The Falcons are averaging 160.3 yards rushing per game (2nd in NFL) and they are averaging 4.0 yards per carry.  The credit should go to the offensive line as well as RBs Michael Turner and Jason Snelling.  Turner has carried the ball 58 times for 231 yards (4.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He has also caught 3 passes for 18 yards (6.0 avg) so far this year.  Turner is taking the fight to the defense so far this year for the Falcons.  Jason Snelling has filled in for Turner when he was banged up and when he needed a breather so far this year.  Snelling has carried the ball 40 times for 195 yards (4.9 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far this year and he has also caught 7 passes for 69 yards (9.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.  The Falcons need Turner & Snelling to keep up the good work to keep the offense balanced.

The Falcons appeared to have lost this game in O.T. when Garrett Hartley of the Saints lined up for a 29-yard field goal but he missed it.  Matt Ryan then led the Falcons on a 12 play, 52 yard drive that set up Matt Bryant for the game winning 46-yard field goal.  This was a great win for the Falcons!  Matt Ryan completed 19 of 30 passes for 228 yards with 2 TD passes and 0 INTs in this game.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 26 yards (4.3 ypc) in this game.  Michael Turner got a lot of work in as he carried the ball 30 times for 114 yards (3.8 ypc) with a TD run and he also caught 2 passes for 11 yards.  Jason Snelling also got his touches as he carried the ball 14 times for 62 yards (4.4 ypc) and he caught 1 pass for 8 yards.  Tony Gonzalez (8 rec, 110 yards) and Roddy White (5 rec, 69 yards) each caught 1 TD pass apiece to help lead the way in the Falcons in the passing game yesterday.  The Falcons finished up with 202 yards rushing on 50 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 30 passes for 215 yards. 

The Saints didn’t play that well on D in this game.  LBs Curtis Lofton (8 tackles) and Sean Weatherspoon (7 tackles, 1 QB hit) led the way for the Falcons on D in this game.  Safety Thomas DeCoud (7 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) and CB Brent Grimes (5 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) also helped out on D for the Falcons in this game.  The Saints finished up with 43 yards rushing on 16 carries (2.7 ypc) and they also completed 30 of 38 passes for 355 yards.  The Falcons are now 2-1 on the year.

The Atlanta Falcons got swept by a combined score of 61-50 against the Saints last year.  With that in mind I look for the Falcons to get physical, especially on offense in this game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  I don’t think the Falcons want to get into a fire fight in this game with the Saints.  With that in mind I look for Michael Turner and Jason Snelling to get a lot of work against the Saints on the ground.  In the last meeting of these two teams in New Orleans, Turner carried the ball 20 times for 151 yards (7.6 ypc) with 1 TD run.  The Falcons hope he repeats that feat this weekend so the Falcons can be balanced on offense.  The Saints are giving up 116.5 yards rushing per game and 4.8 ypc so Turner should have a big game.  I think this is the game that Matt Ryan looks to some other receivers as I fully expect the Saints to double cover Roddy White. 

When the Saints have the ball:  The Falcons’ D has 5 sacks and 4 interceptions already this year but that won’t stop Drew Brees from attacking their secondary.  Brees completed 56 of 73 passes (76.7%) for 604 yards with 5 TD passes and 1 INT against the Falcons last year.  The Falcons could also see a heavy dose of Pierre Thomas on the ground as the Falcons are giving up 130.5 yards rushing per game and 5.9 yards per carry.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 30, FALCONS 27

WR Roddy White is off to another outstanding start for the Atlanta Falcons this year.  He has already caught 20 passes for 189 yards (9.5 avg) with 1 TD grab for the Falcons this year.  One sign of trouble though is that he has been targeted 35 times by Matt Ryan so far which is 24 more times than the next receiver on the Falcons (Harry Douglas).  I doubt that the Falcons can sustain success on offense only throwing to one player so Tony Gonzalez, Harry Douglas and Eric Weems need to step up.

The Falcons have signed 24-year old running back Gartrell Johnson.  Johnson played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Giants last season and he carried the ball 13 times for 43 yards (3.3 ypc).  He also returned 1 kickoff for 15 yards last year.  Gartrell Johnson will replace Jerious Norwood as the Falcons’ #3 RB.

The Falcons have lost 27-year old running back Jerious Norwood for the rest of the year with a torn right ACL.  Norwood played in the first two games of the year for the Falcons in which he had 2 carries for 8 yards and 1 catch for 9 yards.  He also returned 4 kickoffs for 97 yards (24.3 avg) this year for the Falcons.  Eric Weems will likely replace Norwood on kickoff returns going forward. 

