The Falcons come into this game pretty hot as they have won three of their last four games. The Giants have also won three of their last four games.  The Falcons are 4-4 on the road this year and the Giants are 4-4 at home this year.  Here’s a look at some pretty even matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons gameplan will likely be to pound at the Giants’ D with Michael Turner for a while.  The Giants are giving up 121.3 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry this year, so Turner could be in line for a really big game this Sunday.  The Giants have 48 sacks this year, but the Falcons’ O-Line does a good job of keeping Matt Ryan’s jersey clean.  They are still going to have to double Giants’ DE Jason Pierre-Paul who had 16.5 sacks this year.  Matt Ryan is likely going to be throwing the short stuff to WR Roddy White and TE Tony Gonzalez early in the game, before taking some shots downtown to rookie WR Julio Jones as he has speed to burn.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are going to come out throwing the ball this Sunday.  Eli Manning should have plenty of time to throw the ball this Sunday, so he’s likely to be pretty effective this Sunday.  WRs Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks are two of the best long ball threats in the NFL, so the Falcons’ CBs are going to have their hands full.  Look for the Falcons to try to let their safeties give help over the top against Nicks and Cruz this Sunday.  Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs had off-years, but they can change that at any time as they are a very talented pair of RBs.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 33, GIANTS 30

The Falcons will know before this game even starts if they have a shot at the #5 seed in the NFC Playoffs.  If the Packers beat the Lions tomorrow at 1 o’clock, the Falcons would move into the #5 slot in the playoffs and take on the winner of the AFC East….with a win over the Bucs.  If the Lions win against the Packers, the Falcons will likely rest a lot of their players.  The Buccaneers have lost 9 games in a row and they have been especially pathetic the last four weeks in which they have been outscored by a combined score of 158-64!  The Bucs did beat the Falcons 16-13 in Tampa in the first meeting back in September between these two teams.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons will likely come out running the ball with either Michael Turner or a combo of Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling against a Bucs’ D that is giving up 149.7 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.  The Bucs’ pass D (242.5 yards per game) also sucks so Matt Ryan or Chris Redman are likely going to have a good game tomorrow throwing the pill.  The Falcons are going to throw the ball a lot more if this game has any meaning tomorrow.

When the Bucs have the ball:  LeGarrette Blount ended last week in Raheem Morris’ Dog House and that’s a good thing for the Falcons.  He is a big back who is hard to bring down, if he gets much of a chance to play.  QB Josh Freeman has had a hard time lately due to a bum shoulder, so he will likely keep the passing game of the shorter variety.  The Falcons will need to cover TE Kellen Winslow and WR Mike Williams closely as they are Freeman’s favorite targets in the passing game.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 27, BUCCANEERS 16

The Falcons are pretty hot right now as they have won six of their last eight games.  The Falcons are surging towards a playoff berth, but they can’t afford to overlook the visiting Jaguars tomorrow.  The Jaguars thumped the Buccaneers 41-14 last Sunday in Jacksonville, so they have to be feeling good about themselves going into tomorrow’s game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons are going to likely try to be balanced in this game.  Michael Turner is going to get challenged as the front seven of the Jaguars’ isn’t that bad.  The Jaguars don’t mount much of a pass rush and their secondary is pretty weak due to injuries.  Matt Ryan should be able to have success on the underneath routes to WR Roddy White and TE Tony Gonzalez.  As soon as the defense creeps up to stop the run and short passes, that’s when Matt Ryan is going to go over the top down the field to rookie WR Julio Jones.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  The whole Jags offense revolves around RB Maurice Jones-Drew (1,222 rushing yards and 348 receiving yards).  The Falcons are only giving up 95.2 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry, so they should be up to the challenge.  The Jaguars don’t scare anyone with their passing game as Blaine Gabbert has not looked good this year.  The Falcons will need to watch for Maurice Jones-Drew out of the backfield and TE Marcedes Lewis when Gabbert drops back to throw the ball.  WRs Kassim Osgood, Chastin West and Jarrett Dillard scare no one as none of them demand a double team.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 27, JAGUARS 13

