Falcons Schedule Preview (Weeks 5-8)

by Alphonso Thomas

Week 5 @ Denver Broncos (Oct. 9 / 4:05 p.m. ET / FOX)

(USA Today)

The Atlanta Falcons face the Superbowl champion Denver Broncos in week five of the 2016 season. While the Broncos accomplished a major feat last year, don’t be too quick to count the Falcons out of this one.

The Broncos lost key contributors from last season’s championship team, including linebacker Danny Trevathan, Malik Jackson, solid backup QB Brock Osweiler, and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. These losses will provide a major obstacle for the team to overcome if they wish to continue their dominance and success from last season.

The interesting match-up for this game will be the Falcons’ potent offense vs. Denver’s stout defense. If Matt Ryan and company are able to outplay Denver’s D, Mark Sanchez and the offense may have a tough time keeping up.

Week 6 @ Seattle Seahawks (Oct. 16 / 4:25 p.m. ET / FOX)

The Falcons will wrap up a two-game road trip in one of the toughest stadiums in the NFL, CenturyLink Field. “The 12^th Man” will undoubtedly be in attendance with enough noise to rock the entire stadium, which is one reason why the Seahawks have only lost four games at home over the past three seasons.

Usually the retirement of a great player like running back Marshawn Lynch brings a sense of relief when playing the former player’s team the following season. However his replacement, Thomas Rawls, may be just as much of a defensive nuisance as Lynch was. Rawls accounted for 906 total yards from scrimmage last year and five touchdowns. The Falcons’ revamped, young group of linebackers will certainly have a task on their hands with Rawls in the backfield. It will also be interesting to see if tight end Jimmy Graham will prosper in his second year with the Seahawks, and if so, how Atlanta’s  young defense counters the playmaker.

Week 7 vs. San Diego Chargers (Oct. 23 /4:05 p.m. ET / FOX)

The San Diego Chargers come to town in what will be the Falcons’ third game against AFC West opponents. Led by quarterback Phillip Rivers, the Chargers are one of the mysteries of the AFC. They have great players such as Rivers, tight end Antonio Gates  and wide receiver Keenan Allen, but are never able to capitalize on those assets. This year, wide receiver Travis Benjamin and former Falcons safety Dwight Lowery aim to help San Diego with their recent winning troubles.

Offensively, the Chargers have the talent to compete with anyone. Phillip Rivers is a pro bowl caliber quarterback, running back Melvin Gordon should shake the rookie jitters and return to dominant form this year, Antonio Gates has been a top-five tight end for years and Keenan Allen and Travis Benjamin can easily produce from the wide out position.

The Chargers defense ranked 20^th in the league in total defense in 2015. Even with the defensive additions of Dwight Lowery, rookie defensive end Joey Bosa and defensive tackle Casey Hayward, it will be tough for them to put a cap on Atlanta’s offense. It is almost certain that how well the Falcons’ defense steps up to the more than capable Chargers’ offense decides this game.

Week 8 vs. Green Bay Packers (Oct. 30 / 1:00 p.m. ET / FOX)

It’s safe to say that the Green Bay Packers have had the Falcons’ number over the past few years. Over the past five matchups, the Packers have walked away with four wins, with the lone loss coming back in November of 2010.

Green Bay boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Aaron Rodgers, who has a slew of weapons to throw to, and could quite honestly take an average Joe off of the street and make him look like a top ten receiver in the NFL. This year he will get one of his favorite targets in wide receiver Jordy Nelson back, as well as a healthy Randall Cobb.

However, Rodgers—like any other quarterback—plays his worst ball when he is hit. The Falcons’ pass rush will have to show up in order for the Falcons to stand a chance. It would also be nice to see Desmond Trufant mark this game with a great performance proving that he is well deserving of a big payday after the season.

Falcons Schedule Preview (Weeks 1-4)

By David Schiele

Atlanta Falcons Training Camp is underway. Expectations are high for Dan Quinn’s squad. However, the Dirty Bird’s 2016 opponents combined for a .555 winning percentage last year, giving them the hardest schedule in the NFL.

