, and it resulted in a lot of down and a 10 yard penalty. Trouble with the snap on the next play was partially negated by a heads-up Bijan carry, but the drive still ended. Punt.

A quick five yard pass to Perine and then an incomplete stopped the clock at 1:18 for the Chiefs, and then Mahomes threw one to Rice that he couldn’t bring in and was nearly picked by Jessie Bates. Punt, with a solid return from Avery Williams.

A false start on Storm Norton backed Atlanta up. A quick pass to Drake London got eight yards, and then Cousins hung in tough to throw it up while being hit and tossed a duck that was intercepted. Turnover.

A quick pass to Perine went for eight yards. Pressure got home to Mahomes enough to make him scramble and throw it up, where it fell harmlessly to the turf out of the back of the end zone. Mahomes then threw it out of bounds on the next play. That was a nice stop by Atlanta, but Butker drilled the field goal. 14-13 Falcons.

The Falcons kneeled it out.

3rd Quarter

The Chiefs had the ball back, and it was a quick strike to Travis Kelce for eight yards to start things off. Rice then caught a short pass and spun out of contact for about a 15 yard pickup. Another pass to Rice picked up another first down, and then Mahomes found Kelce for another big chunk of yardage. A productive Steele carry got another first, setting up a goal line series for Kansas City, and the Falcons did stop Steele quickly on first down. Steele then lost about a yard thanks to David Onyemata. Matthew Judon then got pressure and nearly took Mahomes down, forcing an incompletion out of the back of the end zone. But then Judon was hurt on the play, and Butker drilled the field goal try. 16-14, Chiefs.

A solid return by Williams was followed up by a quick pass to Darnell Mooney from Kirk Cousins, which went for five yards. Robinson then picked up three yards on the ground, and on third down, Cousins tried to escape pressure and didn’t get very far. Punt.

A five yard gain and then a four yard pass to Rashee Rice got the Chiefs on the cusp of a first down, and then Steele took it for a first down. Then Mahomes hung in under pressure to get Rice working against Mike Hughes for a big gain downfield. Xavier Worthy then caught a quick pass and picked up a couple of yards. Mahomes then saw nobody open and ran for about 15 yards. Steele then picked up seven yards, and then the Chiefs followed a first with a good gain and an instant tackle of Rice on a short pass by Terrell, with Rice looking slow to get up. Unfortunately, that was followed by a touchdown pass from Mahomes to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Butker missed the extra point. Chiefs 22, Falcons 14.

On first down, Cousins was able to get away and connect with Mooney for a first down, the first one the Falcons had managed in a while. Unfortunately, on the next play, Robinson went up the middle and was hit almost immediately for a two yard loss. A quick screen pass to Robinson was far more successful, though, resulting in a 13 yard gain and a first down.

4th Quarter

A three yard Tyler Allgeier pickup gave way to Cousins throwing a ball into the dirt, perhaps because he and London weren’t on the same page on where the receiver was going to be. Cousins then got Mooney again for a first down, while Robinson ran for three yards. Then Cousins had to dirt it with pressure in his face more or less immediately, and then Cousins once again was under pressure and threw it away on third down. Koo was able to drill the 54 yarder, though, tying a career long. Chiefs 22, Falcons 17.

Steele picked up six yards and then left the game looking a little injured, and Mahomes hit Perine for maybe two yards. Then he tried to hit Kelce over the middle, and Bates was able to hit him and knock it loose. Punt.

Unfortunately, the return was a nightmare for Atlanta, as Avery Williams tried to make a move and appeared to fumble…but his arm was down and the Falcons retained possession deep in their own territory. On the next play, Cousins was hit as he threw for an incompletion, but an illegal hands to the face penalty on Storm Norton made that worse. Tyler Allgeier then took it for about 10 yards and followed it up with another 10 yard carry. Allgeier then picked up maybe three yards. A quick pass to Kyle Pitts got another first down. Robinson then came in and rolled for three yards, and then Cousins was able to get the ball out before pressure got home to London, who made his way to a first down. Nick Bolton left the game for the Chiefs on the next play. Then the Falcons ran it with Ray-Ray McCloud, who got good blocking and took it about 20 yards down the sideline, with a missed (and seemingly obvious) facemask the only thing between him and paydirt. A quick pass out to Robinson then went nowhere, and then another Robinson touch picked up two yards. The Falcons tried to get the Chiefs to jump and they did on the next play, creating a neutral zone infraction that gave the Falcons a more manageable third down. A handoff to Robinson got maybe a yard, setting up a 4th and 2. Cousins then hit London over the middle for a swift first down. A pitch to Bijan went for a couple of yards, and then Allgeier picked up another couple of yards. Cousins then tried to slip one in to tight coverage to Pitts, but it was incomplete and there was no call despite heavy contact on Pitts. On fourth down, Cousins tried again for the end zone to London, but it was low and fell incomplete. Turnover on downs.

