NFL Preseason Analysis: Trends in Key Matchups Tonight

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00:00We have a game down South in Atlanta between the Falcons and the Jaguars, 7 points spread

00:09in favor of the Jags.

00:11We've got an all sunshine state affair between the Bucs and the Dolphins and the Raiders

00:15and the 49ers that we'll talk about in just a moment.

00:18A former Northern California clash, some very lofty spreads though.

00:23We've got 7.5 in favor of San Francisco, 7 in favor of Jacksonville.

00:28Again, we've got to dive through the reports here and make sure our research is on point.

00:32That would almost lead me to believe, when you see a touchdown number,

00:36might we see some starters tonight in Jacksonville and for the 49ers?

00:41Yes, and that's the key ingredient here because sometimes in regular season you don't get to see

00:45this unless it's week 18 where you get that announcement on Tuesday, I don't think my

00:49starters are playing, and you see this big line reversal.

00:52Let's take a look at these three games without handicapping them and just see where the lines

00:55are going.

00:56FanDuel in New Jersey opened.

00:57Jacksonville and Atlanta at a minus 4.5 point spread.

01:00Now we see it across the board, including FanDuel sitting at a minus 7.

01:03Miami and Tampa Bay.

01:04Do you know Miami actually opened up as the 1.5 point favorite?

01:07Now across the board, Tampa Bay is a 3 point favorite.

01:10And then in that nightcap out there on the west coast in Vegas, San Francisco and Las Vegas,

01:14that was actually a 3.5 point favorite towards the Vegas Raiders.

01:17That's now a 7.5 point favorite towards the San Francisco 49ers.

01:21Ben, that's exactly what they're telling you.

01:24One team has already shut down their preseason, and one team that still says, you know what?

01:28There's a little meat left on the bone.

01:30We have to check a few things out, and we're actually going to game plan a little bit for

01:33this game more than the other team.

01:35That's what we're finding out now.

01:37Yeah, it is really interesting, Donnie.

01:39The philosophy that we are seeing develop here in the three game preseason slate.

01:43Trevor Lawrence did not play in week number two for Jacksonville, but he is going to play

01:49in week number three.

01:50He played in the preseason opener against the Chiefs, had one offensive possession,

01:55and did lead a touchdown drive.

01:58The Jags, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, are a perfect, yes, 2-0 so far throughout

02:03this preseason, looking to make it a perfect 3-0.

02:06What perhaps is more peculiar about this game than even Trevor Lawrence getting some reps

02:12as a touchdown favorite is the sentiment in Atlanta that Michael Pettis Jr. has done all

02:17that he needs to do with the quarterback spot and is not going to play tonight against

02:23Jacksonville.

02:24I know that you and Kevin have talked about this on The Money Line, and if you're listening

02:27on Sports Grid Radio, perhaps you have seen one of the promo clips going around during

02:32the commercial break where I think Kev makes a very astute point.

02:35Unless we get an update out of Atlanta that Kirk Cousins is not ready to go from the Achilles

02:41injury that ended his 2023 season after only 10 games, what in the world are they doing

02:47with Pettis Jr.?

02:48And by the way, I thought the quote was something like, we're going to bring a brand new energy

02:51to this show here, so we might be getting our quotes backwards here on that commercial

02:54at this point.

02:56So anyway, when you look at that game, look, the seven-point line, are we just getting

03:01John Paddock at this point?

03:02Like, is that who's going to be playing for Atlanta?

03:04Because Pettis isn't playing, Kirk Cousins isn't playing, Taylor Heineke, who's been

03:08a veteran for a while, needs three and a half quarters of burn, or he's just going

03:11to go, like, hey, kid, this is your moment to shine.

03:14You're not going to probably make this football team.

03:16Call your family.

03:17You're getting four full quarters tonight of action.

03:20That's what it's telling me right now, where Jacksonville might have a little bit more

03:23competency at the quarterback position.

03:25That's really what it's all about in preseason, but that's the only thing I can figure.

03:28But getting back to your Atlanta point, your goal is for Pettis not to play this year.

03:33Let him burn in the preseason so at least he can get those game reps in and show your

03:38fan base and your general manager, like, yeah, if he needs to step in, he's ready

03:42to go.

03:42A series against maybe some backups, like, you know what?

03:45We saw all we need with this kid at this point.

03:47Now, nothing makes sense.

03:48And almost like, Ben, sometimes you're rooting against the team while not really rooting

03:52against him.

03:53It's like, boy, if this goes up in flames for Atlanta, it's like, see that?

03:55Why did you take that draft pick?

03:57It didn't make sense to begin with.

03:58It seems like they're setting themselves up for that, where no matter what happens, you're

04:02going to be able to throw eggs at the Atlanta Falcons, like, ha ha, bad franchise.

04:06Yeah.

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