Monday Night Observations
I'll take it
After the Sunday night debacle I was braced for the worst, but in the end, I have to give this game an eight out of 10. I don’t mean in quality (LOL), just for advancing my interests. I had the Falcons plus 6.5, and why it looked potentially dicey for a second at the end when the Eagles were chewing clock, up three, in the red zone, it was the right side for most of the game.
I also had Drake London going, and while it was dire for a while, the game-winning TD catch salvaged his day. DeVonta Smith produced all game for me too, and even Dallas Goedert got a couple extra points on the Eagles final drive before the Hurts pick. Yes, Goedert’s 6.8 with A.J. Brown out was disappointing, but he’s a tight end, and we now know that’s not a position that ever produces any scoring, no matter how high you draft them. Punting TE in the Primetime was arguably the best decision I made all draft season.
Bijan Robinson is an awfully smooth runner, but he doesn’t look as explosive or quick as say Kenneth Walker or De’Von Achane. I just don’t get the sense he’s about to take it to the house. (I’m sure he’ll prove me wrong next week with two long TDs), but I see a glider with vision more than a pure speed back. Nothing wrong with this skill set though. Tyler Allgeier also looked solid and saw nine carries to Robinson’s 14.
Darnell Mooney led the Falcons in receiving thanks to a long TD on which he stopped on a dime and shed the defender. It’s a pretty narrow tree in Atlanta, so Mooney should have value as Kirk Cousins warms up to the new team.
Cousins was fine and obviously delivered on the crucial drive. Something is just a little off about all offenses league wide though.
Jalen Hurts hogged all the production as usual, vulturing the goal-line carry from Saquon Barkley. He made a couple nice runs, extending plays for first downs. He’s a decent quarterback, great for fantasy, but ultimately limited. A top QB drives the Eagles into FG range at the end, doesn’t throw that pick.
Barkley looked good again and got plenty of usage (22 carries, five targets.)
DeVonta Smith got his, but he had to catch a few passes in traffic. No one else on the Eagles made a serious impact, either. Just another offense that’s not in sync, though missing Brown was likely a big factor.
Again the “40-minute” edited version had ridiculous replays of ordinary plays. They seem to love “stuffs”, i.e., tackles behind the line of scrimmage on ball carriers. They will show the stuff from three different angles like it’s the assassination of JFK.