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Four Keys to a Falcons' Win

Oct 18, 2009 – 7:06 PM
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Knox Bardeen

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Matt RyanATLANTA, Ga. -- Sunday Night, the Chicago Bears are in town visiting the Atlanta Falcons and fireworks could be in order inside the Georgia Dome. Both offenses can be prolific and they will be throwing against weaker defensive secondaries.

So expect the scoreboard operators to get a workout. When all is said and done, if the result is going to favor the Falcons, here's what they'll need to do.

• The Bears rank 4th in the NFL with 14 sacks. Adewale Ogunleye has 4.5 and Alex Brown has 2.5 to lead the pass rush, but seven other players each have a sack. The bring the heat well and frustrate the best of opposing quarterbacks. The Falcons, on the other hand, have the best offensive line in the league when it comes to protecting the quarterback as Matt Ryan has only been sacked twice this season. The offensive line must continue to protect Ryan on Sunday night, giving him time to find any of his plethora of receiving targets.


• Atlanta came out of a bye week and traveled to San Francisco -- and you saw what they did to the 49'ers. The Bears roll into Atlanta rested from their bye week and the Falcons need to focus on running their offensive game plan and not think too much about the extra time Chicago had to prepare. Ryan said it best, "They will be a little bit rested, but I never put too much stock into the bye week and coming off it. I think that everybody shows up week in and week out prepared to play. Teams do a great job in the NFL of getting ready to go regardless of whether or not they're coming of a bye week. We know Chicago is going to come in here ready and fresh and that it's going to be a tough matchup for us." Don't let bye-week get you upset."

• Chicago has had a rough time this season containing opposing No. 1 receivers. In three of Chicago's four games they have allowed an opposing receiver to gain 100-plus yards. If Ryan gets the time to throw, he must take advantage of the Bears secondary and one of his two top targets, either Roddy White of Tony Gonzalez, needs to amass 100 yards.

• During the Atlanta bye week the coaching staff surprised Jamaal Anderson by trying him on the interior of the defensive line instead of his normal defensive end spot. He made his first start there against San Francisco and had two tackles and got his hands on the quarterback twice as well. Anderson is enjoying his new position and needs to come up big on Sunday to help contain Matt Forte. If Forte is kept in check, the Falcons chances of winning grow.
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