The Falcons are ten-point underdogs out in Los Angeles this Sunday, but after a strong showing (except for the 4th quarter) against the Saints and a few storylines worth watching for the Rams, could the Falcons be in a position to steal a victory out west?
Opening night saw the Rams fall to the Bills convincingly while giving up big plays, turning the ball over three times and allowing seven sacks. Their week one performance followed an offseason filled with retirement rumors, losses on the offensive line and injury concerns, leading Falcons' play-by-play voice Wes Durham to wonder aloud about the state of the Rams heading into Sunday.
“I am not convinced the Rams are healthy. There’s something weird going on out there; Jalen Ramsey did not look himself on opening night, I think Aaron Donald is still Aaron Donald…and look, we all respect Matthew Stafford and the career he’s had and the success he’s had, but there’s something going on there and I’m just not sure what it is. I don’t know that LA is 100% healthy, and if Atlanta gets up early on Sunday by running the football, I think gets really interesting for the Rams," Durham told The Steakhouse on 92.9 The Game.
While Donald remains on his perch as the best defensive player in the sport, the next two levels of the Rams' defense could be vulnerable to a certain degree with LB Leonard Floyd questionable due to injury and Ramsay perhaps still shaking off the rust after offseason shoulder surgery.
As for Stafford, questions about his elbow remain and he's behind an offensive line with three new starters going up against a seemingly-improved Falcons pass rush that got to Jameis Winston four times in week one.
Despite the limitations, the Rams still have plenty of talent, but the Falcons squad we saw at Mercedes Benz Stadium for 45 minutes can hang with the Rams. Now, it’s time to see if they can play a full four quarters.