The Atlanta Falcons lost a tough game last weekend 17-10 to the Texans in Houston.  The Falcons beat the Panthers in Atlanta earlier this year 31-17.  This is a huge game for the Falcons.  The Panthers have won two games in a row, so they have to be feeling good about themselves right now.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons need to remain balanced on offense in this game.  Look for them to come out running the ball with Michael Turner against a Panthers’ D that is allowing 132.5 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  Running the ball will keep Cam Newton and the rest of his offense on the bench.  The Panthers have a good pass rush and a poor secondary, so if the O-Line gives Matt Ryan time to throw the ball….he’s going to have a big game.  Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, Harry Douglas and Julio Jones give the Falcons a lot of firepower and I look for Matt Ryan to spread the ball around to all of them this weekend.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Falcons are going to need to stop the Panthers’ running game and force Cam Newton to throw the ball.  They have a good chance of doing exactly that as the Falcons are only giving up 90.0 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry.  LB Curtis Lofton will probably be shadowing Cam Newton to stop him from taking off out of the pocket and running the ball.  The Falcons will likely try to give safety help over the top on Steve Smith and dare Cam Newton to beat them by throwing the ball to someone else.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, PANTHERS 23

The Falcons have won two games in a row as they appear to be back on the right path.  The Texans have won five games in a row, but they are on their 3rd string QB, rookie Tyler Yates, who will be making his first NFL start this weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Texans have the best defense in the entire NFL, so the Falcons are going to try to have to be balanced and mix things up with the playcalling, including using more pass play on first down.  Michael Turner could have a surprisingly good game this weekend as the Texans are only giving up 92.5 yards rushing per game this year, but 4.2 yards per carry.  The Texans are a blitz heavy defense (35 sacks this year) and they force QBs into making mistakes (15 interceptions), so Matt Ryan is going to have to be careful with the football this Sunday.  Matt Ryan is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly this Sunday, while also being careful with the ball….and that’s often hard to do.  Roddy White, Julio Jones, Harry Douglas and Tony Gonzalez are going to have to catch short passes and make things happen after they get the ball this weekend.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are likely to be run heavy in this game despite the Falcons only giving up 83.5 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry.  Arian Foster and Ben Tate are going to seriously challenge the front seven of the Falcons.  The Falcons will need to get a solid pass rush on T.J. Yates, because he has the weapons to throw to in order to have success with his right arm.  Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels are likely to be Yates’ top targets in the passing game, so the Falcons’ secondary will have to pay special attention to them.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 20, FALCONS 17

These two teams are going in opposite directions.  The Falcons have won 4 of their last 5 games while the Vikings have lost four of their last five games.  That being said, the Falcons can’t overlook the Vikings this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons are going to try to establish a running game this Sunday with Michael Turner.  Turner is going to have to fight for every yard he gets in this game as the Vikings are only allowing 3.7 yards per carry this year.  If Turner gets going early in the game, it will slow the Vikings’ impressive pass rush (31 sacks already this year) and give Matt Ryan the time he needs to attack the weak secondary of the Vikings.  Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez are in line to have big games this weekend.  Harry Douglas will also get his fair share of looks in this game.

When the Vikings have the ball:  The Vikings have been a run first team this year, but with Toby Gerhart starting in place of an injured Adrian Peterson, that might change this weekend.  The Vikings have allowed 30 sacks so far this year, so the Falcons are going to probably amp up the blitzing a little bit in this game.  Christian Ponder does have some solid guys to throw to in Percy Harvin (the only real deep threat on the team) and Michael Jenkins.  He also likes throwing to his TEs a little bit (Visanthe Shiancoe and Kyle Rudolph).

