Game Overview ::
By >> Mike johnson
- Atlanta has had a disappointing season, but their coaching staff is still fighting for their jobs and they have been very competitive most of the season, with four of their last five losses being very close games.
- Kirk Cousins and Kyle Pitts are coming off huge games against the Bucs, while the team hopes to have wide receiver Drake London back after a month-long absence.
- Arizona’s defense has allowed 40+ points in four of their last six games, while allowing the third highest yards per play during the last month.
- The Cardinals backfield continues to rack up injuries, leaving Michael Carter as their primary back for this game as the team rides a league-leading pass rate with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.
JM’S JOURNAL ::
Find JM’s Journal on Friday in The Scroll. If you are an Inner Circle member, you can read JM’s Journal on Thursday in Discord.
How atlanta Will Try To Win ::
The Falcons had a fun game last Thursday night in Tampa Bay as quarterback Kirk Cousins turned in a vintage performance and picked apart the Bucs defense. However, the Falcons offense is built primarily around their running game and all world talent Bijan Robinson. Atlanta has the fourth lowest pass rate relative to expectation in the league since the start of November and ranks seventh in that statistic for the season. The Falcons are hoping to get their top wide receiver, Drake London, back from a multi-week absence due to a knee injury and are coming off their passing game’s best outing of the season, but we should expect their focus in this one to once again begin with their running game against an Arizona defense that has given up nearly 400 rushing yards over the last two weeks. The Cardinals are bottom-3 in the league in adjusted line yards allowed per rush attempt and PFF run defense grade, while grading out as the worst tackling unit in the NFL. Texans practice squad call-up Jawhar Jordan ran for over 100 yards last week in two and a half quarters, so it is safe to assume that Bijan Robinson and, to a lesser extent, Tyler Allgeier, will have no trouble slicing through the Cardinals “defense”.
When Atlanta does take to the air, we can expect London, Robinson, and tight end Kyle Pitts to see the majority of the targets. Speedy wide receiver Darnell Mooney is not the type of receiver built for high volume or certain types of routes, so we can expect him to see a few targets in this one but his role to be more of a field stretcher and afterthought. Assuming London is back and fully healthy, he is going to be a problem for the Cardinals secondary as he was torching everyone prior to his injury. Meanwhile, Pitts is playing the best football of his career and turning into the player he was envisioned as when he was drafted (just in time for free agency). Should London be ruled out, David Sills appears to be the trusted receiver that replaces his role while Pitts becomes an elite target earner and clear favorite of Cousins. The passing game discussion would not be complete without mentioning Bijan Robinson, who is dynamic in the passing game and should be given chances in space against a Cardinals team that tries to funnel targets to the shorter areas of the field. Bijan has six or more targets in half of his games, and this sets up as a spot where he is used in that capacity once again. All three of the Falcons primary offensive weapons – Pitts, Bijan, and London – work best in the areas where Arizona is most vulnerable. Atlanta should be able to do everything they like to do offensively and have a lot of success doing it in this matchup.
You must be logged in to view collective notes about a game.
You must be logged in to add notes about a game.