A quick, unproductive run by Steele was followed by a Mahomes scramble that went for about seven yards. Then Mahomes dirted it on third down and the Chiefs had to punt.

On first down, Cousins tried for Mooney on the sideline and couldn’t get it after the pass was tipped, but a penalty on the other side of the field made sure the Falcons got 10 yards and a fresh set of downs. Cousins then ripped it to London for a first down and about 12 yards, and then appeared to throw it away on a play where he noticed a pass interference call on Trent McDuffie that gave Atlanta 16 yards. On the next play, Cousins missed London a bit, resulting in an incompletion. A quick pass to Mooney went nowhere, but a horse collar on the Chiefs gave Atlanta another first down. Another quick pass out to Mooney went nowhere again, losing two yards. Then Cousins found London, who fought through contact and was able to get close to a first down. An Allgeier carry came up just short, setting up a 4th and inches for Atlanta. That fourth down carry to Robinson was dropped for a loss, ending the game, with a superlative individual effort by Nick Bolton ensuring Robinson didn’t convert.

The Chiefs then kneeled it out to win the game.


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NC State embarrasses itself in 59-35 loss at Clemson

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Heading into this game, I was just looking for something to build on for State after an aimless start to the season, and not only did I get zip there, State managed the most utterly disastrous start possible.

This game was over as soon as it was apparent that NC State’s defense was dead on arrival, and that was during Clemson’s second possession. After flipping the field with a couple first downs and pinning Clemson inside the 10, the Tigers ripped off a chunk play to flip it back, and then scored on an easy touchdown over the top of Aydan White to make it 14-0 in the first quarter.

When CJ Bailey failed to sense the backside pressure on the next possession and fumbled the ball away on a big hit, giving Clemson a short field, the Tigers had and took the opportunity to put this one entirely on ice. It’s tough circumstances when a game is over before you get to the second quarter. And you’re playing on the road. With a freshman quarterback.

NC State hasn’t been embarrassed this badly in quite a long time. Giving up over 400 yards of offense in a half has got to be the worst performance of the Tony Gibson era, and while that’s not an explanation of the problems on hand by itself, it does say a lot about effort, and that’s what’s really concerning. The effort just wasn’t there. Like everybody knew the line beforehand, knew they had a freshman QB, and just decided they didn’t need to try because what’s the point.

I knew the offense was going to struggle. The difficult part for me, and what portends far worse for the future, is just how bad this defense was. Not even remotely competitive. Toast from the jump. Gave up 160 yards on the first two drives to Clemson, which included multiple chunk plays.

Clemson had 45 points by halftime, rendering NC State into Directional State Tech for the second half. The Tigers took their foot off the gas then, and worked in your mom’s cousin’s third husband’s son in at quarterback.

We aren’t used to this. It sucks. It is a huge bummer.

It’s easy enough to see the limitations State is working with; the defensive line is just average, and the linebackers are bad. I could live with this if they were hitting their assignments and giving max effort, but there’s none of that, either. Whole thing’s gone bust, and Clemson just put a spotlight on it.

So I don’t know how you recover from here, but I don’t get paid to figure that out, either. It’s tough enough having to battle through a season when you’re undertalented, but if you can’t at least give your best effort every week? If you quit? That’s a lot harder still. There was no pride on display, no determination. Just sorry anger and frustration at failure, highlighted by Anthony Belton spitting on a guy and getting thrown out. The energy is terrible. That’s what Dave’s got to turn around if this isn’t going to get really bad.

