Atlanta Falcons 4 keys to victory: Falcons @ Dolphins

So far this year, the Falcons have enjoyed a breakout season from the most unlikely of names (Cordarelle Patterson), and the coming out of their number one 2021 draft pick (Kyle Pitts). Lost among those two pillars is the unfortunate fact that Atlanta’s run game has, unfortunately, been next to non-existent. If Atlanta are to add another W to their wins column, the ground game needs to show up this Sunday, and they’ve a great opportunity to do so.

The Miami Dolphins have allowed over 80 rushing yards in every single game they’ve played this season. The Falcons have managed just three games where they have reached or surpassed that figure. While that’s certainly not ideal, there are signs that the Falcons have been getting better at using their ground weapons in recent weeks. Against the Jets, Cordarelle Patterson and Mike Davis shared the carries pretty evenly, managing just shy of 55 yards rushing each. That remedied an issue that a lot of fans had with the way the end of the Washington game was managed.

More importantly, when facing up to a fairly soft run defense, it means you can lean a little bit more on Mike Davis. While Davis hasn’t exactly set the world alight in 2021, he has an excellent opportunity to this weekend. The fewest yards Miami has held a lead running back to in a game this season is 67 yards (Fournette against the Buccaneers). That number itself would eclipse Davis’ most productive afternoon, which was 53 yards against the Jets. Do you see the opportunity here?

If Atlanta can find a way for Mike Davis and Cordarelle Patterson to succeed on the ground, the Falcons’ afternoon suddenly becomes a little more straightforward. Everything opens up when you have a reliable run game, and the Dolphins have proven time and again this season that they simply cannot handle it when it’s effective.