After a great home-stand, the Kansas City Chiefs will head on the road for the first time this season. Their first opponent to go through is the Atlanta Falcons. While the Falcons aren't the strongest team in the NFL, they're hungry after their unexpected win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
After facing two solid teams, the Chiefs will get a chance to play the Falcons, which has undergone much change over the offseason. After hiring new head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons embraced the change and went out and got Kirk Cousins. So far this season, the team has seen mixed results but could very well turn it around.
The Chiefs are 7-3 against the Falcons and scored 252 points in those games. This will be the second primetime game for the Chiefs this season after beating the Ravens in week 1. In this contest, both offenses will be on full display and will be the game's deciding factor.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, September 22
Start Time: 7:20 CT
Location: Atlanta, GA
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
TV Info: NBC (Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth on the call)
Chiefs Uniform Info: All White
Falcons 2023 Statistical Rankings
Points Per Game: 19 (26th)
Points Allowed Per Game: 21.9 (17th)
Offensive Yards Per Game: 334.3 (17th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Per Game: 207.3 (22nd) and 127 (9th)
Defensive Yards Allowed Per Game: 321.1 (9th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 202.9 (8th) and 118.2 (20th)
Third Down Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 40% (13th) and 47.1% (24th)
Red Zone Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 46.8% (30th) and 45.3% (4th)
Penalties: 84 (5th)
Penalty Yardage: 743 (11th)
Players Already Ruled Out Before Sunday
Falcons: N/A
Chiefs: N/A
Atlanta Falcons
Defense
While the Falcons' offensive changes were talked about more, their changes on defense have been significant. With a new defensive coordinator and a few new changes on the defensive line, the team is looking forward to continuing to turn over a new leaf after a disastrous last season.
In this game and in the future, the Falcons' defense needs to work on containing teams late in games. Throughout most of last week's game against the Eagles, the defense was able to prevent them from scoring points. However, the Eagles scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to almost ensure they won. With a team like the Chiefs, who usually have luck on their side, giving them this kind of leeway can be detrimental.
To the surprise of many fans, the Falcons defense has actually been pretty impressive statistically this season. They are ranked 17th in total defense, 8th in passing defense, and 27th in rushing defense. This will come in handy against the Chiefs, especially since Isiah Pacheco has landed on IR. Keeping Carson Steele and Samaje Perine in control is much easier than keeping Rashee Rice calm. The Falcons passing defense can be the difference maker in this game.
Offense
Going into this season, the Falcons knew that they needed change. They hired Zac Robinson as the offensive coordinator and Kirk Cousins to give the team a sense of quarterback stability that they haven't had since Matt Ryan left.
Two different defenses have slowed the offense down throughout the first two games. With Cousins getting older, he is no longer as efficient as he once was, and their biggest playmakers have been getting beaten down once they reach the red zone. The most impressive drives from the team came within the last two minutes against the Eagles, where the offense was able to work fast and efficiently.
Looking to this week, Cousins needs to ensure that he can get the ball out quickly to one of his receivers before the Chiefs' defense wreaks havoc. The Falcons also need to improve their run offense since they have yet to score a rushing touchdown this season. If the Falcons can find consistency on this side of the ball, they will become a formidable offense for the rest of the season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Defense
Once again, the game against the Cincinnati Bengals showed that the Chiefs' defense keeps them in games. While the Chiefs' offense was unable to capitalize on the Bengals' many mistakes, the defense kept the scoring to a minimum, giving Patrick Mahomes the leeway to win the game.
In this game against the Falcons, the Chiefs need to pay attention to running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts. Both players have been extremely valuable to the Falcons this season and can be dealbreakers in this game. So far this season, the Chiefs are ranked 18th in the league in rushing defense and 31st in passing defense. Both of these statistics need to improve for the Chiefs to ensure a place in the playoffs.
Despite looking like the Chiefs' defense has been dominant, it is ranked at the bottom for many defensive metrics. While they struggle when the team is driving the ball down the field in many aspects, they are very good at preventing teams from scoring. This season, they've allowed an average of two opposing touchdowns a game (10th), and opponents have scored in the red zone 37.5% of the time (12th).
Offense
So far this season, the Chiefs' offense has been following the same pattern as last season. Even after adding new playmakers, the offense is continuing to struggle with taking advantage of opportunities. Injuries coupled with veterans like Travis Kelce barely making an impact have driven many to believe the Chiefs' offense is not reliable.
After the news of Isiah Pacheco landing on IR, the Chiefs went out and signed Kareem Hunt. While Hunt is not as dominant as he once was for the Browns, his signing is perfect for adding depth to the roster. For this week, Hunt will remain on the practice squad, leaving Perine and Steele as the two active running backs. It will be hard to replicate Pacheco's efficacy, but the team will need to utilize their running backs to stay afloat these next few weeks.
Rice has been having a terrific sophomore season, and Xavier Worthy is fitting in very well for a rookie. Keeping them incorporated into the overall flow of the offense is extremely crucial. Against the Falcons, the offense needs to make sure it is taking advantage of the mistakes its defense makes and putting the team ahead early.
Betting Info
Points Spread: ATL +3 (-108) | KC -3 (-112)
Moneyline: ATL +136 | KC -162
Over/Under: ATL U 46.5 (-110) | KC O 46.5 (-110)
Lines via DraftKings as of Saturday, September 21
Prediction
Although the Falcons were able to stun the Eagles last week, I don't feel like they will be able to replicate that against the Chiefs. The Chiefs might struggle against the Falcons' defense, especially since this is the best defense they have seen so far. In the end, the Falcons will be close to a win, but the Chiefs will ultimately move to 3-0 on the season.
Final Score: Chiefs 21, Falcons 18
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