Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
The 1-2 Atlanta Falcons are ready for battle in their home prime-time matchup this Sunday against the 3-0 New England Patriots. The Falcons are in a tight spot at the moment, and if they lose tonight, their chances of running away with another NFC South title will be slim to none, as the rejuvenated and unbeaten New Orleans Saints are showing no signs of slowing down. But tonight should not be an issue for the Dirty Birds. The Pats may have won three Super Bowls under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, but some seem to forget that it has been almost a decade since their last Lombardi trophy. Their banged up roster is also an obvious indication they are mortal after all, as both tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Danny Amendola are both out for Week 4.
New England is very fortunate to be 3-0. When you look at their 2013 season to date, in reality, who have the Patriots really faced so far? The combined records of their opponents are 3-6, and if records can’t speak for their season, just break down the Pats’ performance through Week 3. The Patriots barely escaped with a win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 with a field goal, and played an unbelievably messy game against the New York Jets in Week 2. Brady looked like a screaming child at Toys R Us against the Jets, as his frustrations from trying to communicate with his young and unfamiliar wide receiving corps reached a boiling point. The Pats did manage to blow out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, but that should not count, as the struggling Bucs are now starting over with rookie quarterback Mike Glennon, and looking to deal a fading Josh Freeman.
When looking at the Falcons so far, their schedule has been surprisingly competitive. They have already faced two teams that have emerged as serious contenders in 2013: The Saints and the now 3-0 Miami Dolphins. Atlanta should be 3-0 right now, as they were in positions to beat the Saints and the Dolphins, but came up short in the end. At this point, the Falcons are their own worst enemy. The Falcons should not take the Patriots lightly tonight, but at the same time, this offense run by Matt Ryan is more than capable of putting away this now beatable Patriots team.