I think he can do that; he’s done it before. But this is a whole different challenge after a bunch of guys spent months reading articles about how good they could be, about how good this transfer class supposedly was, and how far they might go. See, 2-2 is not a death sentence. It’s certainly not ideal, but as last season taught us, these seasons are long.

But these are large problems, larger than last year, and this team has serious fault lines. If they cannot at least get on the same page from an effort standpoint, then it’s only going to get worse.


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West Virginia Football: Predicting the Mountaineers vs. Kansas

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The time has come once again for the staff at The Smoking Musket to dust off our crystal ball and look ahead to today’s matchup between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Kansas Jayhawks in Morgantown.

Pinto

WVU ML ● WVU -2.5 ● Over 56 Total Points

A sicko crowd of 45000 for back-against-the-wall Neal Brown feels like a recipe for success. Kansas needs this one as badly as we do, but the revenge factor should factor in here.

Concerns that Kansas has actually played pretty good defense this year are potentially mitigated by the fact that we don’t have much left to lose, which is historically when we stop being conservative and start being fun. Look for Garrett to continue to get more involved on the ground and hopefully have some simplified reads that involve him vacating the pocket if his first two reads aren’t there.

On the other side of the ball, something has to give – Daniels has been almost as bad as a passer this year as we have been in the secondary. I look forward to one or more of the new guys in the secondary making plays this week followed by Neal and Co with the standard “we saw flashes, they had to improve their preparation, had their best week of practice this week, etc.”

The on-brand play here is definitely to win this one, possibly even convincingly, leading to us spending the next two weeks feeling like maybe we overreacted about Pitt before losing by 27 in Stillwater. We’re very back, love WVU football.

Final Score: West Virginia 38, Kansas 27


RH

WVU ML ● Kansas +2.5 ● Under 56 Total Points

Ugh. This is not any fun. I can’t see anything but angst and anxiety regarding the WVU football program right now. Neither team has done anything to write home about; both teams should be motivated. KU has been terrible turning the ball over, but WVU can’t create a turnover to save their jobs. WVU slides past KU in a manner that makes no one (other than maybe HCNB) feel any better about the state of the program.

Final Score: West Virginia 24, Kansas 23

John Radcliff

WVU ML ● Kansas +2.5 ● Under 56 Total Points

I want to say something thoughtful. I really do. I’m betting with my heart and taking WVU. But what I expect…

Final Score: West Virginia 21, Kansas 20


Michael

WVU ML ● WVU -2 ● Over 56 Total Points

The Mountaineers have an opportunity to bounce back against what appears to be a Kansas team looks like it has regressed to the mean with Kotelnicki leaving for Penn State, but it will require Neal Brown to get out of his own way. West Virginia gets a lead before Brown goes conservative in the fourth quarter and the Mountaineers let the Jayhawks back into the game. A late Michael Hayes field goal saves the day for WVU, but fan anxiety just gets worse.

Final Score: West Virginia 31, Kansas 28


Josh

WVU ML ● WVU -2 ● Under 56 Total Points

Will we be in fan hell or fan purgatory after this one? Signs point to purgatory.

Final Score: West Virginia 28, Kansas 24


Nick

WVU ML ● WVU -2 ● Over 56 Total Points

Both teams desperately need to get back on track, but I think both defenses will look bad in this game. I predict that WVU will get a big lead early, and then it will be a classic Neal Brown era “hold on for dear life” game, as the offense gets too conservative with its play calling and the defense is unable to get stops. But I’ll say WVU holds on to win a close one.

Final Score: West Virginia 48, Kansas 42

WVUNite

WVU ML ● WVU -2.5 ● Over 56 Total Points

Neal Brown pulls out a win because why wouldn’t the coach who has gotten two extensions without any real need or reason do something like keep himself afloat just enough that he can’t be fired today. Kansas isn’t great and WVU is due

Final Score: West Virginia 30, Kansas 27


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49ers News: Brandon Aiyuk was nearly traded to the Steelers before contract extension

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Saying the San Francisco 49ers signed Brandon Aiyuk at the 11th hour may be the understatement of the year. During the Fox Sports broadcast for the NFL, Jay Glazer had a report that a trade was just moments away from being finalized with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And by moments, we mean mere moments.

