A guide to USC-UCLA, Georgia-Kentucky and the rest of Week 12’s best games
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ESPN staff
It’s the penultimate week of college football’s regular season and the Pac-12 takes center stage.
The Battle for L.A. between USC and UCLA has been anticipated all season. If the conference wants to have any College Football Playoff hope, the Trojans will have to beat the Bruins on Saturday, then defeat Notre Dame and win the conference title game. Despite a UCLA loss to Arizona last week, the Bruins would love nothing more than keeping their crosstown rival out of the playoff.
Oregon and Utah will also meet with Pac-12 championship game hopes on the line. After the Ducks and Utes played in last season’s conference title game, a loss for either team will eliminate them from this year’s championship.
Elsewhere, three of the top four teams in the CFP rankings have tests that could shake up the playoff picture ahead of the last week of the regular season. Georgia heads to Kentucky looking to defend its No. 1 ranking while TCU travels to Baylor in one of the Big 12’s fiercest rivalries. And Michigan hosts upstart Illinois, which despite a loss last week is experiencing one of its best seasons in recent memory.
These are the top storylines head into Week 12.
No. 7 USC (9-1) at No. 16 UCLA (8-2) (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)
What could have been the first top-10 matchup between USC and UCLA since Troy Aikman and Rodney Peete were under center in 1988 will now have to settle for something a little less flashy: a battle between the No. 7 Trojans and No. 16 Bruins after Arizona upset UCLA last week.
With two of the top offenses in the country getting to tee off against two defenses that have been inconsistent, at best, there will be plenty of points and plenty still on the line for both teams. A win gets USC into the Pac-12 championship and keeps the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes alive; a win for UCLA means it still has a shot at the Pac-12 title.
“When both teams are good and there are a lot of opportunities ahead for both teams, it makes it way, way better,” USC coach Lincoln Riley, who will make his first appearance in the rivalry, said this week.
On Tuesday, he added: “We’re not doing anything honestly too specific with this rivalry and that’s not to discount it in any way. I think we’ve acknowledged that this game in some ways is going to feel different.”
If the Trojans, with over 40 transfers who haven’t had a taste of the crosstown matchup, are taking a more straightforward approach to Saturday’s game, then UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson — who Riley remembers facing at Oklahoma when Kyler Murray was his quarterback — is doing the opposite and not mincing any words when it comes to USC.
“Obviously we hate those guys across town,” he said on Monday.
This will be DTR’s fifth rivalry game against USC since arriving in Westwood, the fourth one he has starred in.
Though the Bruins’ train has slowed a bit in the past few weeks, Thompson-Robinson’s rampant goodbye tour through the Pac-12 hasn’t lost steam. He has been vocal about what teams he wanted to beat in his last season with the Bruins and has said he remembers when USC last beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl and players “cursed” at them and “flipped them off.” It’s part of why, as he put it, he wants to score 60 again like he did last season in a dazzling, six-touchdown performance.
Most USC players said Tuesday they hadn’t seen Thompson-Robinson’s comments, or given them any thought. But when informed of the quarterback’s goal to score 60 points again on the Trojans, defensive back Calen Bullock chuckled and said. “I know that’s not gonna happen.”
Whether it’s a fifth-year senior who grew up watching the L.A. rivalry and is now playing it for the last time, or a brand-new coach or transfer who is trying to treat the matchup like just another game, come Saturday, the motivation to win will be the same. — Paolo Uggetti
No. 10 Utah (8-2) at No. 12 Oregon (8-2) (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)
A week after squandering its playoff hopes following a heartbreaking loss to rival Washington at home, Oregon will try to recover with an arguably tougher matchup. The No. 12 Ducks welcome the No. 10 Utes, who have two losses (by a combined 13 points) but are playing some of their best football the past few weeks.
