Calling on Turner; Falcons v. Cowboys Preview
October 28, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner (33) runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Falcons defeated the Eagles 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE
The Atlanta Falcons have flown under the radar this season. Somehow, the Falcons haven’t gotten the attention of the majority of the nation. They’re sitting at 7-0, and coming off a great win in Philly. Yet somehow there are a lot of people who are skeptical, including Rob Ryan, the Cowboy’s defensive coordinator. Ryan guarantees his team will take this one from the Falcons.
"We’ve got to win this week, and we know it, and we’re going to.”"
This seems incredibly arrogant for a Cowboy’s team who is 3-4. They are coming off a week where they had 6 turnovers, and lost to a division foe at home. They do have a great defense, which is credit to Rob Ryan. In fact, it is the #3 pass defense in the league. They have to combat against the Falcon’s #8 pass offense in the league. This gets me to my first match-up, which is unconventional for my preview articles.
Falcon’s Pass Offense vs. Cowboy’s Pass Offense- On paper, the Cowboy’s passing offense has outplayed the Falcon’s. They average 297.3 passing yards per game, while the Falcons average 270.7 passing yards per game. However, Romo has attempted the pass 283 times, while Matt Ryan has attempted 265. Basically this means that both teams throw more than the average team. Both of these team’s offenses’ are built on the pass. But how can you decide who has the advantage? I look at the skill and consistency of the WR corps. At the tight end position, it is even. Witten and Gonzalez are the definition of consistency at their position. The talent at the WR position for both teams is honestly, about equal. But then it comes down to consistency. That category goes to the Falcons. Nobody knows which Dez Bryant we are going to see in this game. We know we are going to get 100% from Julio Jones and Roddy White. Advantage- Falcon’s Pass Offense
While I am writing about the passing match-up, that isn’t what this game will come down to. This game will come down to two things. Turnovers and the rushing attack. Only one of those I can write about for my second match-up, and that is the running games for both teams.
Micheal Turner vs. Felix Jones- This match-up is way more than just these two players. In fact, these guys probably won’t be the 2 most productive backs in the game. They will, though, get majority carries. If you have read any of my past prediction articles, you should know how I feel about Turner. I think he is not the guy who should be getting majority snaps. But for this particular game, I am on Turner’s side. This game will come down to who is the more productive running team. This season, the Cowboy’s are #13 in stopping the run, but #28 in running the ball. The Falcon’s are a measly 26th in stopping the run, and a poor 24th in running the ball. This will be interesting to see how productive these two running games are. I am calling on Micheal Turner on this game. We need him to rush for 100+ yards, or it could get ugly. Advantage- Falcons
The story this season for the Cowboys is the massive amount of turnovers they have had. Romo has thrown 13 interceptions this season. That is incredible. I can’t wait to see how Nolan can force Romo to throw picks. I expect 2 interceptions against the Falcons for Romo.
This game is a prime-time showdown that features two very talented teams. I think this game will be incredibly close throughout the game. But like I said, this game comes down to turnovers and the rushing attack. The Falcons have the advantage in both areas, and that is why I think they take the game.
Falcons-31, Cowboys-28