Atlanta Falcons Week 4 Matchup Breakdown

After a two week break, I am returning to Bleacher Report. This is my third installment of the matchup breakdown for the Atlanta Falcons. If you have not seen this yet, it is a little bit different.

San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons                             

The lead story: Will the 49ers respond to an 0-3 start?

Going into the 2010 season 49ers fans were expecting a division title, so far they are still looking for a win. In three games they have lost by a combined 49 points. Ouch! 

You would have to believe Mike Singletary's is now on the hot seat. I guess his chances for Coach of the Year is down the drain and what little credibility I had for making predictions. 

Keys to victory for the Atlanta Falcons:

1. Get ahead early on. In two of the 49ers' first three games, there opponent took the first lead of the game. This may be a big part of why they rank 27th in the league in rushing with just 78 yards per game, more on that later. The defensive rankings are middle of the pack, which won't cut it for a defensive minded coach.

2. Force Alex Smith into mistakes. So far the Niners quarterback has five interceptions and 48 in his six-year career. Smith is also adjusting to a new offensive coordinator. As a result we need to blitz often with guys like Curtis Lofton and, if healthy, Sean Weatherspoon, who each have a sack this season.

3. Don't allow a letdown! After defeating the reigning Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints, it would be easy for the Falcons to overlook an 0-3 team. This is all on Mike Smith.

The Rest of the Offensive Gameplan:

Matt Ryan is maturing into to one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks. He has been very impressive running the no huddle and has scored a ton of points in the last two games.

The offensive line has been great with the exception of false start penalties. These penalties put Atlanta's overtime drive to a halt in Week 1, eventually costing them the game. We also saw numerous false starts last week versus the Saints, luckily the offense was good enough to overcome them.

The 49ers have only three sacks meaning the offensive line should excel in this game.

Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez are the Falcons primary pass weapons, both have been very reliable. Nate Clements lacks the speed to cover White, so watch for Shawntae Spencer to cover him instead.

Last season, Spencer emerged as the Niners' top cornerback and should give Roddy White some trouble.   

The Rest of the Defensive Gameplan:

Smith is easily forced into mistakes, so as I mentioned earlier, the Falcons need to pressure him.

Frank Gore has not had much success this year, but that is not his fault. The offensive line has struggled. They have allowed seven sacks this year—yet another reason to blitz—and have not allowed Gore to be himself.

Speaking of Gore, he leads them in receiving as well. If they want a chance of winning, they need to get Michael Crabtree involved. Crabtree is the Niners best wide receiver and is being misused.

Prediction:

My fear is that the Falcons will come out flat and have a letdown against a talented 0-3 team. However, my prediction is that the Falcons will win this one.