Much was said about Dan Lanning’s decision to go for a fourth down late in the game with Bo Nix on the sideline (even Lanning said this week he wishes he would have called a timeout), but the real Achilles’ heel for the Ducks’ last game was their struggling defense, which has given up an average of 34 points to ranked opponents this season. Against the Utes — whose offense might not be as explosive as Washington’s but has been plenty effective — that will once again be the challenge.
The X factor of that Utes offense will likely be tight end Dalton Kincaid, who torched the inconsistent USC defense but missed the game against Arizona two weeks ago after suffering a shoulder injury against Washington State. Kincaid (who is averaging 13 yards per catch) played a limited amount of snaps against Stanford last week and his status for this week’s matchup is still in flux.
“He’s still not 100 percent, there’s some soreness,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “But he’s a lot further ahead today than he was last Monday.”
Whittingham also heaped praise on Nix, who, despite the loss last Saturday, still had three touchdowns and completed 70% of his pass attempts. Nix still has a shot at perhaps jumping back into the Heisman conversation with another big game, especially if Oregon wins out. And the Ducks need to.
Much like both L.A. schools playing on a big Saturday for the Pac-12, both Oregon and Utah are still in contention for the Pac-12 championship and subsequently, the Rose Bowl. The team on the losing end will have to wave goodbye to both. — Uggetti
No. 1 Georgia (10-0) at Kentucky (6-4) (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
It wasn’t too long ago that this game looked like it could be one of Georgia’s most daunting challenges in getting through the regular season unbeaten.
That was before Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was injured, before it became apparent that Kentucky simply couldn’t protect Levis and before Levis saw his struggles go from bad to worse.
Georgia, 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, is second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 11.6 points per game. The Dawgs have allowed just nine touchdowns on defense, and three of those came in the fourth quarter when the outcome was all but decided. Kentucky, meanwhile, has scored more than 21 points on offense against an SEC opponent only once — a 27-17 win over Mississippi State. In the Wildcats’ past three games, they’ve managed a total of five touchdowns.
In other words, this one looks like a mismatch, at least on paper, especially with Kentucky limping into the game having lost to Vanderbilt 24-21 last week at home. The Commodores had lost 26 straight SEC games before knocking off the Wildcats.
“Not enough hype. Not enough juice. We talked about it among us all week, and we did not buy into it,” Levis said following the Vanderbilt loss.
Kentucky was ranked No. 20 in the AP preseason poll, and expectations were soaring after the Wildcats won 10 games a year ago. And while the defense has played well enough in most games to give them a chance to win, the offense has been particularly sloppy in the red zone (ranked 99th nationally) and stopped itself repeatedly with sacks, penalties and turnovers.
“We’re moving the ball and doing good things, but we’re not getting into the end zone,” Kentucky offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said. “One of the downsides is that we’ve had explosive [plays], but they’re not scoring all the time. Chunk plays are great, but when chunk plays get tackled on the 25 instead of scoring, it’s hard.”
The Wildcats’ red zone woes figure to get more difficult against a Georgia defense that has given up an FBS-best six touchdowns in the red zone all season.
So much has been made of the Georgia defense, and with good reason. But lost in what the Dawgs have done in winning 25 consecutive regular-season games vs. Kentucky going back to the end of the 2000 season is how efficient they’ve been on offense. They’re tied for sixth nationally in scoring offense (40.6 points per game) and are third nationally in total offense (509.6 yards per game). — Chris Low
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Kirby Smart explains how the No. 1 Bulldogs remain hungry after working their way to the top and breaks down Kentucky QB Will Levis’ unaffected play style.
Illinois (7-3) at No. 3 Michigan (10-0) (Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN app)
Illinois got off to a hot start, going 7-1 before dropping its past two games against Michigan State and Purdue. A big part of the team’s success has come from running back Chase Brown, who leads all FBS running backs with 1,442 yards.
He is averaging 5.15 yards per carry and has seven rushing touchdowns on the season. Unfortunately for Illinois, Brown went down with an injury in the last game against Purdue. He hasn’t been ruled out against Michigan, but his status is still in doubt.
