Raiders at Falcons Preview

This week the Oakland Raiders travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons in a matchup between the AFC and the NFC. The Falcons are coming off of a 24-17 win over the Washington Redskins and look to bring their perfect record to 6-0. The Oakland Raiders on the other hand are looking to rebound from a 37-6 thrashing at the hands of the Denver Broncos two weeks ago. The Raiders hope that their bye week has given them enough time to come up with a game plan to stop the Atlanta offense. I don’t think it has.
The Atlanta Falcons are averaging 376.4 yards a game on offense with Matt Ryan throwing for 281.6 of those. Michael Turner and the Falcons’ rushing attack has accounted for 94.8 yards per game as well. I would like to see this increase as the year goes on, but so far I can’t argue with results. The Falcons are 5-0 and the passing attack has been a decisive factor in this season’s success. The Raiders’ defense is not what it once was. So far this season they have allowed their opponents to gain 411.5 yards per game with 283 of those coming through the air. The Oakland rush defense has not performed well either this season giving up 128.5 yards per game on the ground. I have to give the edge to the Falcons’ offense in the game. I expect Matt Ryan and his receivers to light up the field and Michael Turner and the other backs to have one of their better rushing games so far.
Oakland’s offense has gained 318.8 yards per game with only 60.8 yards coming on the ground. So far the Raiders have the worst rushing attack in the league. The Atlanta defense is giving up 142.8 rushing yards per game, but I believe that they will be able to contain Darren McFadden and the Raiders’ ground game. This leaves the chance for an Oakland victory in the hands of Carson Palmer. So far the Raiders’ passing game is averaging 258 yards per game while the Atlanta defense has held their opponents to only 203 passing yards per game. I think that the Atlanta defense’s ability to swarm the ball and confuse the quarterback will limit Palmer’s efficiency and production. I see the Atlanta Falcons’ offense outstripping the Raiders and coming away with a 28-17 victory.