Venue/Stadium: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Time/Date: Sunday September 18, 2011 – 8:20 PM ET
NFL Odds
Moneyline: Eagles -130
Spread (ATS): Eagles -1.5
Over/Under: 49.5
When Michael Vick left the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL for federal prison five years ago, there was little indication that he would get a second chance of living out his dream of becoming a Super Bowl champion. Fast-forward to 2011 and Vick, now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, will make his return to the place that dream died so long ago looking to take the next step in his pursuit of an NFL championship, as part of a new “dream team”. Expectations are high for the Pro Bowl quarterback in his first full season as a starter for the Eagles, and this weekend’s Primetime showdown against the team that drafted him represents a crucial step towards reaching those goals.
For the Falcons, the bar is just as high after finishing atop the NFC with 14 wins a year ago, only to be eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in their lone playoff game. While Vick has thrived in his comeback with the Eagles, Atlanta hasn’t missed a beat with the development of Matt Ryan as their franchise quarterback, who they feel is ready to take another step forward this season. However, Ryan struggled in the opener at Chicago week one, turning the ball over twice and failing to reach the endzone despite throwing for 319 yards in a 30-12 loss. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
What was projected to be an explosive passing attack with the addition of rookie first round pick Julio Jones to a group that already consisted of Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez showed flashes week one, but they will need to find a way to score. The Atlanta defense looked lost at times against the Bears, and that doesn’t project well heading into a matchup against the explosive Eagles.
Despite a slow start, Philadelphia put up 403 total yards of offense in a 31-13 win at the St. Louis Rams week one, with Michael Vick accounting for 284 of those yards both on the ground and through the air, as well as two touchdown passes. Running back LeSean McCoy looked explosive with 122 yards and one score on only 15 carries, and if he gets going again this week, Atlanta will be in trouble. The Eagles’ defense allowed a touchdown on the Ram’s first possession, but held them to six points the rest of the way to give fans a taste of how good that group can be. If Philadelphia comes out firing on all cylinders again week two, then they should be able to get the job done in their first real test of the season as Vick celebrates his return in style
NFL Betting Pick: Eagles
