The Atlanta Falcons are 2-0 after a 4th quarter comeback victory against the new look Green Bay Packers. With another Victory Monday behind us, it's time to prepare for the next NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions. Jared Goff is having a nice start to the season but the team is a bit banged up with several injuries the Falcons need to capitalize on to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Jared Goff has settled in as the Lions signal caller. By keeping the offense moving, making the necessary throws, and making good decisions, Goff, along with his head coach Dan Campbell, are winning over the Detroit faithful. With a stat line of 50-70 for 576 and 4 touchdowns and a QBR of 109, the defensive line needs to be able to win the line of scrimmage, and make the quarterback uncomfortable. Another player they’ll need to make uncomfortable is rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
With running back David Montgomery doubtful to play with a thigh injury, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has a chance for a breakout game. Being the second running back taken off the board in the 2023 NFL draft, behind Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson, Lions faithful are anxious to see the 12th overall pick put his stamp on their offense the way they’ve seen Robinson impact Atlanta’s offense. Gibbs has had only 14 carries so far this season but is averaging 4.2 yards a carry and two 10+ yard runs.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has yet to let loose on NFL quarterbacks this season, not yet recording a sack. It would be in the Falcons’ best interest to keep his number at zero for one more week by protecting Desmond Ridder in the pocket, even if that means max protection as he recorded 9.5 sacks last season. The Lions will more than likely try to stop Robinson in the backfield (and everywhere else Smith lines him up), creating looks for Kyle Pitts and Drake London, giving the offense the chance to spread the field.
Montgomery isn’t the only player with an injury for the Lions heading into week 3 however. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker (ankle), safety Kerby Joseph (hip), offensive guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) and linebacker James Houston (ankle) will all be out for Sunday's game, along with safety CJ Gardner-Johnson (pectoral) and defensive Emmanuel Moseley (ACL) who have been placed on IR.
The Falcons for their part, just keep getting healthier. Though joker Cordarrelle Patterson and defensive back Jeff Okudah are still on the the questionable list, they’ve been spotted at practice and could be upgraded on game day, which would give Okudah the chance to punish his old team.
Fly with the Falcons as they head up to Detroit for a battle of grit, Sunday, September 24th at 1:00pm on FOX. Tune into 92.9 The Game for your Atlanta Falcons games, game day coverage and updates on Audacy.com or the Audacy app.
