It's been a while since I updated my blog, but I have been busy with other projects which I will talk about in a later blog post. Anyway, here's my preview of the Falcons-Panthers contest which kicks off at 1 p.m. today. And after the game is over, head on over to www.scoreatl.com to check out my post game blog.
The Falcons are now in the fourth quarter of the 2010 season. The first three quarters for the Falcons were successful as they have a 10-2 record and have won their last six games. They hope to keep the momentum going when they face the Carolina Panthers Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.
Despite the Panthers 1-11 record, this is still a division game for the Falcons and they won’t take the Panthers lightly. The Falcons tend to play teams the first three quarters and seal the deal in the fourth.
Matt Ryan, who won NFC Offensive Player of the Month for his play in November, is coming off a game against the Tamp Bay Buccaneers where he threw two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. It was the first time in five games Ryan has thrown a pick and the first time in five games on the Falcons turned the ball over. Carolina’s overall defense has been suspect all season long, but their pass defense has been aggressive all year, as they are ranked sixth in the league in passing yards allowed per game. So the Falcons will go to the ground game a lot more and Michael Turner will look to have a big day against a defense that has allowed 133 yards per contest. Turner comes in to the game second in the NFC with 1,062 yards and eight TDs. Like last week, Turner will be expected the carry the load again because Jason Snelling is still healing from a hamstring injury he suffered against Green Bay two weeks ago. He has not practiced since the injury.
Defensively, the Falcons look to hammer a Carolina offense that is ranked last in the NFL in points scored per game. The main priority for the Falcons is to make sure Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart does not run wild. The Falcons have only allowed two running backs go over 100 yards this season, but one of them was Tampa Bay bruising back LaGarrette Blount who rushed for 103 yards last week. The Falcons will be sure not to let that happen again, but they could be without their leading tackler Curtis Lofton who is suffering from a knee injury. Lofton did practice on Friday so he will be a game-time decision.
The most compelling matchup will be Steve Smith going against Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson. Smith has not had a good year and part of that has to do with the inconsistent quarterback play. But he tends to have big games against the Falcons and would love nothing more than to lead the Panthers to an improbable win against their NFC South rivals. But he will have his hands full if Grimes is covering him because like Smith, Grimes is athletic and make big plays. Robinson will also see some action against Smith and while he does not have any interceptions this year, he seems to be playing better football as the season rolls on.
There is no question the Falcons are the better team in all phases of the game, but if they let Carolina believe they can win the game, the Falcons could come away with their third loss of the year. The Falcons are a seven point favorite and should cover that if they play the type of football they have played all season long which is good ball control, converting third downs and winning the turnover battle. Many people think the Falcons need to roll the Panthers to prove a point to the doubters they are a legit team. All the Falcons need to do is come away with a win because if the Falcons are 11-2 by 4:30 p.m. They will be one step closer to clinching home field advantage and proving they are the real deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment