Falcons vs. Seahawks Q&A: Who's Atlanta's X-Factors For Sunday's Game?
The Seattle Seahawks are looking to get back over .500 this weekend, and they are favored to do so against the winless Atlanta Falcons at home.
In order to get a better idea of the current Falcons storylines, Jeremy Brener from Falcon Report answered some of our questions.
1. Like the Seahawks, the Falcons moved on from the best quarterback in franchise history this offseason and turned the offense over to a failed former starter in Marcus Mariota. What have you seen so far from him in his second chance as a starter and how long will he fend off Desmond Ridder?
Mariota has done a good job implementing what the Falcons want to do. Ironically enough, Ridder is very similar to Mariota on tape. The Falcons' goal is to run the ball, kill clock and keep the opposing offense off the field. As a game manager, Mariota has been effective. He did enough to win Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, but the defense didn't support him. You could argue the same thing happened in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, but Mariota couldn't make the throws an elite quarterback could, leading to a second straight loss.
My guess is Mariota will go so long as the Falcons have something to play for this season. If he was playing poorly, the story would be different, but he's been nice so far. And the Falcons will keep running with Mariota until he isn't.
2. If the Falcons win on Sunday, what will be the reason why?
If the Falcons can avoid such a deep hole early on, I like their chances. That was the issue against the Rams and it shouldn't pop up again considering the Seahawks' offensive woes.
As long as the Falcons can execute their game plan, win the time of possession battle and run over the Seahawks defense, Atlanta should come out of Seattle with its first win of the season.
3. If the Falcons lose on Sunday, what will be the reason why?
If the Falcons lose Sunday, it's because they would have beaten themselves. That's how the Denver Broncos lost in Seattle in Week 1, and I think it's the only way to lose to the Seahawks. Seattle just doesn't have the talent pool that other teams do, especially without Jamal Adams, and it makes it a grind just to be competitive in a game.
I do think this weekend's game will be competitive, but the Falcons should be in control throughout.
4. Who is the X-Factor on offense and defense to watch for the Falcons?
On offense, Kyle Pitts is long overdue for a good game. He's struggled in the first two games, racking up just four catches for 38 yards. But there's no way this continues throughout the season. I think the Falcons will look towards his direction early and often. The Falcons have never lost a game where Pitts records over 100 yards receiving.
On defense, Mykal Walker has been fantastic. He's filled in a large role vacated by Foye Oluokun (last year's NFL tackle leader) and Deion Jones, but the third-year linebacker is making his presence known. If he has another big game, I like the Falcons' chances.
5. What's your prediction for the game?
The Falcons and Seahawks play close in the first half, but Atlanta takes a multi-score lead in the second half. I think Seattle could play back into the game or have an outside chance to win, but Atlanta should pull this one out.
Falcons 27, Seahawks 14
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