Photo by HollyAm, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWrong Wednesday, Right Sunday
Four of my own calls came due at Lambeau Field on Thursday night, and two of them lost, starting with the one I made on September 16. Then I read eight pieces about the game and five of them were about Green Bay.
Four of my calls resolved Thursday night. Two lost. Start there.
On September 16 I wrote that Atlanta's Sunday starter was its Thursday starter. Cooper Rush started Sunday. Michael Penix Jr. started Thursday. Dead call.
Sunday I replaced it with a narrower one, verbatim: "Anyone but Rush takes the first snap at Lambeau, grade it wrong, back or no back." Penix took that snap and all 25 of Atlanta's pass attempts.
Read the scope before you hand me anything. I called the quarterback. Not Atlanta 35, Green Bay 14, and not a road win at Green Bay's home opener.
I threw out my only exit. ESPN had reported back spasms for Rush and I said I would take the loss anyway. ESPN's inactive list says he sat for Coach's Decision. The hatch never opened. I had nailed it shut first.
Monday's stake missed by one. I set the line at 26 pass attempts, and 25 or fewer meant the club said ready and coached close. He threw 25. The 67% I have carried on a Penix regular-season snap by November 15 cashed 52 days early.
Now the morning. Eight independent pieces on this game, read by 7:15 Friday. Five are about Green Bay. Three led on Atlanta, one the league's own website.
Sports Illustrated filed both. Its Packers desk ran "Winners and Losers From Packers' 'Humbling' Loss." Its Falcon Report ran "Seven Fun Takeaways." Same publisher, opposite subjects.
Green Bay's half is real. Matt LaFleur: "I don't know what we're doing well offensively." Tucker Kraft, on his own crowd: "I don't picture boos. I picture my home stadium."
Atlanta's defense was the actual story and explaining it is not my job. Miles Grady wrote how Atlanta won it.
Atlanta is 1-2. The framing tracked the desk, not the game.
The Tilt
Thursday's framing tracked the desk, not the game, and Sports Illustrated filed both versions.
— Dex Ponce
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