Atlanta Falcons vs. St. Louis Rams: 10 Players and What They Mean For Falcons
The St. Louis Rams may not have a great record this season, but they do have some nice players.
The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of good players on their side as well, some of whom are playing at the top of their games.
Here's a look at 10 players to watch during this Sunday's game and the role those athletes will play from Atlanta's point of view.
10. James Laurinaitis
1 of 10
The Falcons will likely try to establish the run, but the Rams have one of the better run defenses.
Laurinaitis is a big part of this. He currently has 59 tackles and will have his eyes on Michael Turner all game.
If Atlanta can get him blocked up, they may be able to get a ground game going against a stout rushing defense.
9. Danny Amendola
2 of 10
Amendola's numbers are not mind-blowing, but he is on pace for 90-plus receptions despite his low yardage total and just three touchdowns.
His 74 targets are also the highest mark on the team.
Atlanta will likely try to take Steven Jackson, who will be discussed shortly, out of the game and force Sam Bradford to beat them. To do this, they must cover his favorite target.
8. John Abraham
3 of 10
Abraham has eight sacks this season, but he has yet to bring down a quarterback in consecutive games.
Sam Bradford may not be an electric player yet, but he can still beat you if he's not pressured.
If Abraham can turn up the heat on the rookie quarterback he may throw some to the wrong team.
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7. James Hall
4 of 10
With 7.5 sacks, Hall leads St. Louis in that department. He's also forced four fumbles, so if he does get some pressure on Matt Ryan, Mr. Ice needs to hang onto the ball.
As I mentioned earlier, the Rams have a very suspect pass defense. Getting Hall blocked, as well as Chris Long, could ensure a Falcon victory.
6. Brent Grimes
5 of 10
Completely under the radar, Grimes has been one of the best corners in the NFL this year.
With teams seeming to stay away from Dunta Robinson, Grimes has seen a ton of balls thrown his way and he has held up to the pressure quite well.
Grimes has picked off passes in consecutive weeks and has three overall. He's also made 49 tackles on the season; a very good number for a corner.
His coverage will be key as the Falcons attempt to force Bradford to make some mistakes.
5. Michael Turner
6 of 10
The Falcons went pass-heavy last week, attempting to throw Baltimore off their game plan.
Because of this, and the fact the Ravens have a solid defense, Turner was held to just 39 yards on 17 carries.
Turner has bounced back well from sub-par performances, however.
He was held under 50 yards against Pittsburgh and was well on his way to a huge game against Arizona the next week before leaving early due to injury.
Since then he has followed up every low-yardage performance with great numbers the following week.
The Rams are currently sixth in the NFL against the run, but it's hard to see Atlanta losing if Turner has a big game.
4. Sam Bradford
7 of 10
After throwing interceptions in each of his first five professional games, Bradford has thrown no picks in his last four and has six touchdowns in those contests.
He is improving just about every week as he gains experience, but the Falcons will likely try to make him beat them, rather than let Steven Jackson run wild.
While he has been good lately, it stands to reason that he's due for a bad game. It's very tough for a rookie to be this consistent.
The Falcons will hope this Sunday is the day he has some trouble.
3. Roddy White
8 of 10
For my money, Roddy White is the best receiver in the NFL.
He's taking on a pass defense that is in the bottom half of the league and it would not be at all surprising to see him go nuts in this one.
Much has been made of the Falcons playing on the road, but this game is still in a dome. If White can again put up huge numbers, Atlanta should come away with a win.
2. Steven Jackson
9 of 10
Jackson is one of the best backs around. He's a very good runner and is equally skilled as a receiver.
He will be the focus of Atlanta's defensive game plan as they will look to shut him down and make the Rams one-dimensional.
He is a constant threat to break the type of big play Atlanta has been susceptible to this season.
If the Falcons can contain him, it's hard to picture them losing.
1. Matt Ryan
10 of 10
Ryan was beyond impressive against the Ravens last week as the Falcons were mainly in a no-huddle offense with him running the show.
If St. Louis loads up against the run to stop Turner, we could be in store for another treat from the third-year quarterback.
Many have not given Ryan the credit he deserves so far and he would love to prove that last week was no fluke.
If he plays as well as he did against Baltimore, he could carve up a not-so-great pass defense and push the Falcons to 8-2.
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