Falcons Week 10 Preview- Tough Ravens defense poses test for Ryan, Falcons

Falcons Week 10 Preview: Tough Ravens defense poses test for Ryan, Falcons
What: at , Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
When: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 8:20 PM, Network (myATL, WATL 36 locally); Announcers – Bob Papa, Matt Millen Joe Theismann
The Wednesday Line: -1, Over/Under 44 (Open: Falcons -1, O/U 43)
Injury Report – Falcons: TE is out while he recovers from sports hernia surgery. LB (knee) did not practice this week and is listed as questionable. I’d be shocked to see him play.
WR and C both missed practice on Monday and Tuesday and were limited on Wednesday. They are listed as questionable.
WR (knee/ribs), LB (knee), RB (knee) and CB (hamstring) were limited this week in practice and are listed as probable for Thursday’s matchup against the .
Injury Report – Ravens: S (foot) did not practice with the club and is out on Thursday.
Other noteables: This is the first NFL Network Thursday night telecast this season. McClure will end a streak of playing in 163 consecutive games if he does not play on Thursday.
What you need to know: Atlanta improved to an NFL-best 6-2 after holding off the upstart by a 27-21 margin on Sunday at the Georgia Dome. However, the win came at a bit of a cost as both White and McClure missed a significant part of the game with knee injuries, putting their status in question for Thursday.
Baltimore is another one of those 6-2 teams. They are coming off of a 26-10 win over the struggling . Third-year QB connected on 20-of-27 passes for 266 yards and a pair of scores in the victory.
Both the Falcons and Ravens both had their bye weeks in Week 8, which may have softened the blow of forging out enough time to prepare for this Thursday night matchup,Aqib Talib Jerseys.
It will be a good day for Atlanta if: They can figure out a way to solve Baltimore’s top-ranked defense. Let’s face it. The two offenses are very, very similar in both total yards and distribution.
Each team has an elite-class runner ( vs. ) and a go-to receiver ( vs. White) and quarterbacks ( vs. Flacco) that are ranked 12th and 14th respectively in the QB ratings. Overall, the statistical edge does indeed go to the Falcons, who will bring the league’s fifth ranked offense into the Dome on Thursday. However, they are facing a stingy Ravens defense that ranks ninth in the league.
This one will come down to which unit can execute the game plan better. If Ryan can move the offense, if Turner can gain over 100 yards and if White plays and gets his customary 100 receiving yards, the Dirty Birds will make a game of it on Thursday. If not, it could be a long night at the Dome.
It will be a bad day for Atlanta if: The Atlanta defense looks like the 21st ranked defense in the league. The Falcons D has been a bit of an enigma this season. They’ve played well against the dregs of the league but struggled against the and to a lesser extent, the and the Buccaneers.
On Thursday, the Falcons are facing a more than capable offense that’s coupled with one of the best defenses in the league. Simply put: the Ravens are one of the best – if not the best – all-around teams in the NFL.
In order to beat the best, they must play like the best. Atlanta’s D must somehow be able to channel its Week 1 performance against the . Anything shorter than that and Baltimore will win this football game.
Prediction: The Ravens are a very good all-around football team that will create a number of matchup issues with the Falcons. Look for the Baltimore defense to make Ryan’s evening miserable and for Flacco and Boldin to pick apart a struggling Atlanta secondary.
At the end of the day, this one will be all about the Ravens, who will emerge from this battle of the birds as the best team in the NFL.
Baltimore 27, Atlanta 13
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