Is Kirk Cousins about to get Wally Pipp’d?
Will Sha’Carri Richardson capture gold? And what the heck is breaking?
QB Competition in Atlanta?
What Happened: Tonight, the NFL world finally gets its sights on something few were anticipating prior to April’s draft: quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in an Atlanta Falcons uniform.
After lavishing veteran Kirk Cousins with a four-year, $180 million contract, Atlanta shocked football fanatics by taking Penix with the eighth overall selection of the draft.
With Penix expected to feature heavily in today’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, it’s worth wondering: does Penix have a path to playing time?
Why It Matters: It would be positively jaw-dropping if Cousins isn’t under center for Week 1 of the regular season, but it’s unlikely he takes any snaps for the preseason opener. Which leaves the door open just a crack for Penix to push for more playing time.
The rookie is having a strong camp, and if Cousins’ recovery from an Achilles tear suffered in late October is slower than anticipated, perhaps Penix is called into action sooner than expected.
The books don’t seem too nervous on Cousins’s behalf. Nineteen players have better odds at Rookie of the Year honors than Penix, and it would take either another serious injury or a serious disaster for Penix to handle anything more than mop up duty this season.
Even if Penix flashes tonight, we wouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves. It’s likely all for naught.
What We’re Watching Today
Women’s Breaking (10:00 AM ET) – We’ve been breaking down tape of various breaking teams, and we like a few favorites. Breakdown below…
Okay, we know nothing about breaking, other than it’s basically breakdancing but breakers don’t like when you call it that. It’s making its Olympics debut in these games, but there are plenty of breaking competitions around the world. The breaking starts at 10:00 EST, and remember, don’t embarrass us in front of the community and call it breakdancing.
Women’s Basketball, Semifinals, USA vs. Australia (11:30 AM ET) – Sorry to sound like a broken record, but while its always worth watching a team so jam-packed with skill as America’s women’s team is, the outcome here ain’t in doubt. The U.S. women have won 59 Olympic contests in a row. Australia has six WNBAers on its roster, so it’s got a better shot than Nigera did last round…but it’s still not much of an actual chance.
Women’s 4×100-meter relay finals (1:30 PM ET) – It’s a shot at redemption of sorts for Sha’Carri Richardson, who took the silver medal in the 100-meter, a disappointing outcome for her. But she now teams up with breakout star Gabby Thomas, along with Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry in a quest for the elusive gold.
The men’s version will take off at 1:45 PM; word is that Covid-infected star Noah Lyles will sit this one out, a bummer of an end for the American.
The Look Ahead
Josh Bell TOTAL BASES – Few MLB hitters enjoy facing Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, one of the game’s best hurlers. But Josh Bell probably won’t mind seeing Wheeler on the hill tonight. In 43 career at-bats against one another, Bell has 13 hits, including two doubles and four dingers. The first baseman also has three multi-hit games in his first seven tries as a member of the Diamondbacks, so he’s feeling comfy in his new digs. If you can grab a line of 0.5 total bases for Bell, we’d be all over it.
