Ball Security Is Key To Atlanta Falcons’ Week 11 Win
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The Atlanta Falcons will hit the road to take on the Carolina Panthers in an NFC South showdown on Sunday. Neither team has played particularly well on defense this season, setting this game up to be a high-scoring affair. The Falcons will have to take care of the football and make every possession count, making ball security the key to a Week 11 win.
This season, the Falcons are 3-0 when Matt Ryan doesn’t throw an interception or lose a fumble. Five of the Falcons’ six losses this year have been by 14 points or less, meaning Atlanta has had opportunities to be more competitive than their 3-6 record would suggest. An extra possession or a 14-point swing caused by a turnover could easily decide these games.
In 2013, the Falcons dropped both games against the Panthers, including an ugly 31-10 loss in their last visit to Carolina, where Ryan threw three interceptions. In their second meeting, the Falcons lost by a close score of 21-20, but Ryan tossed another interception, though that could be attributed to the offensive line allowing nine sacks and Ryan dealing with pressure all day.
The good news for Atlanta is the Panthers allow 122.4 rushing yards per game on the year. They should be able establish the run early, setting Ryan up to succeed through the air.
This will be a game where we’ll see little defense and a ton of points. It’s tough to win on the road, but the Falcons have the play-makers to get it done. If Ryan can play a clean game and get the ball to Julio Jones and Roddy White, Atlanta has a good chance to come away with a win and climb back into the playoff conversation in an outrageously bad NFC South.
The Falcons have the better receivers, a better running game and, as we saw from Carolina’s performance on Monday night, a better offensive line. Ryan has the better weapons around him — it could even be argued that he has some of the best in the NFL — but it’s up to him to take care of the football.
Brenden McLaughlin is a Baltimore Ravens writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @b_maction or add him to your network on Google.
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