DBN Fanatics will be previewing Atlanta’s schedule (four games per article) over the next few days.

Week 1 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sept. 11 / 1 p.m. ET / FOX)

Jameis Winston's forgettable 3rd & 19 Run in Tampa Bay's win last season

This game serves as the final home opener at the Georgia Dome. The Bucs swept Atlanta in 2015 with two close victories (23-20 and 23-19). 

Former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is now the Tampa Bay head coach after serving as their offensive coordinator last year. Joining Koetter on the sidelines will be former Falcons head coach Mike Smith, who takes over defensive coordinating duties in 2016.

Expect a much improved quarterback in Jameis Winston now that his rookie year is behind him. Winston possesses a strong arm and shows it off in the deep passing game. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson are viable deep threats and will test the Falcons’ secondary. Not to be overlooked is tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who's a reliable weapon over the middle.

Tampa Bay’s offense also features a power running game, headed by running back Doug Martin. The fifth-year veteran ran for 1,402 yards in 2015—second most in the NFL. Martin tallied 166 yards on 48 carries against the Falcons last year.

The Buccaneers defense looks a little different on the outside with Brent Grimes and rookie Vernon Hargreaves becoming the new cornerback tandem. Both men are under 6 feet tall, giving Falcons receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu Sr. the height advantage in this match-up.

Tampa’s defensive front-seven will still be solid with defensive tackle Gerald McCoy as the captain. Linebackers Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David return along with newcomer Daryl Smith from Baltimore.

Watch for the game plan Mike Smith employs on his former team as it'll determine who wins this game.

Week 2 @ Oakland Raiders (Sept. 18 / 4:25 p.m. ET / CBS)

The last time the Falcons visited the Raiders, Matt Ryan led his team to a 24-0 spanking over the silver and black. But that was 2008 and both teams have immensely changed since then.

Many consider the Raiders a dark horse in the AFC, with quarterback Derek Carr on the verge on stardom. Running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Amari Cooper are the weapons surrounding Carr.

Cooper eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie year of 2015, while Murray finished sixth in rushing with 1,066 yards and six touchdowns. Both will draw heavy attention from the Atlanta defense.

Speaking of Atlanta’s defense...In May 2015, linebacker Bruce Irvin said that he wanted to play for the Falcons. In March 2016, ESPN reported that Irvin would likely sign with the Falcons. In the end, Irvin signed with the Oakland Raiders. Along with Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin should give the Raiders’ pass rush a big boost.

The Raiders also boosted their secondary, drafting strong safety Karl Joseph out of West Virginia and adding former Bengals free safety Reggie Nelson in free agency.

Week 3 @ New Orleans Saints (Sept. 26 / 8:30 p.m. ET / ESPN)

On Sept. 25, 2006, the Saints made their anticipated return to the Super Dome after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. That night, they beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-3. Many consider that game to be one of the most memorable Monday Night Football moments in NFL history.

On Sept. 26, 2016, the Saints will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their return to the Super Dome with another Monday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Saints swept the Falcons last season and will look for a third straight victory over their fiercest rival. Saints quarterback Drew Brees is 18-5 (16 of the last 18) when playing a primetime game at home. He also has 12 career 300+ yard games on MNF.

The Falcons are 1-5 in primetime and 0-3 on MNF against the Saints since 2008. The odds are heavily stacked against the Falcons come week three.

Week 4 vs. Carolina Panthers (Oct. 2 / 1 p.m. ET / FOX)

The Panthers lost only to the Falcons in the 2015 regular season. Cam Newton and co. seek retribution when they make their final trip to the Georgia Dome in week four.  

Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin returns to the Panthers’ lineup after missing the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL, giving Newton back one of his best outside weapons.

Julio Jones vs Josh Norman was once a point of interest in Falcons-Panthers games. Take note of how Carolina elects to defend Jones now that Norman is in Washington. The rest of the Panthers' defense still presents a difficult challenge.

Coming off of a short week only makes this game tougher for the Dirty Birds.