TENN/ATL NFLX SELECTION
ATLANTA -3 over Tennessee
The NFL’s only 2-0 team will take the field on Friday, as the Falcons host the Tennessee Titans at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Michael Vick and company earned a 16-3 victory over Baltimore last week, a winning PRO INFO SPORTS 2 STAR SELECTION. The visitors went to overtime in its first action of the 2005 preseason, falling to Tampa Bay, 20-17, for another winning PRO INFO SPORTS 2 STAR SELECTION.
Vick’s reps will again be limited; however, he has a couple of solid backups in Matt Schaub and Ty Detmer. The Titans will counter with a QB rotation of Steve McNair and Billy Volek, but their week link is a rookie, Geno Guidugli, who completed just 4 of 14 passes in his first NFL showing. If he doesn’t go this week, the team may take a look at another rookie, Shane Boyd, who doesn’t figure to fare any better. Additionally, Tennessee will be a little short-handed in the backfield, as new RB Travis Henry will be sitting this one out due to a minor toe injury. Incumbent starting running back Chris Brown didn’t even play last week due to a store hamstring, and certainly won’t see a big workload here.
The Ravens only managed a first-half FG against the Falcons “D†last week, and Tennessee isn’t likely to score a lot, either. They are still trying to learn the new offense of the new OC, Norm Chow, as he is still adjusting to the NFL. The speed of pro football, especially on defense, has been a big eye-opener for Chow. "The talent level, and the windows of opportunity to throw the ball in,'' Chow said. "Guys are so fast in this league. The college window is definitely wider open.'' He is also adjusting to a different set of rules and will have to get used to running a two-minute offense without the benefit of clock stoppage after every first down.
The Titans have also been dealing with a couple of distractions this week. First-round draft choice Adam "Pacman" Jones finally ended his nasty contract holdout earlier this week but is not up to game speed and won’t play. Now, agent Drew Rosenhaus is taking a T.O. from the Terrell Owens saga yesterday to stir things up at Titans training camp. Rosenhaus said he's on a mission to find another job for one of his clients, Titans backup quarterback Billy Volek, possibly by the start of this season.
Atlanta has had a quiet, productive camp. After a big taste of success last year, making it to the NFC Championship Game, they have played to keep up their winning ways, even in the preseason. They are 9-1 ATS off an exhibition SU “Wâ€, and we look for that trend to continue. We also feel we are getting good line value here, as we like to go against public line moves of 2+ points when they aren’t justified by the circumstances. The Falcons are clearly way ahead of the Titans in their preparation for the regular season and that should be reflected on the scoreboard here with an Atlanta SU & ATS win.