The Atlanta Falcons (0-1) are heavy underdogs entering their Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams (0-1). Neither team played their best football in Week 1, but the Falcons’ one-point loss to the Saints was considerably more competitive than the Rams’ 21-point loss to the Bills.
There are no moral victories in the NFL, though, and Atlanta will have to play well for all four quarters to knock off the defending champions on Sunday.
Here are five keys to victory for the Falcons in Week 2.
5
Pressure Matthew Stafford
The Rams had some big shoes to fill over the offseason, literally. All-Pro left tackle Andrew Whitworth retired following the team’s Super Bowl win, leaving Joe Noteboom to protect Matthew Stafford’s blind side. In Week 1, Los Angeles allowed seven sacks and Stafford threw three interceptions. If the Falcons can get pressure on Stafford without bringing extra rushers, they’ll have a great chance at containing the Rams offense. Plus, Noteboom was listed as questionable on the team’s Friday injury report.
4
Get an early lead
The Falcons showed up ready to play in Week 1, and they’ll need to do the same on Sunday to leave Los Angeles with a victory. Rams head coach Sean McVay’s teams have been lethal with a first-half lead, but they will abandon the ground game if they get behind early. In Week 1, the Rams rushed for 52 total yards. An early lead will allow the Falcons’ pass-rushers to tee off against the quarterback and make Los Angeles one-dimensional on offense.
3
Better red-zone efficiency
The Falcons converted just two of four red-zone opportunities against the Saints in Week 1, which came back to bite them in the end. Against a championship-caliber team in the Rams, Atlanta must take advantage of each trip to the red zone. As much as we all love Younghoe Koo, field goals aren’t going to cut it on Sunday. The Falcons have two pass-catchers in Kyle Pitts and Drake London that should give the team a size advantage in the red zone.
2
Get Kyle Pitts the ball on offense
Pitts had just two catches for 19 yards during last week’s loss to the Saints, but it wasn’t a bad game for the former No. 4 overall pick. New Orleans’ defense was focused on stopping Pitts, which allowed for Cordarrelle Patterson to run wild in the first half. Still, Pitts is far too talented to merely serve as a decoy. The Falcons need to find a way to get the ball in the hands of their best offensive player on Sunday.
1
Make someone other than Kupp beat you
Kupp was targeted 15 times in Week 1, catching 13 balls for 128 receiving yards and a touchdown. While you’re never going to stop someone like Kupp completely, the Rams have struggled when defenses take away their do-it-all weapon. Odell Beckham Jr. is still a free agent and Allen Robinson had a quiet debut in Week 1 as the team’s new No. 2 receiver. If the Falcons can slow down Kupp, they will have a real shot to win this game.
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