Atlanta Falcons vs. Houston Texans: Tale of the tape

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The defenses

The Texans own the better defense of the two, and it’s helped keep them in games. They limited the Buccaneers to just nine points last week as the unit carried them to their first victory of the season. J.J. Watt hasn’t hit the sky-high level he did a year ago just yet, but he will crave a ton of attention from Kyle Shanahan. Give him room to make plays and he can be a game-changer.

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The Falcons’ unit is improving, although it’s been unable to sustain good play for four quarters. After a dominant first half against the Eagles, the defense tired and fell away in the second. An awful start last week against the Cowboys—allowing 28 first half points—almost cost them the game, but they bounced back with a second-half shutout.

Atlanta has been good against the run, and it will need to be again, particularly if Foster returns. The biggest struggle has come against the pass, but the matchup with the Texans’ passing game is more favorable.

The Texans are ranked 19th in run defense, which could be good news for Devonta Freeman, fresh off a career-high performance last week.

Next: Blogging Dirty staff predict Falcons-Texans, NFC South games

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