Bet Atlanta Falcons +3 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Postseason 2011 In their first preseason game, the Falcons got out to a 17-0 1st quarter lead against the uninspiring Miami Dolphins but everything has gone downhill from there. The Dolphins managed to make a miraculous comeback, and in Atlanta's last game Jacksonville scored a touchdown with 6:19 to go in the 4th quarter to yet again take a "W" out of the Falcons win column. Atlanta managed to win where the intangibles were concerned against the Jaguars. They sacked Jacksonville 3 times, forced 2 fumbles, and had 1 interception. The Falcons weren't intercepted or sacked, and held the opposition to 55 net yards but it wasn't enough to get the victory. Atlanta didn't have a great game either. They were held to just 11 1st downs, 72 yards rushing, and 25% efficiency on 3rd downs. Now, they play a tougher defense in the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers defeated a tough Philadelphia Eagles team last week and won the game off of one stat. We all know that turnovers loses games and the Eagles committed 5 turnovers while the Steelers committed none. Philly got to the Pitt defense but a -5 ratio in turnovers is too much to overcome for any team. The Steelers play a Falcons team that doesn't commit too many mistakes. This is a battle of two teams that will be in the <a href="http://www.cheaptruereligiononline.com/true-religion-straight-leg-jeans-c-240.html"><strong>true religion jeans</strong></a> post season and both have potential to win it all. The level of play will be high in this game even though that it's only preseason. Can the Falcons finally pick up a preseason win as they enter the Steel Country of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? We''llÂ* find out Saturday, 7:30 pm ET at Heinz Field.BC's Best Quarterback Matt Ryan has exceeded expectations since going pro, coming from Boston College University. He a dropback passer that rarely makes mistakes. It also doesn't hurt that he's on a team with running back Michael Turner and wide receiver Roddy White. This is partially why Atlanta is so great. Matt Ryan can throw the ball and has a major running threat. Legends like Dan Marino lacked the super running back and the defense would put all of it's attention on Marino. This kind of team design will rarely ever win a Super Bowl. The numbers speak for themselves, Ryan had 3705 yards passing with 28 TD and 9 INT last season. Thus far in the preseason, he's been a little inaccurate but still productive in limited play. Ryan is 13 for 25 for 206 yards and 2 TD. The ability to limit the mistakes will separate himself from other QB's as the season progresses. The Steelers are a great defensive team, only giving up 232 points last season and they remain consistent, only giving up 30 points in 2 games. Luckily for Ryan, this isn't <a href="http://www.cheaptruereligiononline.com/true-religion-skinny-jeans-c-239.html"><strong>true religion skinny jeans</strong></a> Pittsburgh at full force but it's still a test to crack this defense.On the Job Training Coming out of Alabama, first round draft pick Julio Jones has played well as expected. It's been noted that Jones has received a lot of advice from star receiver Roddy White. Jones says that all he wants to do is win and White says that there's plenty of space for Jones to fit into the offense. Both players are taking a really positive approach in a possible superstar and established superstar relationship. Sometimes jealousy is involved but not in this case. Jones has said that White has taught him ways that he can separate himself from the defense. Thus far, it has worked. Jones is 2nd on the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 73 yards. As I've stated many times, the preseason is a learning process. Never go "all in" with your bets on a preseason game. Sometimes the wins and the losses aren't a factor here. Feeling a Little Heat Wide receiver Harry Douglas is aware that Jones will eventually play a key role on the team and some players may be expendable. Douglas has taken matters into his own hands. He leads the Falcons with an astonishing 5 receptions for 134 yards and 2 TD's. Douglas took one to the house for 76 yards last week. This is surprising coming from a player that totaled 294 yards and 1 TD last season. Douglas has already surpassed his TD output from last season. It will be interesting to see if he can continue the strong play. I think that once Roddy White is incorporated back into the offense, you'll see a major decline in Douglas's productivity level. Running Game on the Backburner The Falcons have been very ineffective with their running game in the preseason. Players are trying to establish spots and we're not expecting any 100 yard games from a player. Fifth round draft pick Jacquizz Rodgers has been decent considering where he was taken in the draft. He broke out in game 2 with a 39 yard performance on 7 rushes. He split the load with superstar Michael TurnerÂ* who hasn't given anything yet. Turner isn't a concern. He's a bigtime runner. The Falcons could use more depth at running back. Jason Snelling is somewhat of a multitalented back. He rushed for 324 yards and 2 TD and caught 44 passes for 303 yards and 3 TD. He's a