Giants vs Falcons Free Pick, NFL Free Picks, NFL Predictions 12/22/24

New York vs Atlanta (ATL -8.5 , 42.5)

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Giants vs Falcons Free Pick, NFL Free Picks, NFL Predictions 12/22/24

New York vs. Atlanta | Sunday, December 22, 2024

One of the biggest and most enticing storylines in Week 16 is the very beginning of the Michael Penix Jr era in Atlanta. Coming off the back of a thoroughly underwhelming win against the two-win Las Vegas Raiders, the Falcons made the decision to finally switch to their surprise rookie selection.

Kirk Cousins has really struggled for rhythm in Atlanta, and there’s a chance he now won’t be there come the 2025 season. He’s thrown one touchdown in the last several weeks, and once again disappointed with a measly 11/17 for 112 yards, one touchdown, one pick.

While some of it lands on Kirk’s shoulders, there is a strange alignment between him and the coaching staff. At times almost as though they didn’t trust him to throw the football, and so didn’t bother trying. Only 17 passing attempts against a very poor Raiders defense is surprising, and while they still won the game, it was certainly at the cost of any kind of entertainment value for the fans.

Still, this weekend Atlanta will get the chance to begin a new era in style with a matchup against another two win team in the New York Giants. It’s a great opportunity for Michael Penix Jr to get a feel for life in the NFL, and could prove to be the beginning of something special for the Washington Huskies product.

Throw everything you know about the Falcons offense out the window for this game. We don’t know if they’ll let Penix throw it 40 times, or reduce his workload significantly to avoid over exposure too early on. It’s too unpredictable, but I’d like to see them let him throw the ball around against another struggling secondary.

The Giants are allowing over 70% pass completions on average per game this season (30th in the NFL). They’re also allowing 7.7 yards per pass (29th), and have less takeaways than any other team in the league.

But on top of that, they’re the 31st ranked team against the run. The team is just not good right now, one of the worst outfits we’ve seen in several years, and the Falcons should absolutely be allowing Penix to throw the football as often as possible against that unit.

For the Giants offensively, it’s been a struggle to keep up with the starting quarterback throughout the year. But to catch you up, it’s now Tim Boyle. Having gone from Daniel Jones, to him getting released, to Tommy DeVito, or Drew Lock, and then the other one, and then Tim Boyle.

Boyle came into last weekend's loss against the Ravens when Tommy DeVito exited with a concussion, and he has since been limited in practice. If he can’t go, Tim Boyle may get the start, but we will see.

The only element of excitement for the Giants right now is Malik Nabers, who despite the attrition at quarterback and the poor form of the franchise, still managed 10 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore.

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