Washington Redskins (3-10 SU, 3-10 ATS) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-10 SU,
5-8 ATS)
NFL Week 15
Date and Time: Sunday, December 15, 1:00pm
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
TV: FOX
by Bob, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: Wash +6/ATL -6
Over/Under Total: 51
This Sunday at 1:00pm, we get to witness an NFC game that was supposed to be a great matchup. If you guys follow me, you know that I live in Atlanta and I am a die hard Falcons fan. Before this season started, me and about 15 buddies from high school had planned to meet at this game for a mini reunion. One of my friends lives in D.C. and has become a Skins fan since he has been there for so long….we couldn’t wait to get together, tailgate, talk trash, etc. This was planned in June. With that said, I haven’t heard from anyone…seriously. I think the weekend has been cancelled, but I really don’t know. I already made plans with the wife, so even if the reunion is still on, I will not be there…actually, let me text my pal who set the whole thing up and see what he says….(time lapse 13 minutes)….ok, the weekend is cancelled. His exact reply to my text was “screw that game, lets do a Braves game this summer.” Well, if that doesn’t tell you how much this game means then I don’t know what will. Both of these teams had Super Bowl aspirations, now they both sit at 3-10. I will say from a football standpoint, the Falcons have looked like the better team the last few weeks, but that isn’t saying much. Right now, we don’t even know if RG3 will play for the Redskins (Update: Kirk Cousins will start). There are rumors swirling that he may be done for the season and not only that, the future of head coach, Mike Shannahan, is also in jeopardy. The Redskins are a pure mess. The Falcons aren’t much better, but they won in Buffalo just two weeks ago, and went into Green Bay and only lost to the Packers by a core of 22-21. The Dirty Birds come in as six point favorites, and the over/under is set at 51 points. Let’s break this thing down!
The Washington Redskins are awful. Plain awful. At 3-10, they sit in dead last in the NFC East, but not only that, they may be the worst team in all of the NFL now. They have lost five games in a row, and for the most part, they haven’t even been competitive. They lost to Kansas City 45-10, San Francisco 27-6, and Philadelphia 24-16. They have given up in my opinion. Robert Griffin III was all over my television this summer. Subway commercials, ESPN, and god knows what else….funny thing is this, I told all my friends that his fame would be short lived. Not only is he a “read option” quarterback, but he doesn’t have that accurate of an arm. I am not dissing the guy, he is a great athlete, seems like a nice guy, but he is just an average at best QB. This season has shown me just how right I was about him. Ok, maybe he isn’t 100%, but he has looked bad…real bad. If the Redskins are going to go into Atlanta and win the game, the key will be to throw the ball. The Falcons do not have a great run defense, but any game they make it their primary focus to stuff the run, they usually do. RG3 will need to win this game with his arm. Can he? We shall see.
The Falcons have not been much better than the Redskins, and based on their records, they are evenly as bad. Atlanta has been plagued with injuries, and an awful offensive line, but for the most part this season they somehow stayed quite competitive. Last season the Falcons won all of the close games, where this year they are coming up just short. Six of their ten losses were by a touchdown or less. A break here or there, and Atlanta could easily be 6-7, even with all the injuries. With that said though, there are no excuses in the NFL. These guys are in last place for a reason, and that is all there is to it. In order to win this game, Atlanta must, must, must, get a run game going. This is something they have been unable to do all season. The Falcons are ranked 30th in all of the NFL in rushing, only gaining a little over 80 yards a game. This needs to change in order to cover a six point spread.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: As a Falcons fan, I always have a hard time handicapping them. But, if I remember correctly, I think I have won the last three times I was asked to pick a game they were involved in. Early in this season, I had faith in these guys, then after about week six or seven, I wouldn’t pick them to beat a local high school team. Now, I am kinda back on their side. They have not won very much, but the effort is there. I think these two teams are going totally opposite directions at this point in the season. A month ago, I would have been all over the Skins in this game, but not now. I think Atlanta take them boys to the woodshed and puts the nail in Shannahan’s coffin. I like Atlanta to win this game, and win big. PICK ATLANTA -6 TO WIN THIS GAME 28-17
