ESPN Unanimous in Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Jets Predictions

There aren't many teams the Atlanta Falcons can look down their beaks at, so to speak, but the New York Jets are one of them. The Falcons head to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on the Jets in East Rutherford, N.J., and the Dirty Birds, sitting at 4-7, find themselves a 2.5 point favorite over the 2-9 Jets.

The Falcons are tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL of not making the playoffs. The Falcons haven't entered the postseason since 2017, but the Jets haven't been since 2010 and have had just one winning season in that span (10-6 in 2015).

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However, the Jets are 2-2 in their last two games with back-to-back victories over the Bengals and Browns before losing on the road to the Patriots and Ravens.

Atlanta is coming off a win against the Saints that broke a five-game losing streak of their own. ESPN's panel of analysts, which includes reporter Pamela Maldonado, fantasy analyst Eric Moody, and analytics writer Seth Walder, is unanimous in picking the Falcons to make it two in a row.

ESPN's Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Jets Predictions

Maldonado's pick: Falcons 16, Jets 13
Moody's pick: Falcons 21, Jets 17
Walder's pick: Falcons 19, Jets 16
FPI prediction: ATL, 56.6% (by an average of 2.8 points)

The Jets will face a familiar face in their former defensive coordinator, and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, but Ulbrich's defense is unlike any the Falcons have seen before. Atlanta has had the worst pass rush in the NFL for any length of time that one chooses to look back, but that's changed this year.

The Falcons have recorded four straight games with at least five sacks. They look to become the fourth team since 1963 (when team sacks became official) with a five-game five-sack streak.
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However, if the Falcons are going to have success against the Jets offensive line, it won't come against their right tackle.

"Jets OT Armand Membou will record a 100% pass block win rate," Walder wrote as his bold prediction for the game. "After starting the season on fire, Membou has settled in with a 91% pass block win rate that ranks 22nd out of 68 qualifiers. Leonard Floyd, who Membou should see more than anyone else, is an experienced pass rusher but not an elite threat."

It's a bit of a strange choice by Walder. Floyd has been good off the edge for the Falcons, but he has just 1.5 sacks on the season. That would seem to bode well for Membou, but Floyd's 1.5 sacks in 10th on the Falcons. Brandon Dorlus (6.0), Jalon Walker (5.0), Zach Harrison (4.5), and James Pearce (4.0) are all capable of rushing from the left side of the Falcons defense.

Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. and will be carried locally on FOX.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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