The Falcoholic
Let’s learn more about this week’s opponent from Matt Holder at our sister site.
The Atlanta Falcons will face off against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football. Only four games are left in the season, and one more loss could be the final blow to the Falcons playoff hopes.
The Raiders have had a disappointing season after committing to Antonio Pierce full-time. I wanted to gain more insight into what has been happening and where the team is headed. Matt Holder of the Silver and Black Pride was perfect for the job.
Matt Holder: The latter.
I think the last two games are good examples of how the Raiders are still trying to win but just aren’t good enough to get the job done. They battled back against the Chiefs on Black Friday, took the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and might have won that game if it weren’t for a botched snap. In Tampa Bay last week, the Bucs went up 14-0 after their first two possessions and the team could have just rolled over if they were actively trying to tank instead of fighting back to make it a game.
2) What do you believe Tom Brady will bring to the organization as a partial owner? Will he be hands-on, or is this just an investment move?
Matt Holder: Owner Mark Davis said this week that Brady will have a lot of involvement with the team. If Antonio Pierce is fired at the end of the season, I’d expect Brady to lead the committee in advising Davis about who to hire next.
Davis has admitted that he’s not a football mind like his dad was, and he has always leaned on a committee to pick a head coach. Also, I expect the G.O.A.T. to help general manager Tom Telesco evaluate this year’s quarterback class in the draft.
3) Two-win teams often get little coverage or respect. Who’s a Raider flying under the radar this season that deserves more national coverage and respect?
Matt Holder: I’ll give you two, one on each side of the ball; safety Tre’von Moehrig and center Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Moehrig has primarily lined up at free safety in the past but has taken on a bigger role this year with more reps in the box. He’s finally become the versatile safety that he was at TCU and can impact the game in several ways. Last week is a great example of that as Moehrig led the team in total tackles with eight, had three passes defended, recorded a half-sack and recovered a fumble on another pass-rush rep. I broke down his performance in this article if Falcons fans want to take a look.
While Brock Bowers is, rightfully, getting the Offensive Rookie of the Year love, Powers-Johnson has had an impressive first campaign as well. He’s been a big reason why the running...
