I’m not a big Eli fan. I don’t know if he can play anymore. He’s not mobile, I don’t know if he can throw downfield anymore, and he’s trying to work behind a lesser offensive line. But I think he deserves some consideration this week.
Atlanta’s defense is that bad. It’s been decimated by injuries, and they just can’t stop anyone right now. Week after week.
Five weeks in a row the Falcons have allowed at least 3 TD passes, and all but one of those quarterbacks also threw for over 330 yards. (Ben Roethlisberger was the exception, and he could have thrown for a lot more if the game plan had been different.)
So while Eli has clearly slipped, I think it’s reasonable to ponder if he’s got a game with 300-plus yards and multiple touchdowns in him. As poorly as he’s played, I think it would be very reasonable for him to put up top-10 numbers this week.
| TORCHING THE FALCONS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pct | Yards | TD | Int |
| Cam Newton, Car. | 71% | 335 | 3 | 1 |
| Drew Brees, N.O. | 80% | 396 | 3 | 0 |
| Andy Dalton, Cin. | 71% | 337 | 3 | 1 |
| Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 66% | 250 | 3 | 1 |
| Jameis Winston, T.B. | 73% | 395 | 4 | 2 |
—Ian Allan