The Atlanta Falcons took all of their frustration from week #1′s loss to the Steelers out on the Cardinals yesterday and they destroyed them!  Matt Ryan was very solid in this game for the Falcons as he completed 21 of 32 passes for 225 yards with 3 TD passes and 0 INTs.  Michael Turner started this game and he carried the ball 9 times for 75 yards (8.3 ypc) before leaving the game with an ankle injury.  Jason Snelling replaced Turner and he was a beast.  Snelling carried the ball 24 times for 129 yards (5.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs and he also caught 5 passes for 57 yards (11.4 avg) with a TD grab.  WRs Roddy White (7 rec, 78 yards, TD) and Brian Finneran (3 rec, 31 yards, TD) led the way in the passing game for the Falcons in this game.  The Falcons finished up with 221 yards rushing on 45 carries (4.9 ypc) and they completed 21 of 32 passes for 223 yards as they had possession of the ball for 39:13.

The defense had one blip in this game when Tim Hightower had a impressive 80-yard TD run.  Other than that though they were simply dominant.  Rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon led the way for the Falcons in this game with 9 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit.  CBs Dominique Franks, Chris Owens and safety William Moore each had one interception apiece in this game for the Falcons.  The Cardinals finished up with 118 yards rushing on 13 carries (9.1 ypc) and they completed 18 of 33 passes for 149 yards in this game.  The Falcons are now 1-1 on the year.

The Falcons lost a hard fought battle in Pittsburgh last weekend and they are likely to be in a foul mood this Sunday in the home season opener against the Cardinals.  Here is a look at the match-ups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons will likely be much more balanced in the play calling this weekend against the Cardinals.  Look for the Falcons to try to establish a running game early on Sunday with Michael Turner.  If they can get the running game going they hope to get the Cardinals’ safeties to creep up so they can go over the top in the passing game.  Roddy White will likely be really busy in this game but I have a feeling that Harry Douglas, Tony Gonzalez and Eric Weems will be used a lot more in the passing game this week.  I also have a feeling that the Falcons will try to attack the OLBs of the Cardinals a couple of times with passes to Jerious Norwood out of the backfield.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Falcons know that the Cardinals still are a throwing team.  They will try to combine a heavy pass rush with a double team on Larry Fitzgerald most of the game.  They are hoping to force Derek Anderson into a lot of mistakes which he is certainly capable of making.  Steve Breaston will also give the Falcons fits in this game as he caught 7 passes for 132 yards (18.9 avg) last weekend.  Beanie Wells will be returning to action this weekend to split the workload in the running game with Tim Hightower.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 23, CARDINALS 17

Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez got off to rough starts against the Steelers’ D in the season opener last week.  I look for both of them to have a much better showing against the Cardinals in the Falcons’ home opener this Sunday.  Turner carried the ball 19 times for 42 yards (2.2 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass for 7 yards last week while Gonzalez only caught 2 passes for 35 yards (17.5 avg).  Gonzalez has a tough match-up against the safeties of the Cardinals (Kerry Rhodes & Adrian Wilson) but I fully expect Michael Turner to have at least 80 yards rushing this Sunday.

This game was a huge disappointment for the Falcons who had to like there chances going into Pittsburgh with the Steelers starting Dennis Dixon at QB.  Matt Ryan completed 27 of 44 passes for 252 yards with 1 interception but he couldn’t get the Falcons into the end zone.  Michael Turner was busy but he didn’t get very far as he carried the ball 19 times for 44 yards (2.3 ypc) and caught 1 pass for 7 yards.  WR Roddy White also got his work in for the Falcons yesterday with 13 grabs for 111 yards (8.5 avg) yesterday.  The Falcons finished up with 58 yards rushing on 25 carries (2.3 ypc) and they completed 27 of 44 passes for 237 yards passing yesterday.

The Falcons’ D played a great game until the last play when Rashard Mendenhall had a 50-yard run for a TD in OT.  LB Curtis Lofton led the way for the Falcons on D in this game with 11 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit.  S Erik Coleman (9 tackles), LB Sean Weatherspoon (8 tackles) and LB Mike Peterson (6 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) also pitched in on D for the Falcons yesterday.  The Steelers finished up with 143 yards rushing  on 31 carries (4.6 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 26 passes for 211 yards yesterday.  The Falcons start out the 2010 season a very disappointing 0-1.