The San Antonio Commanders added to Arizona’s misery in Week 5 with 29-25 win over the Hotshots. The game seemed to be safely in hand with Commanders holding a 25-0 lead heading into halftime but Arizona mounted a furious attack and almost pulled off the victory. With two wins in a row, San Antonio now sits at 3-2 and shares the West Division lead with the Fleet. Atlanta has also won their last two straight after starting the year 0-3. They edged the Express 23-20 in a game that was decided in the dying minutes. The Atlanta Legends still have a lot of work to do if they are going to be playoff bound but they are heading in the right direction and have a great opportunity right in front of them. Date: Sunday, March 17 at 4 PM ET Live From Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta
San Antonio’s Logan Woodside is coming off a relatively good outing in Week 5 in which he finally eclipsed the 1,000 passing yard mark. Despite reaching that number, he has thrown just four touchdown passes against six interceptions. He has done a decent job of spreading the ball around but McKay remains his favorite wide receiver with 317 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kenneth Farrow II leads San Antonio’s rushing attack although the Commanders have a couple of other capable backs they can call upon.
Even though the Commanders’ defense almost completely collapsed last week, they held up. Still, this defense has allowed a ton of points so far. No single member of the Commander defense has stood out on a regular basis with the possible exception of linebacker Elliot who has recorded 4.5 sacks. Their collective 17 sacks and nine picks is rather impressive. They will be facing a softer offense than in the previous two weeks.
It didn’t look like Atlanta was going to be much a factor after the first three weeks but their two-game winning streak has made them relevant. Quarterback Matt Simms practiced this week after injuring his finger but Atlanta would be wise to start Aaron Murray. Either way, Atlanta needs to find an effective running game but they also need to choose their plays wisely as San Antonio’s defense can bring the pressure. This squad could definitely use more production out of their running backs who have scored a mere two rushing touchdowns this year.
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For all the weakness the Legends’ defense has shown, they have also demonstrated that they can play well. With Jones and Sprinkle having three sacks each, they make Atlanta’s defensive line something to take seriously. They will have to elevate their game and get to Woodside quickly because Atlanta’s coverage downfield has not been overly effective. They cannot afford to allow Woodside to have time to make plays.
Prediction
Bookmakers have made Atlanta a 1.5-point favorite in this one. Atlanta’s offense has improved especially with Aaron Murray while San Antonio’s defense has suddenly looked disorganized. The Legends’ defense needs to show up.
The Pick: San Antonio +1.5
The Total
With the exception of Week 5 when all of the games went over the total, scoring has been at a premium for several teams. Assuming Murray gets the start, this game will feature a pair of capable quarterbacks at the helm facing vulnerable defenses.
The Pick: Over 40.5