Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Complete Week 2 Preview for Atlanta
The Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals take each other on in a matchup between two teams that could be between two playoff teams by the time the season ends. Both teams looked like legitimate contenders during the first week of the season with revamped offenses and mediocre defenses.
The Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints in an instant classic of a game, 37-34, with a great second-half performance. The Bengals outlasted the Baltimore Ravens, 23-16, in a matchup that showed an improved Cincinnati offense under Hue Jackson. Atlanta and Cincinnati both matchup well with each other, but the Falcons might have a small edge.
Atlanta Falcons Week 1 Recap
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The Falcons had a great performance against the Saints that should be an instant confidence boost for the Falcons during this entire season. They showed that they can score points at will when their offense is clicking on all cylinders and their receivers are healthy.
They also developed the blueprint for their running back usage all year. Steven Jackson saw the bulk of the carries, but Devonta Freeman, Antone Smith and Jacquizz Rodgers still got their touches and made the most of them.
Atlanta needs to improve its defense, however. The Falcons didn't get enough pressure on Drew Brees and hopefully, that was just the product of going against a quarterback of Brees' caliber and not a predictor of things to come. Atlanta also needs to lock down better against the run, but getting back Corey Peters should help there.
News and Notes
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30 Points Per Game on Offense?
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN, the Atlanta Falcons have a goal to average 30 points per game throughout the 2014 season. When McClure asked veteran wide receiver Roddy White about it, White replied with the following:
""That's our goal," receiver Roddy White said. "From the start of the offseason through training camp, we always told ourselves we have to score 30 a game. That's what we want to do. It's hard to score 30 in the NFL, I'm trying to tell you. I mean, we've got the personnel to do it.
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30 points per game would put the Falcons offense, if based on 2013 team stats, as the second-best offense in the NFL. It'd also be an increase of at least 7.9 points per game from what Falcons averaged a year ago. White is expecting his health and that of Julio Jones, combined with the additions of Devonta Freeman and Devin Hester, to help the offense score that extra touchdown every game.
And honestly, it's not a bad goal to have. The Falcons offense looked like it could do that as long as the offensive line holds up in pass protection. If the unit holds opponents to one sack allowed per game—which is what it surrendered in Week 1 to a very good Saints pass rush—then the Falcons averaging 30 points per game this year isn't beyond the realm of possibility.
Can the Run Defense Hold Up?
In his breakdown of this week's Falcons game for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, D. Orlando Ledbetter honed in on how the run defense will be a key to victory. Ledbetter quoted Falcons head coach Mike Smith commenting on the failures against the Saints last week. “We had two explosive passes in the game last week, but we had way too many explosive runs,” Smith said.
Atlanta's biggest question mark from the Saints game isn't the pass defense but the run defense. The Falcons allowed over five yards per carry to the combination of Khiry Robinson, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram.
The Falcons need to make sure their entire defense can continue to stuff the gaps against a Bengals offensive line capable of creating huge holes. Atlanta should mix 3-4 and 4-3 looks to keep the Bengals offense off balance and force them into longer down-and-distance situations.
Is the 2012 Mojo Restored?
Per Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the Atlanta Falcons are looking more like the 2012 iteration of the team than the 2013 version. Like the 2012 squad, the Falcons won the New Orleans game with Ryan and the offense putting together a last-minute drive that resulted in a game-tying field goal by Matt Bryant at the end of regulation. Then in OT the defense forced a fumble by New Orleans' Marques Colston to set up Bryant's game-winner.
Pelissero quoted Falcons safety and defensive leader William Moore, who talked about Atlanta's mindset to finish football games:
"Seriously, as much as you don't want to go to overtime, I don't think there was any better way to start the season because it showed that the Falcons this year (are) ready to finish...We could've laid down in overtime, but we didn't.
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The mojo of Atlanta's 2012 came from a team that would hang around for three quarters then invariably make the necessary big plays late in games to pull out a win. The 2012 team had an explosive offense, a solid, opportunistic defense and good special teams.
