The Atlanta Falcons leaned on their operating recreation of their assertion 24-15 win over the division rival Saints in Week 12. With the offense determining a successful system and a mushy schedule immediately forward of it, Atlanta is about to run away with the NFC South.
The Falcons uncovered the weak hyperlink of New Orleans protection by thrashing them with 228 dashing yards, negating the Saints’ benefit within the secondary.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder stays idiot’s gold. He tried to offer New Orleans the win with a pair of interceptions, reminding everybody why he should not be trusted when the Falcons face more durable competitors. Higher groups than New Orleans (5-6) will not lose that recreation.
However head coach Arthur Smith properly adopted a run-first strategy towards the Saints, Atlanta’s finest path to a division crown.
Whereas Ridder is not a risk to get the Falcons previous the wild-card spherical, he ought to be capable to handle Atlanta (5-6) to the playoffs.
The Falcons go on the street to play the New York Jets (4-7) subsequent week and comply with that with video games towards the Tampa Bay Bucs (4-7), Carolina Panthers (1-10), Indianapolis Colts (6-5) and Chicago Bears (3-8) earlier than their regular-season finale in New Orleans.
Indianapolis is the very best group Atlanta performs the remainder of the season, however it has its personal struggles stopping the run. The Colts have allowed over 100 yards dashing in eight of their 11 video games, together with 125 dashing yards and 6.6 yards per carry to a horrible Tampa Bay dashing assault in Week 12.
The Falcons are poised to go on a run over the subsequent month to place the division away. After all, Atlanta had an ideal alternative earlier than its bye to distance itself within the division by going through rookies Will Levis, Jaren Corridor and a 1-8 Arizona group in consecutive weeks however went 0-3 as a substitute.
Nothing is a given in the case of the Falcons. Nevertheless, if Smith follows the blueprint he laid out towards the Saints – run the ball and hold it out of Ridder’s palms – Atlanta would possibly end first within the division nobody desires to win.