“Josh McCray, Chase Brown … both those guys are trending in the right direction,” coach Bret Bielema said. “Very positive and excited, but don’t know where we’ll be by Friday for the trip and Saturday for the game.”
Michigan’s defense already ranks No. 1 in rush yards allowed per game, giving up only 72.7 yards. The team is No. 3 in yards allowed per rush and No. 3 in rushing touchdowns allowed, giving up only three touchdowns on the ground.
That will make the challenge of playing 10-0 Michigan, ranked No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings, even more difficult if Brown isn’t able to play.
“Our run wall has been very good, it’s going to be tested this week probably like none other up to this point,” Jim Harbaugh said. “So, Illinois is very strong at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Outstanding, outstanding run scheme, outstanding running back. So, it’ll be a real challenge and a task for our team this year.”
This is an important game for the Wolverines to remain undefeated and give the team a chance to take on Ohio State to finish out the season for another berth in the Big Ten championship game and the playoff.
Michigan isn’t without injuries, either, as defensive end Mike Morris was injured in the most recent game against Nebraska. Morris went on the Inside Michigan Football radio show and said he’s feeling great and that he tweaked his leg in the game.
“I feel like I’ll be all right,” Morris said. “Our trainers are working very hard. I was in there getting treatment for like four hours this morning, so I’ll be fine. I’m in great hands, it’s all in God’s plan.” — Tom VanHaaren
No. 4 TCU (10-0) at Baylor (6-4) (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)
TCU had established itself as a second-half defense, transforming from leaky to lockdown in several Big 12 wins. But it wasn’t enough.
Two weeks ago, defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie told the group that if they wanted to achieve their biggest goals, they needed to deliver “a full 60.”
“I knew we had the potential,” Gillespie told ESPN. “I just didn’t know where it was going to happen, or if it was going to happen. That was as complete a four-quarter defensive [performance] that we’ve played up until this point. And it’s good timing.
“Now the deal is, you’ve got to keep doing it. You’ve got a big target on your chest, and that’s a good thing.”
Gillespie referred to TCU’s defensive masterpiece in last week’s win at Texas, which didn’t score an offensive touchdown and finished with only 28 net rush yards, while averaging 3.3 yards per offensive play. TCU’s defensive stars shined: cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, linebacker Johnny Hodges, safety Mark Perry and others.
The Frogs silenced Texas and any remaining doubters about their College Football Playoff candidacy. But their quest continues, again on the road, this time against the defending Big 12 champions in Baylor.
Gillespie has seen significant growth from TCU’s defensive line, which entered the season as his biggest concern. The front three will be stressed by a Baylor offense that, until last week against Kansas State, had run the ball well with freshman Richard Reese and others.
“You’re talking about three hands in the grass, and that’s it,” said Gillespie, who uses the increasingly popular 3-3-5 alignment. “We’re asking them to take on roles and do some things that aren’t so pretty sometimes. It’s easier to fall in love with it when you see production, but just the way they’ve embraced the approach, it’s a very selfless attitude.
“And those guys make a lot of dadgum plays.”
Baylor comes off of its worst offensive performance since 2020, recording season lows in points (3) and rushing yards (103). Coach Dave Aranda remains fully confident in quarterback Blake Shapen, who had two interceptions against Kansas State, while “pressing” and struggling with his footwork.
“He can be a dual threat, there’s a lot of scramble stuff,” Gillespie said of Shapen. “They’ve got three running backs, they’re going to keep fresh legs, they’re going to hit you on the perimeter, and then you’ve got an entire offensive line that has been playing together for a minute. This is a unit that works very well together, they understand each other.”
Gillespie entered the season not really knowing what TCU’s defense could become. The Frogs were implementing a new scheme and feeling out how offenses would attack them. After stringing together quarters, halves and finally a full game, TCU is primed to continue its quest for an improbable CFP spot.