The 2014 Falcons so far look a lot like that 2012 team—the big exception being that this year's offense is more effective at running the ball. It didn't need to be amazing against the Saints, but averaging 4.9 yards per carry is a huge step in the right direction—especially if it's sustainable throughout the season.
Injury Report
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| Position | Name | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Status |
| OT | Jake Matthews | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| WR | Roddy White | LP | LP | FP | Probable |
DNP: Did Not Practice
LP: Limited Participation
FP: Full Participation
*All injury statuses from the Atlanta Falcons official website.
The Falcons will be missing Jake Matthews at left tackle this week, but everyone else is healthy to play. Matthews will be replaced by Gabe Carimi this week and while he isn't the best pass blocker in the world, he should be able to perform well as a run blocker with a full week of practice there under his belt.
Carimi was a first round pick after playing left tackle for the Wisconsin Badgers in college and looking good enough to be considered a first round talent by multiple teams around the league. Hopefully, Carimi can allow less pressure than the four hurries and one sack he allowed versus the Saints.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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A.J. Green vs. Desmond Trufant
A.J. Green is one of the top five wide receivers in the NFL. Desmond Trufant is well on his way to being a top-tier corner. Green may not have the 4.38 speed of Julio Jones, but he can get behind a defense and create big gains.
Where the Falcons need to make sure they contain Green in is the intermediate areas. Trufant won't always be in man coverage, but he does have the size, speed, technique and strength to keep up with the All-Pro wideout.
Lamar Holmes and Gabe Carimi vs. Carlos Dunlap, Margus Hunt and Wallace Gilberry
With Jake Matthews out, Gabe Carimi is the likely replacement for him at left tackle. He'll face his biggest test as he goes against the defensive end rotation of Carlos Dunlap, Margus Hunt and Wallace Gilberry. Dunlap is fighting a hamstring issue that has limited him in practice for most of the week, while Hunt has been bothered by a rib injury.
Right tackle Lamar Holmes and Carimi will have to show improvement from the game they played versus the Saints in order to see the same kind of results. If they can hold the Bengals trio to the same one sack and six hurries, Matt Ryan should have a pretty clean pocket throughout the day.
Joplo Bartu and Paul Worrilow vs. Giovani Bernard
Giovani Bernard is a great running back who has speed and quickness that is difficult to contain. The Falcons will have to contain him if they really want to win this game. The men tasked with that job will be second-year inside linebackers Joplo Bartu and Paul Worrilow.
Worrilow and Bartu have good speed, but they aren't fast enough to keep up with Bernard. They'll have to make sure their angles and tackling are nearly perfect against the Bengals running back. In coverage, they'll have to make sure they get help from a safety or cornerback, because neither could keep up with him on pass patterns.
Steelers' X-Factor of the Week: Julio Jones
New Orleans Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis struggled in Week 1 trying to cover Julio Jones, surrendering 116 yards on seven catches to the Falcons' best offensive weapon. Going up against Dre Kirkpatrick, Leon Hall and Terrence Newman—none of whom have Lewis' speed and coverage skills—should be a cakewalk.
As long as the offensive line protects Matt Ryan, Jones could produce a stat line comparable to the 2012 NFC Championship Game, when he posted 11 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns. When healthy, Jones is a top-five receiver in the league and could be in poised for a ridiculous day.
Prediction
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The Falcons have had trouble on the road throughout Mike Smith's tenure as head coach. Atlanta should be looking to change its fortunes this year, though the Bengals look to be one of their toughest tests in 2014.
Against a banged-up Cincinnati defense, the Falcons offense should be able to perform at a high level. Roddy White is healthy, though his fellow Atlanta receivers still could dominate the Cincy secondary even without him. It's also going to be tough to stop the Falcons running game if the line can block as well as it did against the Saints.
The Atlanta defense might be a different story. A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard both are likely to have solid games through the air and score some points, but the Falcons should be able to slow down the duo enough to win another shootout.
Prediction: Falcons 31, Bengals 28
All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats (subscription required), ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro-day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac and Rotoworld.
Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He also runs DraftFalcons.com.
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