Falcons look to retain top spot in the NFC: Atlanta Falcons vs. St. Louis Rams preview
The 7-2 Atlanta Falcons will visit the 4-5 St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The Rams will look to bounce back after a divisional loss to San Francisco last week, while the Falcons will hope to keep rolling after a long week.
The Falcons defeated the Baltimore Ravens last Thursday and had a few extra days off. The Rams lost in overtime, but the good news for the team is they are heading back home. The Rams are 4-1 at home this year and need the advantage when taking on a more talented
Falcons team.
Matt Ryan has the Falcons flying high, as they are first in the NFC. Atlanta carry a tough, balanced offensive attack. They can run the ball and throw it. Michael Turner has 733 yards with five touchdowns. Ryan has thrown for 2,265 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He has thrown only five interceptions.
The NFL’s leading receiver is at Atlanta’s disposal in Roddy White. White has become a premier target with 70 catches on the year for 934 yards and seven touchdowns. Ryan also has the ageless Tony Gonzalez at tight end, who has 41 catches for 402 yards and
three scores.
The Rams are not overly impressive in any statistical category on offence. They are 30th in scoring offence but with Sam Bradford’s rapid development as a rookie and Steven Jackson carrying the load, they are improving every week. The Rams are also taking care
of the football a lot better this year with a +3 turnover differential.
Perhaps the more important reason for the Rams’ improvement this season is their defence. With more experience, the unit has gotten better under defensive-minded head coach Steve Spagnuolo. They are sixth in the league with 18.2 points allowed per game.
Defensive end James Hall has quietly been one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers this season with 7.5 sacks. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis captains the defence and leads the team with 59 tackles.
Despite the home-field advantage for the Rams, the location helps the Falcons. They’re 6-0 when playing indoors this year, which will help them in Edward James Dome. The Rams will have to put forth one of their best efforts yet to score the upset.
The Rams are 4-5, but could easily have a solid division lead. They have kept all of their games close, with the exception of a blow-out 44-6 loss to Detroit. Last week, they tied the game late in the fourth quarter, but failed to convert a first down in overtime.
That opened the door for the 49ers to kick the game-winning field goal. It’s been a weakness of their season, unable to win close games. The Rams are 1-4 in games decided by four points or fewer.
"Somehow we've got to find that killer instinct," Bradford said. "We have to be able to put teams away when the game is on the line."
St. Louis will likely present a big challenge for the Falcons, but there are too many weapons in Atlanta’s arsenal. Ryan and the Falcons just look to good to have a letdown game now.
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