“You’ve seen just about every blocking scheme, we’ve had just about every adjustment,” Gillespie said. “So they’ve gotten mature. There was some patience in knowing, ‘If we could put both [halves] together, we could be a pretty good squad.’ Fortunately, it started happening the other night. Certainly that’s got to be something we build off of.” — Adam Rittenberg
Clinching scenarios for Week 12
Power 5
ACC
• Clemson and North Carolina have both clinched spots in the ACC championship game.
Big 12
• TCU has clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The Horned Frogs are making their second appearance in the Big 12 title game. They lost in 2017 to Oklahoma.
• Kansas State clinches a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a win at West Virginia and a Texas loss at Kansas. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 17% chance the Wildcats clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
Pac-12
• USC clinches a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a win at UCLA. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 61% chance the Trojans clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
• Utah clinches a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a win and UCLA loss. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 32% chance the Utes clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
• Oregon clinches a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a win vs. Utah and a Washington loss to Colorado. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 2% chance the Ducks clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
SEC
• Georgia and LSU have both clinched spots in the SEC championship game. They are meeting in the SEC championship game for a fifth time, the second most by any pair of teams in any conference championship in FBS history. Alabama and Florida have met 10 times in the SEC title game.
Georgia has an 84% chance to win the SEC championship game according to ESPN Analytics.
Group of 5
American
• UCF clinches a spot in the American championship game with a win vs. Navy and loss by Houston at East Carolina. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 61% chance the Knights clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
• The second spot in the championship game can not be clinched until Week 13.
Conference USA
• UTSA clinches with a win at Rice or Florida Atlantic loss at Middle Tennessee. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 90% chance the Roadrunners clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
• The second spot in the championship game can not be clinched until Week 13.
MAC
• Toledo has clinched the West, its seventh appearance in the MAC championship game. That is the second-most by any team, trailing only Northern Illinois (nine).
• Ohio clinches the East with a win at Ball State and Bowling Green loss at Toledo. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 52% chance the Bobcats clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
Mountain West
• Fresno State clinches the West Division with a win at Nevada or losses by San Jose State (at Utah State) and San Diego State (at New Mexico). According to ESPN Analytics, there’s an 84% chance the Bulldogs clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
• Boise State clinches the Mountain Division with a win at Wyoming. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 79% chance the Broncos clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
Sun Belt
• Coastal Carolina has clinched the East. This is Coastal Carolina’s first appearance in the Sun Belt championship game.
• Troy clinches the West with a win vs. UL Monroe and South Alabama loss at Southern Miss. According to ESPN Analytics, there’s a 32% chance the Trojans clinch a spot in the championship game this week.
The 2024 NFL draft brought record-breaking trends, including six quarterbacks picked in Round 1 for the first time since 1983 and eight offensive tackles taken in Round 1, which ties 2008 for the most ever. Now that more than a week has passed since the draft concluded, our NFL experts have had time to assess the class.
We asked our analysts and insiders to answer some of the draft’s biggest questions. We’ll begin with their favorite picks and the biggest head-scratching selections — some of which don’t involve quarterback Michael Penix Jr. going to the Atlanta Falcons in the top 10. We’ll continue to update this story with a new topic every day this week, including rookie classes our analysts believe will make the biggest impacts, Rookie of the Year picks, fantasy sleepers and bold predictions.
Who were the best picks in this class? Which were the most puzzling? Our experts dive in on the top takeaways:
Jump to a question:
Favorite picks | Biggest head-scratchers
Who was your favorite pick in the entire draft?
Stephania Bell, fantasy football analyst: Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 22. When a team fills a need with a standout prospect without breaking the bank to do it, it’s a winner. Mitchell is fast and agile and allowed no touchdowns in over 400 coverage snaps last season. He rose many draft boards in recent months … and yet, the Eagles were able to surprise the competition by snagging him here.
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Cornerback Mike Sainristil to the Washington Commanders at No. 50. A nickel corner with a playmaking mentality, Sainristil was one of my favorite defensive backs to study. He led Michigan’s defense last season with six interceptions and seven pass breakups. Look for him to play a disruptive role as a rookie in Dan Quinn’s defensive system.
