The wait is finally over, Atlanta Legends fans! The quarterback fans wanted to start, Aaron Murray, will finally have an opportunity to start this weekend against the Memphis Express. Murray brought energy and poise in last Sunday’s victory over the Arizona Hotshots that was not seen from from Matt Simms. The Legends may finally begin moving in the right direction, and with Murray under center this could be an exciting game this Sunday.
Aaron Murray Gets His Opportunity
HEY ATLANTA, AARON MURRAY WILL START AT QB ON SUNDAY. #AllHailATL pic.twitter.com/xRHUibdt64
— Atlanta Legends (@AafLegends) March 7, 2019
Long Overdue
Sometimes in sports, coaches stick by their guy no matter what. And there is a reason for that. A coach wants to send the right message to his/her team in the locker room. While change is needed at times, sometimes sticking with the original decision is valuable as well.
But in this instance, change during the Legends loss to the Birmingham Iron two weeks ago was needed. But head coach Kevin Coyle proved his stubbornness by starting Simms week four against the Hotshots, despite the calls for Murray during and after the loss.
Matt Simms has under-performed, point blank. On the season, Simms is completing almost 60 percent of his passes, with two touchdowns and six interceptions. While some of the blame can go to receivers due to dropped passes, Simms never really seemed to garner his team. One of the most important parts of playing the quarterback position is rallying the troops. It seems Simms could never do that.
Battle of Backups
Murray impressed in relief of Simms, who suffered a hand injury Sunday against the Hotshots. Murray completed 20 of 33 passes, for 254 yards, and most importantly, zero turnovers. In three of four starts, Simms turned the ball over at least once. Murray is charismatic, and a winner, as he displayed in his days at the University of Georgia.
The battle between Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will be one to watch. Two former SEC quarterbacks battling out, both trying to get their teams out of the cellar. Mettenberger’s and Murray’s situations mirror each other. Mettenberger also had to wait his chance to start, and immediately produced.
The Legends and Memphis Express will play each other Sunday at four o’clock eastern time.
Main Photo
