The NFL preseason continues on Saturday with a doubleheader. The late game features the Tennessee Titans in the Pacific northwest tangling with the Seattle Seahawks. Even if this weren’t a preseason game, this spread would still be close.
NFL odds makers favor the Seahawks by
-3. The total sits at 35.5.
Both
squads have some major position battles going on, and one of them just signed a
former marquee name wide receiver to a one year deal It should be entertaining
to say the least, and it will serve as our first chance to see some of the
weapons these two teams have amassed over the offseason.
Seattle
The
Seahawks are now two years removed from winning this division and, while it
doesn’t look as if they will beat out the newly stocked up 49ers in the NFC
West, their shot at a wildcard spot is real.
The primary issue
is their three-way quarterback battle. Well, it’s more of a two and a half
way battle, but you get what I’m saying. Tavaris Jackson is the incumbent, but
an injury kept him from playing much of last season. The team brought in Matt
Flynn, after just ONE good game with the Packers last season. Then, to complicate matters further, the Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin early in the third round.
This has to be the most hotly contested - and hardest to call - quarterback
battles in the NFL. The Seahawks only have four preseason games to decide whom they want to face the Cardinals - a team, ironically enough, with a QB controversy of its own - in Week 1. My early edge to win the job is Flynn and, in this game,
I think we will see a few drives from each of the three.
Oh, did
I forget to mention that Seattle just signed Terrell Owens? Who knows if he
will play so soon to the first preseason game, but if he does, I don’t know
what the world is coming to.
Tennessee Two-Step
Like the Seahawks, the Titans have their own quarterback controversy. They
brought in Matt Hasselbeck last season, and he is obviously past his prime.
Plus, they have Jake Locker, who played well when he got snaps after Hasselbeck
got hurt. Obviously, the fans and media favor Locker, but the Titans believe
they can win this division (I have no idea why) and they are going to make
sure they have a quarterback in place to do it.
I
suspect that Locker will end up starting, but Hasselbeck is
still a solid quarterback. The Titans will give him opportunities to win it, as
they will Locker.
For this
game, I doubt we'll see much of either of them but, throughout most of the
first half, I think these guys will be seeing game time.
The Sharp Pick
I don’t
care if it’s preseason, but it’s tough to play in Seattle no matter what kind
of game it is. With that being said, I can justify why the Seahawks are
favored. I can also justify that they are the team with more unity and
chemistry. Along with their three quarterbacks, I think Seattle is the way to
go.
The
Seahawks do have some great depth, and at least for a little while, their
starting defense is the truth. I could see their defense being a top 5 defense
this season, so all in all, lay the points for this preseason contest.
My
Pick: Seahawks -3