Falcons-Seahawks Preview

After a tough loss in Tampa Bay on Sunday, the Falcons will end their road trip in Seattle against the (1-2) Seahawks.Despite this game being in Week 4 of the NFL season, the Falcons need to earn this win in order to gain some momentum for the month of October and prepare us for the playoff stretch later in the year. In their previous meeting, Atlanta won 34-16 at Quest Field which was the first time the Falcons won in the 10-year existence of the stadium. This time around, Atlanta will be facing a new-look Seahawks football team as they replaced Matt Hasselback in the off-season and acquired  former Vikings quarterback Tavaris Jackson and wide receiver Sidney Rice.  On Sunday, the Falcons will enter this game in a must-win situation before they return home to play the defending Super Bowl champions, Green Bay Packers. The Falcons (1-2), have only scored one offensive touchdown and two total touchdowns on the road this season; however, they will look to change that against a Seahawks team who have struggled on defense in their first three games. In this blog, I will give you some key things that the Falcons need to do to earn a win in Seattle, a few key match-ups, and my prediction for the game on Sunday.


KEYS TO WINNING ON SUNDAY:


1. Establish The Running Game
In the first three weeks, many Falcons fans wanted to see the explosive offense with the weapons that Atlanta  have on offense; however, the offense have not established themselves as a consistent NFL offense like they were in the 2010 season. Unlike many other contenders such as Green Bay, New Orleans, or New England, in order to give the Falcons the opportunity to create explosive plays on offense, they must establish their dominance on the ground with all-pro running back Michael Turner. In the two losses against Chicago and Tampa Bay, Michael Turner have (21) carries for (120) yards and Matt Ryan have attempted (94) passes. Despite a tough start in both games by the offensive line, you can not abandon the one key component that made the Falcons one of the best teams in the NFL during the 2010 season. Without establishing consistency in the running game, the Falcons are forced to rely on their passing game and that places Matt Ryan under a lot of pressure to make plays immediately, which is tough for any young quarter back to handle. Without the running game in the two losses in Chicago and Tampa, the Falcons time of possession is averaging (25:24) per game, which forces your defense to maintain their composure in order for Atlanta's offense to remain in those games and try to win on the road. In Seattle, the Falcons must find their identity with Michael Turner and the rushing attack becoming effective in order to help the Falcons win the game. 


2. Offensive line needs to create time for Matt Ryan to make the best decisions at quarterback

In the first three weeks of this season, Atlanta's offensive line have struggled to provide the best protection for Matt Ryan and the fourth-year quarterback is taking some tough shots from the opposing defensive lines. The Falcons have surrendered (13) sacks, which is the 2nd most allowed in the NFL to this point of the year, only the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears have given up more sacks. Also, Matt Ryan have taken (24) hits, which is the 3rd most in the NFL through three weeks and if the offensive line don't find a way to protect him, this could lead to an injury and this could affect the remainder of the season for the Falcons. Due to the lack of protection from the line, Ryan have turned the ball over (7) times in the first three games of the season, which consists of (4) Interceptions and (3) lost fumbles. Against Seattle, the offensive line better find a way to protect Ryan and allow him to get the Falcons offense on the right path and earn a win. 


3. Defense must pressure the Seahawks offensive line and get sacks

In week 4, the Falcons defense will have a huge opportunity to put up big numbers against the Seahawks offense on Sunday. Coming into the game, Seattle's offensive line is the worst in the NFL as they have allowed (14) sacks, which is tied for the most in the league with Chicago. Opposing quarterback Tavaris Jackson have taken (28) hits during the opening weeks of the Seahawks 2011 season. Atlanta's rushing defense should also play a huge factor in containing the Seahawks because they are averaging (3.3) yards per carry and have only scored (1) touchdown this season, which came from Jackson in their week 3 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. Expect John Abraham and the rest of the Atlanta defense to force turnovers and limit the Seattle offense from having any sort of impact on the game. Also, the Seahawks ranked (30th) in the NFL in scoring with (10) points per game and have scored (3) offensive touchdowns this season. 


4. Eliminate the 12th Man by making big plays early in the game

Around the NFL, the Seahawks fans are considered one of the toughest crowds to face as an opponent and in recent history, their assistance helped force many false start penalties for their opposing offense and their energy allows the Seattle defense to gain the confidence to give their everything and beat their tough opponents so the Falcons must make big plays in order to take the crowd out of the game. Last season, Atlanta was tied with the Seahawks 10-10 and they scored a late touchdown to take the lead for good and without the 12th man being a factor the hometown Seahawks, the Falcons took control of the game and earned a huge win on the road. On Sunday, expect for the Falcons to strike fast in order to kill any momentum that the Seahawks will attempt to gain.


KEY MATCHUPS:


Russell Okung vs John Abraham:
With the Seahawks offensive line struggling to protect the quarterback, this will open up chances for John Abraham to cause a major impact on Sunday's game. Abraham is still the biggest threat for the Falcons defensive line and Seattle must find a way to control him from making a huge impact on the game.Okung is one of the best linemen for the Seahawks; however, this team have struggled early this year trying to protect Tavaris Jackson and the advantage is leaning in Atlanta's direction and this will open up chances to make a huge defensive impact during the game. Expect Abraham to produce a big day for the Atlanta defense and help them pull off the win.




Falcons Offensive Line vs Seahawks Defensive Line

This will be an intriguing match up because the Falcons offensive line have went through some adjustments after losing to the Bucs last week and the Seahawks defensive front have only recorded (5) sacks and the Falcons line must contain the defense early and set the tone for the rest of the game because if the Seahawks can pressure Matt Ryan and create sacks and turnovers, the crowd at Qwest Field will be excited. This is a huge test for the Falcons and in a must-win situation, I expect the Atlanta offensive line to play one of their best games of the season.


Julio Jones vs Brandon Bowner:

This will be an interesting matchup to watch this weekend as two rookies will face off on Sunday. Julio Jones, coming off his first 100- yard receiving game will be a tough matchup for this rookie corner back because the Seahawks have struggled defending young and quick receivers such as Jones. Two weeks ago, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace posted (117) receiving yards after they lost 24-0. This week, Matt Ryan could expose this matchup and see can the young corner back stop the explosive abilities that Jones possess as a rookie and this could be a breakout performance for Julio.




FINAL PREDICTION:
The Falcons, under Coach Mike Smith is 4-0 in the regular season when they play a team in the West and with this being a must win for Atlanta, expect a big game out of both the Falcons offense and defense. The Falcons will win 34-14 is my final score and they will improve to 2-2. Until next time, FALCONS RISE UP!!!!!