It was going to take some time for these teams to find their groove -- anyone who's followed the Alliance of American Football's inaugural season knows that by now.
So it's no coincidence that Week 4 of the AAF is the most interesting one to date on paper and the Express and Apollos got things started with wins on Saturday.
For the most part, the parity promised by co-founder Bill Polian is there, it just had to develop. But if Week 3 taught us anything, it's that the level of competition is beginning to even out. The Salt Lake Stallions pulled off the first actual upset, beating the Arizona Hotshots 23-15. Meanwhile, the league's best team, the Orlando Apollos, survived a revived Memphis Express.
As such, there are way more storylines and points of interest heading into Week 4. For the first time this year, really, there's a more evenly distributed intrigue in what happens. Here's everything you need to know to watch Sunday's games.
Viewing information
San Antonio Commanders at Birmingham Iron
Date: Sunday, March 3 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Legion Field -- Birmingham, Alabama
TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: CBS Sports Network
Atlanta Legends at Arizona Hotshots
Date: Sunday, March 3 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Devils Stadium -- Tempe, Arizona
TV: NFL Network | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Storylines
San Antonio at Birmingham: How San Antonio picks itself up will be interesting to follow. The Commanders started with a lot of promise, but have dropped two games in a row and Vegas projects a third. The 31-11 loss at San Diego was alarming, but that was also the first time it played on the road. With one game away from the Alamodome under its belt, can San Antonio circle the wagons at Birmingham? It would be surprising to see another 20-point margin, at the very least. The Iron don't have the big-play potential like the Fleet or Apollos. Rather, Birmingham has suffocated all three opponents to date through defense.
Atlanta at Arizona: Normally, the forecast for this game would be akin to a famous Slayer song. However, the health status of Hotshots quarterback John Wolford is worth watching. He injured his back in the Week 3 loss to the Stallions and Trevor Knight struggled to move the sticks through the air in relief. Per a team spokesperson, he was in full pads for practice on Wednesday. However, no team has gotten off to a worse start than Atlanta. The winless Legends are playing their third road game in a month, average 10 points per game and are being outscored by an average of nearly 21 points per game. Wolford's status gives this game some interest, but not much.
Prediction, picks*
San Antonio at Birmingham (-7.5), O/U 39.5: The Iron would seem like a guarantee to hit the under (last week's 28-12 win over the Legends was a push, and Atlanta has the worst point differential in the league) but this point total has dipped too low. Since Birmingham doesn't pick up a lot of chunk plays, I'm expecting a fairly tight game on the scoreboard. Still, that defense is full of ball hawks and Commanders quarterback Logan Woodside already has five picks. Birmingham is good at home, too, so I'll lay the points as the Commanders' slide continues. Pick: Birmingham -7.5, Over 39.5
Atlanta at Arizona (-12), O/U 41.5: Let's see, Atlanta is not only 0-3 on the season, but 0-3 against the spread with the worst scoring defense by a country mile. Hotshots quarterback John Wolford should be 100 percent by this weekend, too, after suffering a lower back strain in the loss to the Stallions. Nothing says get-right game like coming back home against the worst team in the Alliance. Still, no double-digit favorite has covered yet. Pick: Atlanta +12, Under 41.5
*Lines courtesy of MGM Grand in Las Vegas
