Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons vs. Oakland Raiders: preview, predictions, and thoughts

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Falcons are heading to Oakland to face off against the Raiders. Will the Falcons get their season on track with a win against the Raiders?

Last week was a disappointing way to start the new NFL season. Although the Atlanta Falcons were not the better team against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Falcons still almost had a chance to win the game.

In the NFL, teams cannot afford to lose games. Teams especially cannot afford to lose games to divisional rivals, which is what the Falcons did when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, despite taking a loss in week one, the Falcons have a chance to win their second game of the season when they play the Oakland Raiders.

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The Raiders last week had to generate a comeback to win their game. Oakland’s defense was soft and easy to pass the ball on, and Saints future Hall of Fame passer, Drew Brees, did just that.

This week, if the Falcons want to defeat the Raiders then they will need to copy what the Saints did. They will need to pass early, often, and efficiently if they want to win. Matt Ryan showed last week that he is still a good-great quarterback. I expect big things from the former Boston College quarterback.

If the Falcons o-line can hold for a few seconds against the Raiders pass-rush, then Ryan will have great success.

However, the Raiders have a talented group of players on their offense. Players like Amari Cooper, Derek Carr, and Latavius Murray will all be doing their best to expose the Falcons timid defense.

Overall, I expect the Falcons to start hot due to the presence of their veteran quarterback. By using their run game to manage the clock and yardage, the Falcons should dominate in time of possession.

My prediction for the game is 27-24 Falcons.

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