Predicting the Atlanta Falcons season: Weeks 5 through 8
Week 7: Atlanta Falcons @ Cincinnati Bengals on October 23rd
This seems like it will be this year’s version of last year’s Cowboys game for the Atlanta Falcons. One where you will have the TV off by the time halftime rolls around.
Think about the Cowboys game from last year and why they lost 43-3. It was because the Cowboys had Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb to throw to. See where this is going?
The Bengals have Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, so even if A.J. Terrell and Casey Hayward shut down their guys, Isaiah Oliver still has to tangle with Tyler Boyd. They also brought in Hayden Hurst at tight end and still have Joe Mixon at running back.
There are a lot of weapons for this Bengals team and that is a bad recipe for the Falcons. If they want any shot at competing in this game they will have to have guys like Lorenzo Carter, Arnold Ebiketie, and DeAngelo Malone step up in a big way. Simply cannot win this game without a dominant pass rush.
Then Marcus Mariota will have to carve through a defense that helped them to the Super Bowl last year. Sure they are an offensive-driven team but the defense still did enough to help them win last season.
They have to do all of this while playing on the road in a city that has been waiting to see a contending team, and now that they finally have that they are going to bring the noise.
It just does not look good on paper for the Dirty Birds, for a third consecutive week.