Your Sunday Night Football open thread
We have a battle of rookie quarterbacks tonight as Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders host Michael Penix and the Atlanta Falcons. Both of these teams are fighting for their playoff lives, and this game could determine which one gets to play post-season football.
Daniels has been a revelation for Washington, helping to lift them from incompetence to a team that can play with anyone. They’ve earned the 10-5 record they’re carrying into this game, and they’ll be a problem for years to come.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are looking to build off of Penix’s promising NFL debut last week against the New York Giants. His raw stat line might not have been particularly impressive, but the Falcons offense was also plagued by drops. Just how quickly will Penix improve with more reps with the starters? The Falcons are certainly hoping the answer is “very quickly”, as they’re clinging to the lead in the NFC South with an 8-7 record.
Chris’ pick: This game could come down to just how quickly Michael Penix matures in the Falcons’ offense.
If he’s managed to quickly establish a rapport and comfort level with his receivers in his second week of practice as a starter, this game could see some fireworks. But since we can’t know that on the outside, I’m going with the Commanders for the win. The Falcons’ defense had a huge day against the Giants’ offense, but Daniels is much harder to corner and bring down than Drew Lock.
We could see a quarterback duel this game, but I’m expecting Washington to come out on top and improve to 11-5 on the season.
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What: Washington Commanders vs. Atlanta Falcons
When: Sunday, Dec. 29th
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, MD.
Game time: 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark (sideline reporter)
Radio: Westwood One: Ryan Radtke, Ross Tucker | SiriusXM: 88; Washington Commanders – 225 or Atlanta Falcons – 226
Referee: Alex Kemp
Streaming: NFL +
Fanduel Sportsbook odds: Spread: Commanders (-3.5 |-105) | Falcons (+3.5 | -115) Moneyline: Commanders -176, Falcons +146 | Over/Under: 46.5 (Under -110, Over -110)
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Use this as your open thread for Sunday Night Football.