“The day it actually got done, the 49ers were trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was already en route there. And then all the sudden Brandon Aiyuk happened to show up early to the facility that day. Went downstairs trying to meet with Kyle Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan was trying to get in touch with the front office, but they couldn’t take his call because they were trying to get the trade done to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“So Shanahan actaully ran all the way upstairs, said, ‘hold this, let’s put a hold on these trade talks right now. Pittsburgh we’ll call you right back.” They went down and talked to Aiyuk for about two hours and said, ‘look you have until the end of practice, we’re either trading you to Pittsburgh today or you can take the deal that’s been on the table, it’s up to you, but you have until the end of practice.’

“He [Aiyuk] says, ‘this is where I want to be.’ Brandon Aiyuk remains a 49er.”

Shortly after news of the Aiyuk deal broke, Adam Schefter reported that the agreement was the same as the one offered on August 12. Given what Glazer is saying, that lends some credibility to it. Schefter was called out by Aiyuk’s agent for the report being “factually inaccurate,” but the inaccuracy seems to be the date Schefter originally had as August 10.

Saying this came down to the wire isn’t even accurate. This was down to the final thread of that wire, as all others were cut. I wish I could look at Kyle Shanahan getting a busy signal from the front office and then sprinting through the facility trying to get to them and say to hold off on the Pittsburgh deal.

As far as the Steelers were concerned. What we knew of them was nothing they offered the 49ers was satisfactory. Aiyuk’s deal was right in the neighborhood of the 49ers’ offer. There was a report days before the deal by Michael Silver indicating that the Steelers and the Washington Commanders could be back in the mix. Still, all signs indicated that the 49ers and Aiyuk had resumed negotiations.

If this is any indication, the 49ers basically had had enough of the staredown and were prepared to deal Aiyuk. Whether it’s because Pittsburgh had a better offer at the last minute, the front office had enough of dealing with the entire thing, or both. Aiyuk admitted he made the whole thing harder than it needed to be.

We’ll probably get some more information on what happened in these final moments throughout the season, but even after being finished, the Brandon Aiyuk saga continues to be fascinating.

Only the 49ers could have an offseason storyline like this.


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Falcons – Steelers instant recap: A season-opening embarrassment

by with No Comment Uncategorized

There was joy, there was tragedy, there was a lot of weird stuff. It was a Falcons football game, and unfortunately, that meant the joy was fleeting and the tragedy and weirdness dominated.

The Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers faced off in a game that promised to feature some rust and weirdness, as most Week 1 games do, and the game delivered. There were turnovers, dumb penalties, and missed opportunities left and right for both teams, but the combination of Chris Boswell’s stellar leg from a distance and the sheer number of mistakes from Atlanta added up to a rough day at the office for the Falcons, who found themselves down 15-10 heading into the fourth quarter. An offense with the pieces to be terrific looked anemic, and a defense predicated on a strong secondary looked lacking against George Pickens. It added up to a loss, as despite some heroic moments from the defense, Atlanta’s offense was awful throughout the second half, capped off by a Kirk Cousins interception under pressure to give Pittsburgh the chance to salt the game away.

It was a dispiriting start to the season for Atlanta, given their expectations and given that their next two games are against the Eagles and Chiefs. We know that Week 1 is a time for slow start and sloppiness, but this was a little beyond the pale for a Falcons team eager to win, and it puts them in a hole as they face the toughest stretch in their schedule early on. It goes without saying that they have to be far better very quickly to avoid going into an extremely deep hole early in the season,

Here’s the drive-by-drive recap, if you can stand it.

1st Quarter

The Falcons chose to receive. Bijan Robinson took it seven yards on first down, and on second down Bijan took it again and picked up three for a first down. Another carry for three yards up the middle came next, and then Kirk Cousins looked to pass to Robinson and it was nearly picked off. On third down, Cousins threw a fastball to Darnell Mooney, who brought it in over the middle for a first down. A defensive offsides followed, and then Tyler Allgeier rumbled for a first down and more. Bijan then got outside to pick up about six yards, and Cousins found Drake London for a first down. Bijan was hit in the backfield on the next play to lose yards. and then Cousins skipped one into the turf on the next play. That set up a third and goal, and the screen pass to Bijan picked up about six yards but was stopped by a nice tackle from a Pittsburgh defender. Younghoe Koo banged it home to make it Falcons 3, Steelers 0.

