Five Burning Questions for Falcons and Seahawks

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are matching up with one of the NFC’s best teams in Week 14. The Seattle Seahawks come to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a matchup both teams are eager to win.

For the Falcons, it is a chance to stop the bleeding of a season that has gotten away from them. They have come away losers in six of their last seven games, and this team is desperate for a positive result. On the other side, the Seahawks reside in a competitive NFC West where every win could prove to be the difference in a division title or a wild-card slot.

What will dictate Sunday’s game? See below for some keys to this matchup.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

CAN THE FALCONS CLOSE A GAME OUT?

The Falcons have been painstakingly close on several occasions this season. All of their last four losses have come by one score or less, with a missed extra point, a game-winning field goal, or an overtime meltdown being the cause.

Frustrating, yes, but that is life in the NFL, and the Falcons are still learning how to finish games.

“We've had so many close games that we've had opportunities,” offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. “It happens in football. Everybody is a competitor, whether you're playing, coaching, you've been a part of these close games, and you're trying to find a way to win these games.”

The Falcons have five more opportunities to show they have learned their lesson.

Will Drake London play on Sunday? | Lisi Niesner/Reuters via Imagn Images

WHAT IS THE HEALTH OF THESE KEY STARTERS?

The Falcons have had a pair of star players on their injury report this week. Drake London has been absent from both of their last two games as he returns from a knee injury, while Brandon Dorlus is a new addition to the injury report after he picked up a groin injury.

Aside from Bijan Robinson, London is the most indispensable offensive player for the Falcons. The sooner they can get him back into the mix, the better. Defensively, Dorlus leads the team in sacks (6.0) and has taken off in his second season with the Falcons. Losing him would be detrimental to their pass rush.

Additionally, defensive lineman David Onyemata has been absent from practices this week. The interior defender has been one of the more consistent run defenders this season.

Can the Falcons pressure Sam Darnold? | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

GET SOME PRESSURE ON SAM DARNOLD, FORCE SOME TURNOVERS

For as strong as they are at taking the ball away, they have shown a propensity to give it right back. The Seahawks are sixth in the NFL in takeaways this season (18), but only seven teams have a worse turnover margin than they do (-4).

Through 12 games, they have 11 interceptions and 11 lost fumbles. The Seahawks have seven games in which they have turned the ball over two or more times – they are 4-3 in those games compared to 5-0 in their other games.

Against a top-flight team in the NFL this season, turnovers are the great equalizer. The Falcons have been effective in this category, with their +4 margin and 15 takeaways.

The Vikings were able to do that to him last week and found some success. The Seahawks won that game 26-0, but that scoreline was largely due to a strong defensive effort. Darnold was sacked four times in that game, finishing 14-of-26 passing for 128 yards. He fumbled twice, losing one.

Atlanta ranks third in the NFL in sacks, with 25 of their 43 coming in their last five games.

How do the Falcons contain Jaxon Smith-Njigba? | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

HOW DO THEY CONTAIN JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA?

The Seahawks have one of the NFL’s best offensive players in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and finding a way to contain him will be critical. After taking a look at what the Vikings were able to do, a lot of that starts with getting pressure on Darnold.

Smith-Njigba was held to just two catches (four targets) for 23 yards, a far cry from his 111.3 yards per game average this season.

“He's on one of those record-breaking paces this year. He's looked unbelievable,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. “He's already been high on himself, but now he's just playing like that lead-dog number one. I’d guess stepping into those shoes with the void of DK [Metcalf] has really provided that for him.”

The Falcons’ secondary has been strong this season, having allowed just three 200-yard passing games. Smith-Njigba will likely be matched up with Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr., making for a fascinating strength-on-strength matchup.

Can the Falcons establish a rhythm against a tough Seahawks defense? | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

CAN THEY FIND SOME RHYTHM AGAINST A TOUGH SEAHAWKS DEFENSE?

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sam Darnold, and this Seahawks offense are sure to get a lot of the attention, but this defense is just as talented. That unit can do just about everything at a high level, which will present a difficult challenge for a Falcons offense that has a tendency to run hot and cold.

Atlanta, after weeks of struggles with third-down offense, must be efficient against this front.

“They are challenging almost on every single level,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. “They have a little bit of an attack style. They have a style that they can play, and be able to play the run.”

Similar to the Falcons, 17 players have added to a sack count that is the fourth-best in the NFL, while four different players have five or more sacks this season. They do it by a committee, and they are very good at it.

That pass rush, plus an effective secondary, will be difficult for Kirk Cousins.

The veteran completed 20-of-24 passes under 10 air yards for 215 yards and a touchdown, but that dropped to just 1-of-7 for 19 yards on throws beyond 10 yards. The Seahawks have allowed a league-low 49.4 passer rating on downfield passes this season, with 11 interceptions (second-most in the NFL).

The Falcons may be forced to settle for their underneath approach. It just becomes crucial that they do not fall behind on the scoreboard, forcing them to play catch-up.

Running the ball will also prove to be tough. Seattle is second in the NFL in rushing (88.8 YPG), so offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will have to find a way to get creative on Sunday.