The easiest way for the Atlanta Falcons to move past their Week 1 loss to the Saints is by defeating the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. That won’t be easy, however, as the Rams are also looking to get back on track after suffering an ugly loss in their season opener.
Buy Falcons TicketsSo how do these two teams stack up in terms of overall talent? Below, we’ve compared each position on the two rosters to determine the best combined starting lineup.
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford (Rams)
If your choice is between Marcus Mariota and Matthew Stafford, you have to roll with one of the best arms in the game. Stafford may not have the mobility that Mariota brings, but he is undoubtedly a better passer and has the better traits to elevate those around him.
RB: Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons)
Rams RB Darrell Henderson offers a compelling choice as the starting running back, but Patterson offers a lot more in the passing game and his versatility can be useful in both the run and pass game. Patterson is coming off of the second-best performance of his career running the ball, racking up 120 yards in Week 1.
WRs: Drake London, Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson
Cooper Kupp is an obvious inclusion here, and so is Drake London to a degree. These two players were the most targeted on their respective teams in Week 1 and led each in receiving yards. Allen Robinson had a quiet debut as the Rams’ No. 2 WR, but he’s the most accomplished by far of the remaining options.
TE: Kyle Pitts (Falcons)
Just like the quarterback spot, there’s no debating this one. Kyle Pitts would be the obvious choice here, despite Tyler Higbee being a quality starting tight end. Pitts is just a different type of player and had 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie on a bad team in 2021.
OT: Jake Matthews (Falcons), Rob Havenstein (Rams)
Jake Matthews is considered one of the best left tackles in the game, and has been for quite some time. Don’t let the failures of others take away from what Matthews has done throughout his career. Meanwhile, Rams OL Rob Havenstein is arguably one of the best right tackles in the game. Together these two would provide strong anchors at the tackle positions.
Guard: Chris Lindstrom (Falcons), David Edwards (Rams)
Chris Lindstrom is a budding star in the league and is just starting to get recognition around the NFL. David Edwards, on the other hand, didn’t perform his best in Week 1, but is still probably a slight upgrade over what the Falcons have to offer in Eljiah Wilkinson.
Center: Coleman Shelton (Rams)
Just like at left guard, the choice at center isn’t necessarily clear due to neither being notably better than the other. In fact, neither Drew Dalman nor Coleman Shelton really move the needle for offensive line talent.
D-Line: Aaron Donald, Grady Jarrett, Greg Gaines
The two obvious choices here are Aaron Donald and Grady Jarrett, but there isn’t a front-runner for the nose tackle spot on either team. Let’s go with Rams DT Greg Gaines, who’s a more proven commodity than Falcons defensive tackle Anthony Rush.
OLB: Leonard Floyd (Rams), Lorenzo Carter (Falcons)
We haven’t seen much from Carter considering he just joined the Falcons this offseason, but he and Rams OLB Leonard Floyd are the obvious starters here, especially with Von Miller no longer in Los Angeles. Falcons rookie Arnold Ebiketie deserves some consideration as well.
ILB: Ernest Jones (Rams), Bobby Wagner (Rams)
Had the Falcons retained Foye Oluokun, or if Deion Jones had returned to his Pro Bowl form from a few years ago, then we’d probably see a player from Atlanta here. However, Mykal Walker and Rahsaan Evans still have a lot to prove.
Cornerback: A.J. Terrell (Falcons), Jalen Ramsey(Rams)
The combination of Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Terrell on the outside would strike fear in any offense. While neither player had their best game in Week 1, both are among the most talented on their respective teams. Together, these two could be lethal.
Safety: Jaylinn Hawkins (Falcons), Richie Grant (Falcons)
Including Richie Grant here would have seemed implausible a season ago. He didn’t have a good rookie year but after an impressive offseason and solid outing in Week 1, Grant could make the cut in this combined lineup projection. Meanwhile, Jaylinn Hawkins appears to be a better option than Nick Scott or Taylor Rapp of the Rams. Although, this would be one of the combined roster’s weakest positions.
Depth Chart
| Position | Player | Team |
| QB | Matthew Stafford | Rams |
| HB | Cordarrelle Patterson | Falcons |
| WR | Cooper Kupp | Rams |
| WR | Drake London | Falcons |
| WR | Allen Robinson | Rams |
| TE | Kyle Pitts | Falcons |
| LT | Jake Matthews | Falcons |
| LG | David Edwards | Rams |
| C | Coleman Shelton | Rams |
| RG | Chris Lindstrom | Falcons |
| RT | Rob Havenstein | Rams |
| Position | Player | Team |
| DT | Aaron Donald | Rams |
| DT | Grady Jarrett | Falcons |
| DT | Greg Gaines | Rams |
| EDGE | Lorenzo Carter | Falcons |
| EDGE | Leonard Floyd | Rams |
| MLB | Ernest Jones | Rams |
| MLB | Bobby Wagner | Rams |
| CB | Jalen Ramsey | Rams |
| CB | A.J. Terrell | Falcons |
| S | Jaylinn Hawkins | Falcons |
| S | Richie Grant | Falcons |