On first down, a fumbled snap was picked up by Pittsburgh for a gain of three yards. Pure damn luck. On second down, pressure got in Justin Fields’ face and he threw one off-target on the move for an incompletion. A timeout later, Fields got away from pressure and scrambled for 12 yards and a first down. Najee Harris then took it four yards on first down, and then Harris took a toss off a botched snap and picked up three yards, and then took it up the middle again for a first down. Fields then threw it to Harris, missing a little behind, and he dropped it. Pat Freiermuth then took it a few yards, and then Arthur Smith took a familiar road by having Cordarrelle Patterson take it up the middle on third down for a minimal gain. That set up a long field goal try, and the Steelers tied it up 3-3.

Robinson took it outside again to start the next drive, picking up nine yards. Then Kirk Cousins threw an ill-advised, off-target throw over the middle that was intercepted, swiftly ending the drive.

On first down, George Pickens got backed up a full five yards by a heads-up Falcons defense. Fields then tried to scramble up the middle, got hit, and only got a couple of yards. PIckens then caught a nice ball from Fields on third down and picked up a first down. A nothing play lost a yard, and then Najee Harris took it eight yards before both teams got into it a bit, with Harris taking exception to what certainly looked like a Jessie Bates facemask that the officiating crew missed. Pickens got it again on the sideline, but Mike Hughes made a nice stop but after the first down marker.

2nd Quarter

On the next play, the Steelers tried a reverse to Pickens, but he lost nearly ten yards on a disastrous play. The Steelers then got a yard on a run, and then Patterson picked up about four yards to set up a field goal try. Chris Boswell hit it from 50-plus to make it Steelers 6, Falcons 3.

Ray-Ray McCloud took the return to the 28 yard line. Drake London caught the first down pass over the middle for about seven yards, and then an unusually tentative Robinson run picked up a first down. Bijan then took it three yards on first down, and then caught another screen pass for eight yards and a first down. Unfortunately, Chris Lindstrom exited the game with an injury. Cousins then fired a little high to Charlie Woerner for an incompletion, and Robinson cut inside to pick up very little. Cousins then took a shot to Mooney, but it was a little bit behind him and he couldn’t bring it in. Punt.

After a nice return, pressure on Fields forced a quick throw to Harris, who slipped but still got about nine yards. Harris then picked up a first down after a couple of yards and grabbed five yards on the next play, and Patterson fell forward for about four yards. Fields then carried it for a couple yards and a first down. Pickens then juggled an off-target ball and didn’t catch it, and the next play was a confused mess that would have lost yardage even if the Steelers didn’t have a false start. A quick pass to Jaylen Warren was stopped quickly by Justin Simmons and Kaden Elliss. Fields then hit Pickens for a 36 yard gain downfield, but it was erased by offensive pass interference. Warren then caught it again on 3rd and 19 for a little bit, but obviously Pittsburgh had to punt.

Cousins threw a quick one to Ray-Ray McCloud on first down, which picked up nine thanks to a little after the catch work from McCloud. Robinson then picked up three yards again for a first down. Then Cousins was hit as he threw and arced one in the victinity of McCloud, who made an excellent grab for a big gain. Cousins then hit Kyle Pitts for about five yards, and Robinson picked up a yard as the blocking lane closed up real fast. A quick pass under pressure from Cousins to Robinson resulted in a first down by sheer force of will by Bijan. Another short throw to Robinson resulted in another first down thanks to his speed. Cousins hung in tough and hit McCloud again over the middle for a big first down. Cousins was sacked and fumbled on the next play, but a false start on Pittsburgh wiped out the play, blessedly. On the very next one, Cousins rolled out and fired it to a wide open Kyle Pitts for a touchdown. Falcons 10, Steelers 6.

Calvin Austin caught one for six yards as the clock ticked down, and then Pat Freiermuth caught one for a first down. Then Justin Fields launched one down the sideline to George Pickens, who stepped out of bounds with three seconds on the clock to set up a field goal try. Falcons 10, Steelers 9 at the half.

3rd Quarter

A quick five yards for Najee Harris kicked things off for the Steelers after the half, and then a toss play went nowhere. On third down, Fields kept moving backwards to try to get away from Grady Jarrett, but couldn’t do so as the veteran took him down for a sack and I almost spilled my beer yelling. Avery Williams then took the punt return nearly to midfield.