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 23, VIKINGS 21

The Atlanta Falcons have been hot lately as they have won their last three games by a combined score of 75-40!  The Falcons hope to keep rolling this weekend at home against the division rival New Orleans Saints.  The Saints have not played their best football on the road where they are 2-3 on the road.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons are likely going to be a run first team this weekend by pounding RB Michael Turner at the Saints’ D which is allowing 119.7 yards rushing per game and 5.3 yards per carry.  Establishing Turner and the running game will slow down the pass rush a little bit and give Ryan a chance to take advantage of the Saints’ secondary.  The Falcons will likely set up the passing game the same way that they did last weekend against the Colts by taking shots to Julio Jones deep, while throwing the short stuff to Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are a pass first team as they are averaging 319.1 yards passing per game so far this year.  The Falcons are going to have to get after Drew Brees, or he’s going to likely shred the secondary.  The Falcons will have a hard time matching up with the Saints’ WRs, RBs and TEs in the passing game as Brees uses all of his weapons in the passing game.  The Falcons must also be ready to deal with the talented trio of RBs (Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles) the Saints have.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, SAINTS 27

The Atlanta Falcons are back on the right track after back to back wins over the Panthers & Lions.  The Colts are reeling as they have not played a close game in four weeks.  They have been outscored 116-34 in their last three games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Colts have a terrible defense all the way around, so look for the Falcons to do whatever they choose offensively.  They will likely unleash Michael Turner on the Colts’ D, which is allowing 144.0 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry.  Matt Ryan hasn’t really looked too good this year, but that’s all going to change this Sunday.  The Colts are giving up 258.9 yards passing per game and opposing QBs have a 111.2 QB Rating against them.  This might be the game that Matt Ryan feels comfortable throwing the ball down the field more to Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez.

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts have been running the ball better as of late with Delone Carter, Donald Brown and Joseph Addai…..but, for some reason the Colts are stubborn and keep throwing the ball like they think Peyton Manning is still playing QB.  Curtis Painter will not scare the Falcons’ defense at all this Sunday.  The Falcons will need to give whoever is covering Pierre Garcon help over the top as he is a gamebreaker.  They should be able to handle all of the rest of the WRs and TEs with single coverage.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, COLTS 13

The Atlanta Falcons are 1-2 on the road this year, while the Lions are 2-1 at home.  The Falcons got a nice and very convincing win on the road against the Panthers last weekend, while the Niners were giving the Lions their first loss of the season.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons are likely going to have the same gameplan that they used last weekend against the Panthers.  They are going to feed the ball to Michael Turner against a Lions’ D that is giving up 129.5 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry.  As soon as the Lions creep up to help stop Turner, that is when Matt Ryan will take some shots down the field to Roddy White.  They will also likely use Tony Gonzalez heavily in this game.

When the Lions have the ball:  The Lions don’t have much of a running game anymore with Jahvid Best and Jerome Harrison out for a while.  The Falcons need DEs John Abraham and Ray Edwards to get after Matt Stafford, or they could be in for a long day.  That’s because the Falcons are giving up 282.8 yards passing per game so far this year.  Calvin Johnson, Titus Young, Nate Burleson and Brandon Pettigrew are going to give the secondary of the Falcons problems this Sunday.  Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams are going to split up the carries for the Lions this weekend and the Falcons’ front seven should be able to handle them.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, LIONS 27

The Atlanta Falcons have alternated wins and losses so far this year, so they are in line to win this weekend at home against the Panthers.  The Panthers have lost two heartbreakers in a row to the Bears and Saints by a combined score of 64-56.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons should get back to feeding the ball to Michael Turner this weekend.  The Panthers have had serious issues at linebacker due to injuries as they are giving up 135.2 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.  With Julio Jones out of this game due to a hamstring injury, Matt Ryan is going to settle for the shorter stuff in the passing game to Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Tony Gonzalez.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The front seven of the Falcons is going to have to deal with DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton in the running game while also applying pressure to Newton when he drops back to pass.  They should be up to the challenge of stopping the running game as the Falcons are only giving up 89.2 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry so far this year.  The Falcons need to give safety help to whichever corner is guarding Steve Smith.  That means that the rest of the corners will likely be on their own against Brandon LaFell and Legedu Naanee.  TEs Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen could give the Falcons trouble in this game.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 28, PANTHERS 27