In the movie Draft Day, Bo Callahan tells Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver Jr. over the phone, “Winning is the only thing that matters to me.”
But me? I think there's a lot more to it than that. I don't believe you are what your record says you are, especially after 3 weeks.
While these teams start the year on the wrong side of .500, I'm actually very encouraged by their early-season results.
2 teams whose numbers tell a different story
Atlanta Falcons
Wow, Michael Penix Jr. is a lot better than Cooper Rush. That’s good to know.
The Atlanta Falcons are just 1-2 through three weeks, but that record doesn't exactly tell the full story. Penix made his season debut Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field, and Atlanta's offense was awesome. The Falcons put up 35 points, 498 yards, 7.5 yards per play and +0.25 EPA per play.
Penix didn’t have to do much, as the Falcons ran the ball on more than 62 percent of their plays. But when he did throw, he was extremely efficient, averaging 10.2 yards per attempt with +0.24 EPA per dropback. Obviously, we’ll have to see if Penix can sustain this success, but Thursday was a very encouraging debut for the third-year quarterback.
It was important to discuss Penix, but I was really just stalling for time so I could contain my excitement about Bijan Robinson and this Falcons run game. I’m thankful for Robinson, not only because he led many of my fantasy teams to success in Week 3, but because he’s genuinely a joy to watch. He’s one of the best running backs in the NFL, and Atlanta has done a great job of making him a focal point of the offense.
And Bijan isn’t the only B. Robinson finding success in this backfield. Brian Robinson is averaging 4.4 yards per carry and actually has a higher EPA per attempt than Bijan through three games.
If Penix can stay healthy and continue playing at a similar level, while the Falcons continue to get the most out of Bijan and this rushing attack, watch out for this Atlanta offense. But the excitement doesn't stop there.
Atlanta's defense ranks in the top 10 in both EPA per play and yards allowed through three weeks.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has this unit playing extremely well despite some significant injuries. Cornerback A.J. Terrell and defensive lineman Samson Ebukam both missed Thursday’s game, while edge rusher Jalon Walker is out for the season.
The fact that Atlanta, with all those injuries, held Jordan Love and a talented Packers offense to just 14 points and 328 total yards in Green Bay is very impressive. I’m not sure how sustainable this level of defensive play will be, especially if the injuries continue to pile up, but this has been one of the most pleasantly surprising units in the NFL so far this season.
If Penix had been under center for Weeks 1 and 2, it’s at least possible this team would be 3-0 heading into Week 4. We’ll never know. What we do know is that the Falcons look like a very different team with Penix at quarterback, and this is a team worth watching for the rest of the season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google