The ball is everything
The Falcons forced five turnovers in their rout over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 and head coach Dan Quinn would like to see his team continue their ball-hawking mentality. Atlanta scored 28 points off those turnovers, showing the level of impact this part of the game can have to the final outcome of a game.
Running backs Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman have showed the utmost regard for the football this year. Neither Coleman or Freeman have recorded a fumbled on their combined for 1,802 total scrimmage yards.
"It totally came through for us last week," Quinn said of his team's knack for the ball. "Being in the plus is important and this could come on all three phases. Our special teams unit going after it. They've had some turnovers on special teams, that is a real factor. We've got to make sure can nail it that way."
Win in the trenches
San Francisco owns the fourth best rushing attack in the NFL, led by RB Carlos Hyde, who averaged 11.4 yards a carry last week versus the Jets.
"They are a terrific running football team," Quinn said. "They are in the top five in the league in doing that. [It's] not just from their running back, it's a very good offensive line run blocking."
The Falcons have relied on linebacker Deion Jones to play a big role in limiting opponents' rushing attack, and he'll be tasked with doing such against Hyde.
Atlanta will look to get their run game going against the league's worst rush defense after only rushing for 66 yards in Los Angeles. For the Falcons, getting the ground game going opens everything up.
"For us, on the other side, we didn't get our run game going like we wanted too last week," Quinn said. "And that's when we are at our best, when we can do that. Both sides of the line specifically in the run game this week is really important."
The crowd will have an impact
Third downs on defense are going to be extremely important, and Quinn is challenging fans attending the game to bring the juice.
"How loud can our crowd get? We don't know how many games are left in the dome, but we know we can try and blow the roof off of it," Quinn said. "Third down is going to be a factor. As loud as the crowd can possible get will allow the defense an advantage. We need to create that advantage at home."
With two of Atlanta's last three regular season games at the Georgia Dome, it's important to continue to embrace the home field advantage that lies ahead.
