After two straight wins, the Ravens step up in class.
WHAT: Week 13, Game 12 at Atlanta Falcons
WHEN: 1 p.m. (ET); Sunday, December 2
WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (71,000)
RECORDS: Ravens, 6-5; Falcons, 4-7
LIFETIME SERIES (regular season): Ravens lead, 3-2; in Atlanta, the Falcons lead, 2-1, with two consecutive wins in the Ravens’ last two visits to the now-defunct Georgia Dome
TV: WJZ-TV, Channel 13 (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, booth; Tracy Wolfson, sidelines)
RADIO: WIYY-FM, 97.9 (Gerry Sandusky, Jarret Johnson, booth; Justin Forsett, sidelines)
REFEREE: Brad Allen
About the Falcons
—In the early 1960s, the city of Atlanta appeared earmarked to get an American Football League franchise, having hosted two AFL preseason games in 1962 and another one two years later. But when Atlanta/Fulton County Stadium opened in 1965, the NFL wanted to move into the Deep South and granted Atlanta its franchise in 1966. New Orleans would follow one year later.
–Atlanta’s first major NFL stadium was used from 1965 until 1991 before the team moved into the Georgia Dome the following year. It was a mixed-use facility that hosted several Final Fours and Super Bowls, including the title won by the Maryland men’s basketball team in 2002. The Falcons’ current facility, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, opened in 2017 and will host Super Bowl 53 on February 3.
–The Falcons are currently playing in their 53rd season. In the previous 52, they have accumulated 14 playoff berths, tied with Cincinnati and the New York Jets for the sixth-fewest in the league. The team has accumulated eight wild-card berths and six division titles, including four in the present-day NFC South, the most recent coming in 2016. The franchise is 2-2 in NFC Championship Games, losing in 2004 and 2012 and winning in 1998 and 2016. The Falcons are 0-2 in Super Bowls, losing Super Bowl 33 to Denver and Super Bowl 51 to New England in the first overtime Super Bowl.
–When the Baltimore Colts were part of the NFL, that team was undefeated in eight games against the Falcons. The Colts won five games in Atlanta and all three meetings at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium.
–Atlanta has been a streaky team this year. The Falcons lost all four preseason games and proceeded to get off to a 1-4 start, losing to Baltimore’s AFC North rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. A three-game winning streak surrounded their bye week, but the Falcons have lost their last three games, including a road defeat in Cleveland. Atlanta has just finished a stretch of three road games in four weeks. Two of its next three games are at home.
–The Falcons have had their most success this year in the second quarter, outscoring opponents, 108-67. However, Atlanta’s post-halftime production has been lacking with only 34 third-quarter points. The fourth quarters of Falcons games have been nothing short of exciting. The opposition has outscored them, 109-101. The Falcons have not scored over 23 points in four of their last five games. The team’s run-pass ratio is quite unbalanced, with 234 rushes and 474 passes (including sacks allowed).
—Currently, the Falcons sport a minus-2 turnover ratio, which is below average, but better than Baltimore’s minus-6. Atlanta has forced ten turnovers, the sixth-fewest in the league, and has recorded a league-low one fumble recovery. The team has lost seven fumbles and has thrown five interceptions.
—The Falcons have had 11 dropped passes this year, according to STATS, INC., three fewer than Baltimore’s total. Rookie wideout Calvin Ridley, a first-round pick and part of the Falcons’ small six-man draft class, leads the team with four. The Falcons’ 61 accepted penalties are the league’s fifth-fewest. The team is one of two leaguewide that has not been called for delay-of-game all year (Washington). Tackle Ryan Schrader has four false starts among his six penalties and defensive back Robert Alford’s three pass-interference calls are the most among his half-dozen flags.
—Salisbury University alumnus Dan Quinn is the 17th head coach in Falcons history and is currently in his fourth season. Quinn is a member of the Salisbury’s Hall of Fame in 2005. As the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he oversaw the league’s top-ranked unit. His current record (including playoffs) is 36-28. Notable assistants include tight end coach Wade Harman, who had the same position in Baltimore for 14 seasons, offensive assistant Dave Brock (Salisbury) and defensive backs coach Doug Mallory (Maryland, 1997-2000).
—The Falcons are ranked seventh in total offense, averaging exactly 400 yards per game (31st rushing, fourth passing, 11th scoring) and are third-best in the league on third-down conversions, hitting at a 49.3 percent clip. Defensively, Atlanta is ranked 28th in total defense (25th vs. rush, 26th vs. pass, 29th scoring, allowing 27.9 points per game). The team is lacking a pass rush, with just 21 sacks, with no player having more than 5.5.