Mike Clay, fantasy football analyst: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 34. The Chargers moved on from Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett during the offseason, a foursome responsible for 55% of the team’s targets over the past two seasons. Enter McConkey, who is an excellent fit as a potential Allen replacement in the short-to-intermediate area for quarterback Justin Herbert. Even in a run-heavy offense, McConkey, who came out of Georgia, has a path to massive volume right out of the gate.
Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: Wide receiver Malik Nabers to the New York Giants at No. 6. For all the hand-wringing about the Giants’ quarterback outlook, the truth is New York quarterbacks haven’t had a true top-10 receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. Nabers might have the highest ceiling of any offensive player in the draft. Several teams in the top 15 coveted him. Give quarterback Daniel Jones a chance with a guy of this caliber, and see what happens.
Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst: Wide receiver Rome Odunze to the Chicago Bears at No. 9. Let’s give the Bears credit for not overthinking and simply drafting great players. With a rookie quarterback added in Caleb Williams, selecting a go-to receiver for him to learn and grow with was brilliant. It also helps that the two trained together, building chemistry in the pre-draft process. Odunze was my No. 3 overall prospect, which means Chicago drafted two of my top three players in this class.
Eric Moody, fantasy and sports betting analyst: Offensive lineman Graham Barton to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 26. As an ex-offensive lineman, it was a pleasure breaking down Barton’s film. He’s consistent and showcases maximum effort on every play without mental errors. Barton can play center, guard or tackle as a rookie, and I believe he’ll have a superior career to some of the names drafted ahead of him.
Jason Reid, senior Andscape writer: Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8. I understand everything about the Falcons’ commitment to quarterback Kirk Cousins, the salary cap implications and the potential for strife within the locker room. But if the Falcons are right about Penix, none of that will matter in the long run. If a team believes it has identified a potential transformational player at the most important position in sports, well, it has to go get him. It’s that simple.
Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst: Edge rusher Dallas Turner to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 17. Minnesota hasn’t drafted an edge rusher in the first two rounds since 2005 (Erasmus James). The team needed to replenish its talent off of the edge after losing Danielle Hunter in free agency. While the team signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel during free agency, Turner provides a high upside as a pass-rusher in Brian Flores’ defense. Turner led Alabama with 10 sacks and 45 pressures last season.
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Fantasy projections for the 2024 rookie NFL pass catchers
Check out Mike Clay’s fantasy projections for Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr.
Aaron Schatz, NFL writer: Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 52. Analytics suggest there is no such thing as a “draft steal” because prospects drop from consensus for good reasons. That being said, Mitchell might have dropped due to off-field concerns, and Colts GM Chris Ballard spoke out against that. This was the No. 5 wide receiver in Playmaker Score but the No. 11 receiver off the board.
Mike Tannenbaum, NFL front office insider: Odunze. He has a legitimate chance to be the best receiver from this draft. Under the motto of “win for today and develop for tomorrow,” the Bears have Allen on a one-year deal, and Odunze has Terrell Owens‘ type of ability. Odunze had 1,640 receiving yards and 13 scores in 2023. This is ideal for Chicago.
Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: Defensive end Laiatu Latu to the Colts at No. 15. Because of medical concerns and the run on offense, the Colts managed to take the edge rusher who led FBS football in pressure rate in each of the past two seasons — yes, ahead of Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson in 2022 — at No. 15. The Colts might have landed a great one at a premium position in the middle of the first round.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Odunze. The wideout falling to No. 9 was not a complete surprise, given the anticipated run on quarterbacks early, but it was also not a sure thing. The sixth-highest-rated player on my board could have been the first receiver taken in so many prior drafts, but the presence of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Nabers (the third- and fourth-rated players on my board) made him the third off the board in this class. But don’t be mistaken — Odunze will be an instant impact contributor as one the most polished prospects in the class.
