The Niners are Back for More
In case you had any doubt about Brock Purdy’s health, he seems to be just fine. Purdy finished the game vs Pittsburgh going 19-29 with 220 yards and two TD passes, both to standout receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Christian McCaffery was also back to his old tricks, rushing 152 yards and a TD on 22 carries. The Steelers had a lot of hype coming off their preseason success, but the talk was quickly silenced by the Niners defense. The secondary, headlined by Charvarius Ward, picked off Kenny Pickett, twice and held Najee Harris to only 31 rushing yards. The Niners are undefeated when Brock Purdy is healthy, and that’s not a coincidence, is this the year the Niners finally get over the hump?
Be Patient with Baltimore’s Offense
The Ravens brought in former Georgia Bulldogs OC Todd Monken to fix the Raven’s passing game, and it’s still a work in progress. The Ravens pulled off a 25-9 win over the Houston Texans, who’s defense surprisingly put up a good effort. Lamar Jackson wasn’t great, passing for only 169 yards and an interception, but rookie 1st rounder Zay Flowers was electric in space, catching 9 passes for 78 yards. Odell Beckham Jr. was quiet in this game, with only two catches for 37 yards, but the loss of JK Dobbins to injury will hurt them down the line. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill are solid RB2’s at best, and look for the Ravens to bring in some more running back depth. The absence of Mark Andrews definitely hurt the explosiveness of the offense, but with him back in Week 2 the offense should return to form.
Atlanta can be Good, as Long as Ridder Improves
Atlanta is going to be a smash-mouth run-first offense in 2023, as both Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier had over 10 carries and 50 rushing yards. Robinson also added 6 catches for 27 yards and a touchdown. Atlanta’s defense played well in the win over the Panthers, with recent acquisition Jesse Bates lll picking off Bryce Young twice. Atlanta’s problems lie at the
QB position. Desmond Ridder was unspectacular to say the least, going 15-18 for 115 yards and an interception. His pocket awareness was weak and he seemed shaky on the deep ball. For a team that has plenty of pass-catching talent with Kyle Pitts and Drake London they weren’t able to get the ball to them, with London having zero catches. Atlanta has the pieces to make a run for the division, but do they have a need under center?
The Jets are Cursed
There is no other way to describe the Jets franchise since the 1960s. They have drafted two busts in the top five at the QB position in the last five years, and when they finally bring in a HOF QB, he ruptures his Achilles in the first game of the season. Zach Wilson will be able to win some games off a good running game lead by Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook and a talented defense. However, Wilson will not be generating wins on his own merit. If the Jets face a talented offense that will overrun their defense, or a team with a strong run defense, Wilson will be forced to come through. If we seen anything from Wilson’s career, it’s that he shrinks in the big moments. Expect the Jets to pursue other options at the QB position if Wilson does not succeed early.
