Atlanta Falcons

Falcons at Broncos: Preview, Predictions, and More

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

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Atlanta Falcons vs Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos haven’t given up more than 20 points in a game this season. The Atlanta Falcons worst offensive performance was a 24-point game in Week 1. Last week the Broncos held their opponent to seven points. The Falcons dropped more than 40 for the second week in a row by putting up 48 on the defensive-minded Panthers.

Last season Atlanta went 8-8 after flying out of the gates. Their offense was never an issue, but their defense sure was. They struggled all season to get pressure on quarterbacks, and that problem has continued into this season.

Denver didn’t have that problem in 2015. They went 12-4 under their first-year head coach Gary Kubiak. The former Broncos quarterback turned them into a tougher offense while keeping their defensive integrity in tact.

They got hot in the post season and no one could touch them. When all the dust settled, the Broncos were holding up the Lombardi Trophy and everyone else was envious. That title has given them a target on their back, but still no one has knocked them down a peg.

This is a classic battle of offense versus defense as you have the number one offense, 38.0 points per game by the Falcons, against the number five defense, 16.0 points per game surrendered by Denver.

Oct 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) reacts with team mates on the bench during the game against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Panthers 48-33. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

How has Atlanta looked?

Atlanta’s high-octane offense is led by quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones. Last week the two went off in a game where it looked like they could be slowed down.

The Carolina Panthers are known as a defensive powerhouse, but Ryan tossed 503 yards passing with four touchdowns. Jones was the recipient of 300 of those yards and scored one touchdown. Going into the game there was a question whether or not Atlanta was for real. That question isn’t there anymore.

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Jones is on a monster streak right now. He enters Week 5 with 22 receptions for 488 yards and three touchdowns. He is averaging an NFL best 96.9 yards per game in his career (ten yards ahead of Calvin Johnson who was at 86 for his career) and is doing better in 2016 than ever before.

Through four games Jones is getting 22.2 yards per catch. That’s well above his career average of 15.3 yards per grab.

While their passing game is exciting, it isn’t their only weapon. What makes the success of that attack sustainable is that they feature Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman in their running game. As a team they have 498 yards rushing with five touchdowns and no fumbles.

Pay too much attention to Julio, the running backs will march down the field. Put too many in the box to shut down their running attack and Jones is running deep all by himself.

This offense is clicking. The defense…well not so much. They struggle a bit on that side of the ball, but they have a lot of young improving players. Still, they have enough offense to compete with anyone.

Oct 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA;Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) catches the ball for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

How Has Denver Looked?

As for Denver, they’ve been led on offense by their wide receiving duo Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. The two started off slow with new quarterback Trevor Siemian, but have found a groove with the young signal-caller in recent weeks.

Running back C.J. Anderson has been up-and-down. He started the season looking like a man possessed, but the last couple of games he has been stuffed. He rushed for 49 yards on 19 carries in Week 4 after having 37 yards on 14 carries the week before.

With teams stacking the box on him, Siemian, Sanders, and Thomas have made them pay. Yet, that’s not why the Broncos win.

The strength of this team is the defense. Outside linebacker Von Miller had 25 sacks over the past two seasons and isn’t slowing down yet. In four games he has taken down opposing quarterbacks 5.5 times and the entire defense feeds off of him.

Can Von Miller and his pals slow the Falcons down? Or will the Dirty Birds keep soaring?

Oct 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) drops back to pass in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Who Wins and Why?

The biggest question is who plays at quarterback for Denver? Siemian sat out a good portion of the win against Tampa Bay after suffering a left-shoulder injury. Now the team says it will be a game day decision who plays. The second question is, does it matter? Paxton Lynch replaced Siemian and threw for 170 with one touchdown and no picks. He had a quarterback rating of 94.1 for his first contest.

It’s a small sample size, but Lynch looked the part. With this defense, Denver shouldn’t miss a beat with him under center if Siemian did sit out. Some could argue they may even be better as Lynch is a much bigger threat to throw it downfield.

For Atlanta the key will be making stops on defense. They will get beat and will struggle with Thomas and Sanders. However, they don’t need to be a shut-down team because they can score the ball.

Denver will slow Atlanta down more than any team has, but they won’t put up seven like Tampa. The problem comes down to Atlanta’s rough defense. They won’t be up to the task and when they need a big stop, they won’t be able to get it. Denver will take one that’s closer than expected.

Pick: Denver Broncos: 27, Atlanta Falcons: 24

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