As the Falcons prepare to return to the Georgia Dome to take on the Chicago Bears on Sunday, keep an eye on these storylines.
Two of the best wide receiver duos will be going head-to-head as the Atlanta Falcons take on the Chicago Bears this week. Julio Jones and Roddy White have a combined 765 yards and five touchdowns while Bears receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey have a combined 547 yards and seven touchdowns.
RB Antone Smith has been one of the most explosive players on the Falcons offense with touchdowns over 38 yards in four of the first five games. Smith's 78-yard touchdown against the New York Giants was the biggest play of the day for the Falcons and gave the Falcons a 10-point lead after halftime before the Giants bounced back.
WR Devin Hester has fit into the Falcons offense's puzzle perfectly this year and this week Hester will be taking on his former team in the Chicago Bears. Hester had 18 career non-offense touchdowns while playing for the Bears, but broke the record this season as a Falcon against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
These two teams are in the same position. Both the Atlanta Falcons and the Chicago Bears are a game behind the leaders in the division and suffering two losses in a row, so both teams are searching for redemption on Sunday.
OL Gabe Carimi and the rest of the offensive line looked solid during the first half of play against the New York Giants. Carimi has shown that both him and the rest of the offensive line have what it takes to hold strong and give QB Matt Ryan time if they can replicate the first half they had this last week.
What the team has lacked on the road, they have made up for at home and returning to the Dome can't come soon enough. Undefeated at home so far this season, the Falcons have an opportunity to get back to a .500 record this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
The loss against the New York Giants may have been tough, but it's only Week 6 and the season is far from over. The Carolina Panthers only have a one game lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the division, and the Falcons are tied with the New Orleans Saints after they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The division is still a horse race and anything is possible.
TE Levine Toilolo may not have had any catches during Sunday's loss to the New York Giants, but he was a key contributor blocking including on RB Steven Jackson's touchdown run. As injuries depleted the offensive line against the Minnesota Vikings, it was Toilolo that filled in and his versitility has been a valuable asset for the Falcons offense.
A forced fumble on special teams gave the Atlanta Falcons great field position, but the team failed to capitalize and were held to a field goal. The drive before was also held to a field goal inside the 20-yard line. The struggle in the redzone and failure to convert third downs are both areas that need improvement before the Falcons take on the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears final three drives ended in an interception and two fumbles which the Carolina Panthers capitalized on. The Atlanta Falcons need to take advantage of any opportunites the Bears give them in order and replicate that same success.
Starting at center this week after the loss of C Joe Hawley for the season was Peter Konz and he showed he could fill the shoes.
The Atlanta Falcons will be looking to repeat the success of the first half of the game against the New York Giants. RB Steven Jackson ran for a touchdown, special teams forced a fumble and the defense held the Giants to 10 points. Consistency is the emphasis for the team as they continue to prepare for the Chicago Bears.
Keep an eye on these players returning from injury. There is a possibility that WR Harry Douglas and G Justin Blalock could be active for the game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
When the Chicago Bears take the field at the Georgia Dome on Sunday, it won't be tough to spot two of their top playmakers on offense, WRs Brandon Marshall (6-4, 230) and Alshon Jeffery (6-3, 216), each described by Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan as "game wreckers." The WR duo is responsible for 45 receptions, covering 547 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014.
Among the Falcons defenders who will see a lot of Marshall and Jeffery on Sunday include Falcons CBs Desmond Trufant (6-0, 190) and Robert Alford (5-10, 186), who have combined for 32 tackles and 10 PBUs this season.
While the size, speed, strength and vertical-jump ability of both Bears receivers will be tough to match, each having the ability to go above would-be defenders to make tough grabs, the Falcons corners are up for the challenge.
"They obviously have great size," Trufant said of the Bears WRs duo. "They're great jump-ball guys and (Bears QB) Jay Cutler gives them the chance to go up and make a play on the ball; he puts it in the right spots. They have legit guys over there, but we have legit guys here too; we're just going to go compete."
Despite having some miscues that he'd like to take back from Sunday's game against the New York Giants, Alford's demeanor in the locker room Wednesday was very businesslike, focused on correcting mistakes, which Nolan said had a lot to do with being too aggressive.
"The NFL came down with a new rule about physical contact this year and it's something that I just have to adjust to," Alford said. "I still need to be physical and aggressive, but it has to be at the certain point that I can test the receivers. Everybody has a bad game; it's a different guy every week and it depends on how you bounce back the next week. I'm going to bounce back; today is the first day for the Bears and I'm focused on preparing for them."
