The Atlanta Falcons are in need of a win. Simply put, this season had Super Bowl dreams. The Falcon's roster was built to win now and not later. However, a 1-3 start paired with the New Orleans Saints currently sitting undefeated on the year is a recipe for a quick season. Now the New York Jets come to town as the Atlanta hopes to beat out rookie quarterback Geno Smith in the Georgia Dome.
The Falcons insist they are not panicking. Last season, the team started the year 8-0 before finishing 13-3 with a loss in the NFC Championship. Now, the team cannot catch a break as their first four games were decided by a combined 24 points. Recently, they failed to produce a game-tying touchdown against the New England Patriots while sitting on the 10 yard line. The team has not lost three games in a row since 2007 and they hope to not break that streak on Monday.
The Falcons will continue to rely heavily on Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez as Roddy White sits injured. Jones has a league-leading 481 yards, while Gonzalez is coming off a game where he put up 149 yards on 12 receptions. The team ranks 29th in the league in red-zone conversions. The defense is giving up 26.0 points per game. All in all, while injuries might be part of the problem, the Falcons are simply not the team many were hoping.
They are favored in the matchup against the Jets. Rookie quarterback Smith has struggled with turnovers, putting up 14 so far on the season. The Jets are at risk of starting the season going 0-3 on the road as the team will rely heavily on their run defense to make the Falcons' offense one-sided.
New York is also suffering from injuries. Santonio Holmes has been ruled out as is cornerback Dee Millner. Stephen Hill is banged up with a concussion. Chris Ivory has a hamstring issue. Rex Ryan understands this will be a tough win, but he is hoping for a statement win from his team.
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