The Atlanta Falcons (+3000 to win Super Bowl 54) remain winless after two preseason games, though, that’s hardly a reason for them to push the panic button since they are more concerned with where their depth guys are in terms of preparedness for the regular season. The same is true for the New York Jets (+600 to win the AFC East), who will be looking to extend Atlanta’s 11-game losing streak in the preseason, dating back to 2017.
The Jets didn’t have enough fuel in their preseason opener, losing to the New York Giants on the road, 31-22. Sam Darnold had a cameo in this game for the Jets, going 4 of 5 for 68 passing yards and a touchdown with zero errors. Trevor Siemian had the most time under the sun among Jets quarterbacks, as he went 13-for-16 for 77 passing yards and a touchdown with no picks thrown. The Jets didn’t send shiny new running back Le’Veon Bell to the field, and the team finished with just 69 rushing yards on 24 carries. That’s likely going to be the case for Bell, though, he there’s also a slim chance that he’d be part of a few snaps. Offseason acquisition Jamison Crowder made his Jets debut and had a touchdown on two receptions. The Jets could take advantage of what seems to be a leaky Atlanta defense that was exploited in Week 1 of the preseason.
The Jets are 4-6 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 preseason games.
Betting on Atlanta Falcons (0-2 Preseason)
Watch out for second-year wide receiver Russell Gage. With Julio Jones in some sort of a contract quandary with Atlanta, there’s a chance that the talented wide receiver will not be out on the field when the Falcons take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 of the regular season. Gage is more than willing to step up and cover at least part of the void Jones could leave if that happens, and he’s showing how capable he is downfield this offseason. In the Falcons’ 34-27 loss to the Miami Dolphins on the road last Thursday, Gage had three receptions for 33 yards. And he did that with Matt Schaub and Matt Sims passing at him. He’ll be more productive once Matt Ryan resumes his role under center for Atlanta. The Falcons need to tighten up their pass protection in the preseason, as they just allowed four sacks for a loss of 25 yards to the Dolphins.
The under is 6-3-1 in the Falcons’ last 10 home preseason games.