decent complimentary player. Keep an eye out for Rodgers against a tough Steelers defense. I could see him possibly crumbling in this game but his job status is on the line as we're entering the 2nd half of the preseason and sometimes when that's the scenario, a player plays beyond their actual talent level. Establishing a Roster Spot and Keeping It The youth has led the way defensively. A lot of these guys are trying to establish a roster spot, retain their spot and move up on the depth chart and make a name for themselves. Two of Atlanta's top defensive players in linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback Brent Grimes have been very active during the preseason thus far. In their last game, Lofton had 3 tackles and Grimes had 2 tackles and an interception returned for 62 yards. Grimes is picking up where he left off last season when he had 87 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 23 pass defenses! Lofton doesn't take a backseat to anyone, <a href="http://www.cheaptruereligiononline.com/products_new.html"><strong>levis jeans sale</strong></a> he's recorded 251 tackles in the last 2 seasons. We already know that the Falcons offense is strong but with players like this along with John Abraham, Atlanta is the complete team. Plus Ratio Turnovers As I look at the 1-1 Pittsburgh Steelers statistics for the preseason thus far, I think how are they not getting blown out by 30-40 points per game? They are dominated in every statistic that's listed except for one, turnovers. The Steelers are a +5 in the turnover category and that's a stat that you can expect them to continue throughout the season. One Touchdown Away That's how far away that Big Ben Rothlisberger came from entering an elite group of QB's in NFL history to win 3 Super Bowl titles. After his early season suspension due to poor off the field behavior, QB Ben Rothlisberger made it to the Super Bowl and got married. Expect for Rothlisberger to come out strong in this game. Rothlisberger isn't about numbers, but the win, and the bigger the game or quality of the team, the better that he plays. Big Ben will be playing in front of the Heinz Field faithful and that will give him an extra edge. He's coming off of a victory in where he was 8 of 12 for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. Pitt has Byron Leftwich as backup but priority number 1 is to keep Ben Rothlisberger healthy. Trai Es###### Returns Offensive tackle and longtime Steeler Trai Es###### has re-signed with Pittsburgh. A team doesn't want to break up the chemistry (especially one that works well) and Ben Rothlisberger is thrilled about the signing. Rothlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin likes Es######'s ability to fill in at various positions whenever called upon. One concern for Es###### is conditioning. He's listed at 6 foot 5, 324 pounds but I'm sure that it's a generous listing. The offseason sets in on a big offensive tackle like this and he'll have to work hard to shed some weight to stay on this team that appreciates his flexibility. Redemption? Wide receiver Heinz Ward has always been known for being one of the good guys in the NFL until his recent DUI arrest. People make mistakes (that's a big one) and look for Ward to play things more low key this season. He's the man who always has a smile on his face and has given the city of Pittsburgh a lot of happiness with his workman-like attitude. Against the Eagles, Ward caught a 20 yard touchdown pass from Rothlisberger in the 2nd quarter. He's not the same player that he once was, but expect Heinz Ward to play well when needed to. The Steelers also acquired a nice complimentary receiver in Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery has a similar style of play to that of Heinz Ward. His production dropped last season with the Jets, but 2 years ago, Cotchery caught for 821 yards in 14 games. Jerricho led the Steelers receivers against the Eagles with 2 receptions for 49 yards and 1 TD. Look for consistent play by Cotchery and this is a receiver that can be counted on in 3rd down situations. Ground and Pound The Pittsburgh Steelers have a similar style of play to when they won 4 Super Bowls in the 1970's. Instead of Franco Harris it's now Rashard Mendenhall running the ball. He's a punishing runner that has a nose for the endzone. Mendenhall isn't going to give a team 5 yards per carry but his 13 rushing TD's last season more than makes up for it. Mendenhall rushed for 28 yards on 6 carries against a tough Eagles team. He'll be ready to go in front of the home field fans against the Atlanta Falcons. NFL odds makers haved opened with Pittsburgh as a favorite by 3 and the total is 35.5 according toÂ*5Dimes. Outcome of the game This will be a close game. It's just preseason but Atlanta doesn't want to start the season off at 0-3. I mentioned earlier that the Steelers have been successful where their plus/minus <a href="http://www.ciaa.cn/plus/guestbook.php"><strong>Blogs » homepros1.com</strong></a> ratio is concerned. Atlanta doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Look for Michael Turner to get off of the starting block. I am going to agree with handicapper Bobby Brook's prediction and take Atlanta and the points as my NFL Pick. Free Pick:Â* Falcons +3