John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons will be coming home this weekend to the Georgia Dome to take on the St. Louis Rams Sept. 15. So far, the Rams are 1-0, but come Sunday, the Falcons are going to make the statement that “The Greatest Show on Turf” is old news. And rest assured Falcons running back Steven Jackson will remind Rams quarterback Sam Bradford and the rest of his offense what they’re missing in this anticipated reunion.
The Falcons may have stumbled a little, Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, but this week will be much better. Dealing with the Saints’ surprising defensive performance has definitely put this Falcons offensive line on their heels, which also means things will not be taken lightly going forward. Even for his age, Jackson’s explosiveness is still very much existent, which will definitely allow him to storm the gates against this Rams defense. Even though the Rams’ front four looked pretty solid against the Arizona Cardinals Week 1 by sacking quarterback Carson Palmer four times and holding Arizona running back Rashard Mendenhall to just 60 yards rushing, the secondary showed their weakness in the passing game by allowing Palmer to throw for over 300 yards. This is will be a good thing for Jackson and the Falcons’ offense, as Jackson’s versatility will give him the ability to catch passes in short yard situations and in the screen game to produce positive yards. This will also eventually open up the entire passing game for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
Besides Jackson’s abilities, the Falcons have other things going for them. They have a ridiculous record at home already, and they have not lost back-to-back games since 2009. So look for Jackson to turn up the heat for the Dirty Birds on Sunday.
Sarah Woodall is an Atlanta Falcons writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahWoodallRS, or add her to your network on Google.