Bijan Robinson kicked things off with a four yard carry, and then got another three yards on second down, and then a yard to come up just short on third down. They went for it on fourth down, and the end-around to Robinson picked up a first down and then some. Unfortunately, on the next play the snap hit Ross Dwelley as he crossed the formation and T.J. Watt pounced on the fumble. Steelers ball.

MyCole Pruitt caught the pass for about nine yards, and then Fields went for Pickens and missed. Fields then went up the middle for a sneak and got a first down. Harris got about four yards on first down, and then a couple of yards on second down before an Eddie Goldman defensive holding gave the Steelers a free first down. Fields then tried Pruitt and missed. Cordarrelle Patterson got a yard, and then Justin Simmons came flying in to break up the pass on third down. Boswell then hit the long field goal to make it 12-10 Steelers.

Tyler Allgeier got the ball to kick off the next drive, picking up seven yards on first down. Allgeier picked up a yard or two on second down. Then Cousins hit Pitts for a first down and a lot more, but an illegal use of hands to the face on Jake Matthews brought it back. Then on the next play, T.J. Watt got a strip sack but a penalty on the Pittsburgh secondary erased that and gave Atlanta first down, which the Falcons followed up with a two yard run from Robinson. Then Cousins got crushed with no hope as the Falcons offensive line crumbled on second down, and Charlie Woerner caught it for about seven yards. Punt.

Fields took a long shot to Pickens and got it, getting the Steelers inside the 20. A false start after a five yard Najee Harris run backed Pittsburgh up, and then Fields got five back on a scramble. Then Fields under pressure found MyCole Pruitt, but an illegal shift on Pittsburgh back it up again. Another shot to Pat Freiermuth didn’t go very far, setting up yet another field goal try. Boswell hit it. 15-10, Steelers.

Robinson took the first carry for about five yards, and that took us to the fourth quarter.

4th Quarter

Robinson then took it for a first down, but a holding call backed them up. Then Cousins got hit by T.J. Watt and was just able to throw it away. On 3rd and 15, Cousins fired low and the coverage was tight on McCloud and he no real shot at it. Punt.

Fields took it seven yards on a first down run, and then Najee Harris took it 20 yards for a first down and a lot more. Then Harris was hit after a yard, and Freiermuth got a first down. Harris got four yards, and Jaylen Warren got a first down from there. Fields picked up about five yards on a scramble, and then Darnell Washington got four yards. Another first down for Fields brought the Steelers within scoring range. Harris then took it a couple of yards, with competing penalties on the Falcons and Steelers cancelling one another out. Van Jefferson caught it and Jessie Bates then stopped him short of the first down. On fourth and short, the Falcons somehow got the stop, with Nate Landman leaping over the pile to ensure Fields was down. Turnover on downs.

Robinson picked up a few yards on first down, and then a productive pass went nowhere because Kyle Pitts was not on the line of scrimmage and the Falcons were called for an illegal formation. Then Cousins had his pass tipped. Cousins was able to hit Pitts for about eight yards, but that brought up 4th and 4. Punt.

Harris lost a couple of yards on first down. Fields had to throw it away with Mike Hughes offering a blistering blitz off the edge on second down. On third down, Grady Jarrett and Matthew Judon combined for a sack, forcing Pittsburgh to punt. A holding call on Pittsburgh backed them up another ten yards, and the punter was injured on the play.

Bijan took the first snap from the 40 and picked up about 12 yards, earning a first down and getting Atlanta across midfield. On second down, though, Cousins was under pressure and hit while he threw and made the terrible decision to throw it, and it was another interception that was returned deep into Atlanta territory.

Harris got a yard on first down, and the Fields took off and got about five yards on the scramble. Then Fields ran for a first down, and Harris got a yard on first down, following it up with a small loss on second down. Fields then kept it on a fake handoff and lost a yard. With the clock at 31 seconds, the Steelers kicked a field goal and it was Pittsburgh 18, Atlanta 10.

The Falcons threw it to McCloud on the sideline, but he was tackled before he could get out of bounds. They burned a down spiking it, and then Cousins was sacked by T.J. Watt on third down. That was the ballgame.