–-The Ravens have a connection to Atlanta’s top two quarterbacks. Starter Matt Ryan came by way of the first round in 2008, the same as Baltimore’s Joe Flacco. Backup Matt Schaub is a former Ravens reserve. This year, Ryan has completed 71.4 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions and has played to a passer rating of 110.6. He has posted a 100 rating or better in five of his last six games, and his 3683 passing yards lead the league. In two games against the Ravens, Ryan is 1-1 with four touchdowns, no interceptions, seven sacks, and a 94.5 passer rating. He has been invited to four Pro Bowls and was a 2016 All-Pro selection.
—With Davonta Freeman injured, Atlanta’s ground game is spearheaded by Tevin Coleman and Ito Smith with Coleman getting the lion’s share of the work. Coleman, a fourth-year player out of Indiana, has accumulated a team-high 506 yards, a 4.1 per-carry average, and two touchdowns. He has five total touchdowns in his last six games. But it is Smith who has four of the team’s eight rushing touchdowns, second among NFC rookies. Ryan has carried the ball 22 times himself this year but has accumulated just 97 yards. Former Ravens training-camp player Ricky Ortiz is the fullback.
—Six different pass-catchers have accumulated at least 21 receptions this year, but no one else is in double figures. Top receiver Julio Jones has hauled in 84 receptions— tied for the league’s third-most—for a 15.5-yard average and three of the team’s 24 passing touchdowns. Jones’ 1305 receiving yards lead the NFL. Tight end Austin Hooper is a favorite target with 55 catches, and Ridley is next with 47 catches – including a career-high eight catches last week – a 13.3 average and eight touchdowns. He leads all rookies in receiving yards and touchdowns. Former Cincinnati receiver Mohamed Sanu is five catches behind. He has 42 receptions for a 13-yard average and three scores. Coleman can do damage out of the backfield as well, with 29 catches and five scores, while Smith has caught 21 balls.
—Wes Schweitzer and Ben Garland are the Falcons’ starting guards. They play in the absence of Brandon Fusco and Andy Levitre, who are both on injured reserve. First-round pick Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder are the respective left and right tackles, while former Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack occupies the pivot for the Falcons. Matthews, in his fifth year, is the middle son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. The line has allowed 33 quarterback sacks for 217 yards.
—The Falcons’ defensive line depth chart lists ten players in a 4-3 rotation, including high draft picks Vic Beasley and Takkarist McKinley at defensive end. Jack Crawford, a free-agent pickup from Dallas, along with Grady Jarrett, are run-stuffers in the middle. Former Houston Texan Brooks Reed, Derrick Shelby (ex-Miami Dolphin), and former Raven and 49er Steven Means contribute to the unit’s depth, as well as well-traveled defensive end Bruce Irvin (Oakland, Seattle). Crawford and McKinley share the team lead with 5.5 of the team’s 21 sacks.
—At the second (linebacker) level, De’Vondre Campbell (team-high 44 solo tackles) and Duke Riley (35 solo tackles) start at outside linebacker with injury-plagued Deion Jones in the middle. Jones, a third-year player from LSU, was a Butkus Award finalist and has good lateral quickness as well as straight-line acceleration. Rookie linebacker Foyesade Oluokun has had at least ten tackles in each of the Falcons’ past two games.
—Alford and Desmond Trufant (39 tackles, third on the team) are the starting cornerbacks. Alford is one of only a handful of players in Super Bowl history to return an interception for a touchdown. Damontae Kazee and former New England Patriot Jordan Richard man the deep middle as the team’s starting safeties. Justin Bethel and Brian Poole (39 tackle) lend depth to an abundant cornerback corps. Kazee leads the team and tops the league with six of the team’s nine interceptions—all of them coming in the last eight games. He also has 41 tackles, the team’s second-most.
—Marvin Hall, a second-year player from the University of Washington, has supplanted Justin Hardy as the team’s kickoff returner and he has so far posted a respectable 26.1-yard average per return. Hardy still principally runs back the punts, but he has a surprising 12 fair catches to go with his 14 returns, running them back at a paltry 4.9-yard rate with no return longer than 14 yards. The coverage teams are quite good, allowing a 7.3-yard average on punt runbacks and just over 21 yards on kicks.
–As is the case with most kickers, Matt Bryant leads the Falcons in scoring, but he has a mere 61 points, just 13 more than Ridley. He has been perfect on field goals this year, hitting all 14 kicks, including four from 50 yards and beyond. Matt Bosher is the punter and kickoff specialist. He has one touchback in 35 punts this year, has put 14 in the coffin corner, and is netting 37.5 yards per punt.
Prediction
The Ravens usually play well in December, but road games have been a problem throughout franchise history—no matter the opponent or the month.
The Falcons have suffered due to a banged-up defense, but their offense still has enough weapons – the most the Ravens will have faced in about a month – to put plenty of points on the board.
After two straight wins over the likes of Cincinnati and Oakland, the Ravens are stepping up in class against a team many thought would play better than it has. For that reason, I think it will be…
Falcons 27, Ravens 16
