The Atlanta Falcons have enjoyed a nice break and are hoping that some time off will help rejuvenate them heading into the last portion of the season.
The Falcons are sitting at 6-3 and hold a 2-game lead over the last wildcard spot with seven games to play. That is something to be happy about, but what stands in their way is an Indianapolis Colts team that has played well under expectations up until this point.
On top of that, the Colts will be without quarterback Andrew Luck who will miss the game after lacerating his spleen two weeks ago. Facing backup quarterbacks is nothing new for the Falcons in 2015. This will be the fifth backup QB that they will play in their first nine games.
What can you expect the Falcons to get out of the Colts this Sunday? Well, you can expect a team that is extremely hungry to get things back on the right track. Nobody expected the Colts to be 4-5 heading into week 10 but here we are. Both teams are coming off of a BYE and both are in need of a statement win.
The Colts will turn to 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck to saddle up for the Colts, something he has already done twice in 2015 while the Falcons will turn to Matt Ryan who has not looked the same as of late. Both teams have very different makeups and those will show on Sunday.
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The Colts will be looking to take what the defense gives them. Hasselbeck knows how to pick defenses apart and will be looking to take the easy throws rather than force the ball downfield. The Falcons on the other hand will look to get the running game going early and often and exploit a weak Colts’ defense through the air when they least expect it.
The Colts’ biggest challenge defensively will be to slow down Julio Jones. With all of the focus on Jones, the Falcons need to find other ways to move the ball down field. If they are able to do that, the Falcons will win easily. However, you cannot write off the Colts. No team in the NFL can be written off. That’s something not a lot of people can get through their heads.
The Falcons’ defense will have their hands full with a potent Colts’ receiving corps and will need all hands on deck to help keep them at bay. Whoever converts more third downs will win this game. It’s up to the defense that can get off the field more to decide who comes out with a win. Let’s hope the Falcons can do enough in what i’m calling a must-win game.