Three Things to Watch Against the Giants

Let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for the injuries on this Atlanta Falcons team they would be heavy favorites. Unfortunately, that is not the case and the Falcons are only five-point favorites heading into this game.

With that being said, I do believe the Falcons played better last week and showed glimpses of their talent. They’re a young defense going through growing pains, but the talent is certainly there. This is the week I believe we see the true potential of this years Atlanta Falcons football team.

What should we watch:

Saquon Barkley

Typically I don’t start this segment with the other team, but let’s be real, it starts and ends with Saquon. Barkley has been far from disappointing this season, capping off one hell of a rookie campaign.

Now look, the Falcons defense has not tackled well this season. They’re fifth in the league on missed tackles tallying a whopping 64. They have to be able to clean that up if they want to contain Barkley. The defense has also given up 56 receptions to running backs this season, which makes Barkley even more dangerous

Grady Jarrett Returns

The pass rush has missed the presence of Grady Jarrett in the trenches. It’s exciting to see the progression that Deadrin Senat has made, but the team needs Jarrett. Look to see the pass rush produce some pressure Monday night.

Having an interior pass rusher like Jarrett can free up the edge rush. Takk McKinley has had his most production when Grady Jarrett is in the game lined up next to him. Jarrett’s impact on the defense is meaningful and it will be felt against a bad Giants offensive line.

Strong Safety Play

If you tune in regularly, you would have seen that we discussed trading for Raiders strong safety Karl Joseph. Jordan Richards has not been good and something needs to change.

This will be the one key area to watch during the game. The Falcons solved their linebacker issues by plugging Foye Oluokun into the lineup more, now it’s time for the same at safety. Richards has shown the inability to wrap up and has been burnt on multiple occasions.

Karl Joseph should be on the team’s radar after this week, especially with the bye week approaching after Monday.

Final Word

At the end of the day, the Falcon NEED to win. There can no longer be a game that got away from them. In all reality, the Falcons can’t afford to lose more than five games this season. It’s time to start stacking some wins.

Rise Up!