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Betting Guide: 5 Tips for Colorado vs. Nebraska

by with No Comment Uncategorized

We’re two short days away from what’s perhaps Colorado’s most important game of the 2024 season. The Buffs will make the trip up to Lincoln for a week two matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, rekindling one of college football’s most historic rivalries. Millions of eyes will be on Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes when they play on national TV this Saturday, which means a lot of people will throw a couple of bucks on this game. Here are some quick tips to help your betting experience go as smoothly as possible!

Tip #1: Stay away from the spread. (Nebraska -7)

Most sportsbooks are setting the spread around Nebraska -7, netting you -105 odds if you bet the Buffs to cover. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Vegas has got this one spot on. Favoring the Huskers by a touchdown feels correct heading into this game.

Betting on the spread for this game is just too risky in my eyes. Both teams completely transformed themselves from 2023 and their 2024 sample size is just too small after one week. We have no clue how these teams will look against top-level talent.

This game could be a blowout in either direction. It could also be a nail-biter that comes down to the final seconds. Nobody knows what to expect from this matchup because these teams are so unproven. If somebody tells you they’re confident about this game’s outcome, they’re lying.

tl;dr, this game is incredibly unpredictable, which doesn’t lend itself well to betting on the spread. Instead, I recommend just betting Colorado moneyline at +215. That’s a way better bang for your buck anyway.

Tip #2: Bet the over. (U/O 59)

The over/under for this matchup is set at around 59 points for most sportsbooks. I’m of the firm belief that the over is going to hit on Saturday.

Simply put, Colorado’s offense is explosive. Shedeur Sanders was lethal in week one against NDSU, dishing the ball out to Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn with ease. Expect them to put points on the board against a pretty run-of-the-mill Nebraska secondary.

Nebraska should win the rushing battle on Saturday, with their stellar offensive line and rotation of established running backs. Colorado’s defense struggles against NDSU, and Nebraska isn’t going to be any worse than the Bison.

Both teams shouldn’t have too much trouble putting points up. Unless one team continues to turn the ball over constantly (looking at you Jeff Simms), the Buffs and Huskers should put 30 points each. My final score prediction is 38-31, hitting the over by a pretty significant margin.

Tip #3: Don’t bet on Colorado’s running backs

Colorado had trouble establishing the run game last week against NDSU and Nebraska has an elite defensive line. That’s not a recipe for success for the Buffs and a huge tell for sports bettors.

Go into Saturday’s game with the expectation that Colorado isn’t going to be able to run the ball, plain and simple. If they couldn’t against the Bison last week, they won’t be able to against the Huskers. It’s probably a good idea to stay away from betting on Colorado’s running backs altogether and save your money on other bets that stand a better chance to hit.

Tip 4: Bet on Shedeur Sanders to ball out

Because the Buffs probably will have trouble on the ground against Nebraska, they’ll have to rely on Shedeur Sanders to drive them down the field. That means that he’ll probably get 40+ passing attempts, which would allow the Colorado quarterback to put up insane stats.

Admittedly, the lines for Shedeur’s passing yards aren’t that great on their own (only -575 for 250+ and -115 for 311+). When you parlay those with other bets, you can start to maximize the value of those lines a bit.

A parlay of Colorado moneyline, the total points over, and Shedeur Sanders 300+ passing yards has odds of +550 at the time of writing this. That’s a pretty good base! you can even throw some other stuff in there, like a Travis Hunter or Will Sheppard touchdown if you’re feeling extra spicy.

Bonus Tip: Bet on Will Sheppard anytime touchdown

This is my gut-feeling pick for the week. Sheppard had a quiet week against NDSU, but I have a feeling he’ll have a great game in Lincoln.

Sheppard is by far the biggest and most physical receiver on the roster. With Colorado’s assumed inability to work on the ground, his size could be an asset to the Buffs. Putting Sheppard on shorter routes could be a reliable way to pick up yards if the run game doesn’t work.

Speeding past Nebraska’s secondary isn’t going to work like last week against the Bison either, so Shedeur might have to rely more on Sheppard’s 6-foot-3 frame for 50/50 balls. In short, be on the lookout for a big game from Colorado’s X receiver.


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