The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a three-game losing streak and will be taking on the Baltimore Ravens away during Sunday's match-up. Keep an eye on these storylines heading into this week's game.
Dropped passes plagued the Falcons in a loss to the Bears in Week 6. How will the usually sure-handed weapons Matt Ryan has on offense rebound this week?
The Baltimore Ravens defensive front knows how to get to the quarterback. The Ravens defense logged five sacks by five separate players during their Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
RB Antone Smith has continued to be a shining point on the Falcons offense scoring his fifth touchdown over 38 yards so far this season. Smith's 41-yard touchdown was the lone touchdown for the Falcons in their loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Atlanta Falcons defensive front showed some improvement logging three sacks on Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler. DE Jonathan Massaquoi and CB Robert McClain each had one and DE Kroy Biermann and DT Paul Soliai split the last.
It has been 20 games since the Atlanta Falcons have gone a game without a turnover. QB Matt Ryan was intercepted during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears and it was a close call when WR Julio Jones recovered his own fumble retaining possession for the team.
Both the Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons have been injury plagued thus far this season. Atlanta Falcons WR Harry Douglas was inactive for his second straight game while the Baltimore Ravens starting left guard Kelechi Osemele has been out with a knee injury.
This season, fifty percent of K Matt Bryant's field goals were made over 50-yards. During the loss to Chicago Bears, Bryant made field goals of 52 and 54 yards. Bryant has made 8 of his 9 attempts so far this season.
QB Matt Ryan and Ravens QB Joe Flacco both come from the 2008 draft class, both in the first round. Ryan was the 3rd overall pick while the Ravens drafted Flacco 18th overall. Both quarterbacks have had success and become the face of their franchises.
Leading the Baltimore Ravens wide receivers are Steve Smith and Torrey Smith with a combined 800 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens offense was on fire against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scoring five touchdowns in just over 16 minutes, an NFL record.
The Baltimore Ravens have allowed seven quarterback sacks in 2014. The Atlanta Falcons hope to push that number to double digits by the end of their Week 7 matchup against the Ravens.
Known primarily for his strong arm, Ravens QB Joe Flacco also has the ability to extend plays when needed, giving his potent receiving corps extra time to get open, something Falcons DE Jonathan Massaquoi is working to prevent.
In year three, Massaquoi has seen his snap count increase this season, thanks to noticeable efforts, both under the stadium lights and on the practice field.
"Jonathan was very active in his pass rush," Falcons head coach Mike Smith said. "He had a couple of nice moves (and) moved the quarterback (on Sunday). Again, you get what you earned in the NFL. You get what you earned on the practice field, and we're going to make decisions based on what we feel like gives us the best opportunity to win."
Massaquoi finished Week 6 with four tackles, two for loss, two QB hurries and one sack of Bears QB Jay Cutler. He compares the excitement of sacking QBs to the pure joy of a good meal, after not eating for a week. Despite the improved success from Sunday, Massaquoi's appetite isn't satisfied, looking for more production in Baltimore.
"That's what's expected of me," Massaquoi said. "They gave me the reps and I showcased my talent; it doesn't change anything. My routine doesn't change, my ego, my mentality, they don't change; that's what I'm paid to do."
