The Atlanta Falcons leaned on their operating sport of their assertion 24-15 win over the division rival Saints in Week 12. With the offense determining a profitable components and a mushy schedule straight forward of it, Atlanta is about to run away with the NFC South.
The Falcons uncovered the weak hyperlink of New Orleans protection by thrashing them with 228 speeding yards, negating the Saints’ benefit within the secondary.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder stays idiot’s gold. He tried to provide New Orleans the win with a pair of interceptions, reminding everybody why he should not be trusted when the Falcons face more durable competitors. Higher groups than New Orleans (5-6) will not lose that sport.
However head coach Arthur Smith properly adopted a run-first method in opposition to the Saints, Atlanta’s greatest path to a division crown.
Whereas Ridder is not a menace to get the Falcons previous the wild-card spherical, he ought to be capable to handle Atlanta (5-6) to the playoffs.
The Falcons go on the highway to play the New York Jets (4-7) subsequent week and observe that with video games in opposition to the Tampa Bay Bucs (4-7), Carolina Panthers (1-10), Indianapolis Colts (6-5) and Chicago Bears (3-8) earlier than their regular-season finale in New Orleans.
Indianapolis is one of the best workforce Atlanta performs the remainder of the season, however it has its personal struggles stopping the run. The Colts have allowed over 100 yards speeding in eight of their 11 video games, together with 125 speeding yards and 6.6 yards per carry to a horrible Tampa Bay speeding assault in Week 12.
The Falcons are poised to go on a run over the following month to place the division away. After all, Atlanta had an ideal alternative earlier than its bye to distance itself within the division by going through rookies Will Levis, Jaren Corridor and a 1-8 Arizona workforce in consecutive weeks however went 0-3 as an alternative.
Nothing is a given with regards to the Falcons. Nonetheless, if Smith follows the blueprint he laid out in opposition to the Saints – run the ball and hold it out of Ridder’s arms – Atlanta would possibly end first within the division nobody needs to win.