Who was the biggest head-scratching pick of the draft?
Bell: Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8. It is hard to justify spending this first-round draft capital when the Falcons had declared their nine-figure love for Kirk Cousins weeks earlier. The team did fulfill defensive needs — its most glaring hole entering the draft — in later rounds, but will the strategy of having two QBs capable of starting create less tension in the locker room … or more?
Bowen: Penix. The Falcons built depth behind Cousins with this selection and set up their QB room for the future. However, I saw this as an opportunity for the Falcons to add an impactful defensive player to new coach Raheem Morris’ system, with outside linebacker Dallas Turner and defensive tackle Byron Murphy II still on the board at the time of Atlanta’s pick.
Fowler: Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31. I’m not about to doubt coach Kyle Shanahan’s eye for offensive skill players, and I love Pearsall as a player. But his place as WR6 in this draft was unexpected. Most teams I spoke to pegged him as a Day 2 pick. Considering the 49ers still have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the roster, bolstering the offensive or defensive line seemed like a sensible play.
Liz Loza, fantasy and sports betting analyst: Tight end Brock Bowers to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13. I was stupefied by the Raiders’ selection of Bowers, and it’s not because of his talent level. He’s a potential generational talent with a do-it-all skill set who was expected to come off the board before the first half of the first round. However, Las Vegas spent an early second-round pick on Michael Mayer just a year ago and entered the draft with holes all along the offensive line. In the end, I suppose, the value Bowers presented was too great to pass on.
Moody: Quarterback Bo Nix to the Denver Broncos at No. 12. While he posted prolific numbers at Oregon during his final collegiate season, it’s worth noting that nearly 67% of his passes came within 9 yards of the line of scrimmage. Nix’s selection appears to reflect desperation on the part of a Sean Payton-led Broncos team in need of a quarterback upgrade. I felt like Denver could have traded down and still landed Nix.
Jason Reid: Offensive tackle Tyler Guyton to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 29. Look, I get that the Cowboys had a major need along their offensive line. And the fact that they moved to rebuild it in this draft makes sense. That established, Guyton, while possessing impressive physical tools, is a developmental player. There’s no sugarcoating that.
Jordan Reid: Defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro to the Falcons at No. 35. With Jer’Zhan Newton still on the board, it made more sense to take him there. Newton possesses more upside as a rusher and is an ideal interior defender who pairs perfectly with Grady Jarrett. Orhorhoro is unquestionably the better run-defender, but Newton’s combination of explosiveness and disruption would’ve made him the better pick.
Schatz: Penix. Look, I understand the importance of the quarterback position, leading to six quarterbacks chosen in this year’s top 12. You can talk me into the idea that Penix is a better prospect than J.J. McCarthy despite McCarthy doing better in my QBASE projections. But if all goes well, Penix is not going to take a snap in the NFL regular season until he’s 26 years old. The Penix pick isn’t that head-scratching; it’s the Penix pick in conjunction with the Cousins contract.
Walder: Defensive tackle Braden Fiske to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 39. This has little to do with the player and more to do with the circumstances of the pick. The Rams paid an obscene price to move up from No. 52, sacrificing a fifth-round pick and future second-rounder in the process — the most expensive Day 2 overpay in at least the past six drafts and a larger investment than their first-round pick (Jared Verse at No. 19), according to our draft pick valuations. And all this for a player who was at the beginning of his selection range, according to the Draft Day Predictor (in other words, this was a borderline reach).
Yates: Penix. I had a top-of-the-second-round grade on Penix, but quarterbacks always fly off the board earlier than the overall ranks indicate. This is about Atlanta investing in a player who will turn 24 on Wednesday at a position in which only one player will play after paying Cousins $100 million guaranteed in March. One of the great advantages of a quarterback on a rookie contract is the modest cost of his contract, which affords you the ability to spend elsewhere across the roster. The Falcons are not realizing that advantage with Cousins under contract and making $90 million over the first two seasons of Penix’s deal.
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