Week 3 brings the Atlanta Falcons into Ford Field for a matchup with the Detroit Lions. The unbeaten Falcons present another tough early-season challenge for Dan Campbell and the Lions.
To help learn more about the visitors from the NFC South, I turned to Matt Urben of Falcons Wire for some questions and answers. From Atlanta’s early success to a former Lions CB returning to Detroit, as well as a game prediction, Urben sheds a lot of light on the Falcons.
Buy Lions TicketsJust how good is Bijan Robinson already?
Robinson has been Atlanta’s most valuable player through the first two games. Without him, there’s no way the Falcons are 2-0 at this point. While Robinson’s numbers are great (180 rushing yards on 29 attempts), he’s even more impressive on film. The rookie’s vision is so good you would think he sees the game in slow motion.
Atlanta was the perfect landing spot for Robinson due to the team’s offensive philosophy and talent along the offensive line. The Falcons offense has struggled at times, but good things happen when Robinson touches the ball.
How is Desmond Ridder progressing at QB?
Ridder is far from a polished product at this point, although he’s done some good things. After throwing for just 115 yards in Week 1, he finished last week’s win over the Packers with 237 passing yards and a touchdown. Ridder also threw the first interception of his NFL career and had two other throws that probably should have been picked off as well.
Nonetheless, those are mistakes you’d expect him to make and he responded well in the fourth quarter. His fourth-down touchdown helped the Falcons pull off a 12-point comeback. The passing game has mostly focused on short throws around the line of scrimmage.
Right now, Ridder is a competent game manager with good mobility. If he improves on intermediate/deep throws, he could potentially take off.
There's a lot of Jeff Okudah talk. Will he play and what role does he assume in the secondary?
Okudah has been listed as the No. 2 cornerback on the depth chart since training camp, but he has yet to appear in a game for the Falcons. After getting a full week of practice, there’s a decent chance we’ll see Okudah make his debut on Sunday against his former team.
Fans are eager to see the former No. 3 pick replace Tre Flowers in the starting lineup. If Okudah can hold his own, he would be a great complement to Falcons CB A.J. Terrell. The team officially listed Okudah as questionable on Friday’s injury report, so we’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out.
The Falcons defense has looked sharp. What's their key to success?
The defense has been really solid thus far, especially the secondary. Jessie Bates has been as good as advertised, grabbing two interceptions in his debut. David Onyemata was probably one of the team’s more underrated signings and he’s been a force on the interior of the defensive line.
Atlanta’s pass rush has improved, even if the sacks have been slow to come, and the improved depth has been noticeable late in games. With all that said, the team has yet to face an established quarterback. The Falcons played Bryce Young in his first NFL start and then Jordan Love in Week 2. Jared Goff will present a good measuring stick for this Falcons defense.
What's one thing about the Falcons that doesn't get enough national attention?
Nothing is more overlooked in Atlanta than left tackle Jake Matthews. The veteran has been everything you want out of a franchise tackle and he never gets any praise. As you know, when an offensive lineman does their job well, people rarely notice. Chris Lindstrom rightfully gets a lot of the credit, but Matthews has been a healthy, consistent presence for the last decade.
Who wins and why?
This is a game I originally picked the Lions to win, but I think it’s a toss-up at this point. The Lions have the better passing game, but with those injuries up front and potentially at wide receiver, I think the Falcons have the advantage in Week 3. Plus, Atlanta’s running game is humming and the team has no major injuries on either side of the ball. Falcons, 23-21
