The Atlanta Falcons are set to travel to MT&T Stadium to take on the Baltimore Ravens in a week sixteen NFL matchup. The Falcons come into the game with a record of 5-9 and are currently tied with the New Orleans Saints for second place in the NFC South. Along with this, they are only one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the division. With a division title appearing to be the only way the Falcons can still make a run at the postseason, this game is a must win for them. On the flip side, the Ravens enter the contest with a record of 9-5 and currently sit one game behind the Cincinnati Bengals for first place in the AFC North. Both teams will be fighting for playoff positioning in this game, making it very crucial for both squads that they come out of Saturday with a win.
Atlanta Falcons Look to Make Last Stand for NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of a very close 21-18 loss against the New Orleans Saints. The game came down to the wire, however, rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder was unable to complete the Cinderella moment and carry the Falcons to a walk off game winning drive. Ridder had a very rough showing in his debut. Finishing the game with 97 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Along with this, he completed only 50% of his passes. Although this was not a promising first career start by any means, Ridder could bounceback this week against the Ravens. This year, Baltimore’s secondary has really struggled against the pass, and there is a chance that this could happen again this week. He is a great decision maker, however, it is clear it will take some time before he adjusts to NFL defenses. This game could come down to a defensive battle between the two teams. If Ridder is unable to pull it together again this week, Atlanta will likely lean on rookie running back Tyler Allgier once again. Last week, he exploded for 139 rushing yards and one touchdown. If he is able to replicate this performance and Ridder shows a big jump from his debut, this could be a very winnable game for the Falcons.
Baltimore Ravens Hope to Make Up Ground In AFC North
The Baltimore Ravens are coming off of an ugly 13-3 loss against the Cleveland Browns. Neither team was able to get much offense going in this game, and it was made clear that the Ravens are a husk of a team without Lamar Jackson on the field. However, there is a good chance that he will be rejoining the team this week. It will be interesting how heavily he is involved in the rushing game this week as he is just returning from an injury and the playoffs are quickly approaching. If Jackson is back at full strength this week, it should be a very winnable game for the Ravens, and potentially a win that sets them up to take first place in their division.
