Thursday night games are good for the fans who can’t wait for Sunday to take in all the NFL action. And it’s also good for the league that as many viewers watch because it’s the only football game going on. As for the players, it’s a little tough because a player needs a full week to get completely healthy and, for the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens, they will square off in a Thursday night battle after both teams played in grueling games this past Sunday.
The most important aspect of this game is how healthy are both teams and for the Falcons, they have some question marks coming into the game when it comes to who will play or not. Roddy White suffered a knee injury in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was able to finish the game after leaving in the first half. However, White did not practice Monday or Tuesday and was limited in the walkthrough practice on Wednesday. Same goes for Todd McClure who also suffered a knee injury in the first half, but only missed one play and was able to finish the game. And like White, he did not practice Monday or Tuesday and there is a chance he will sit out.
As far as what the Falcons need to do to get their seventh win of the season, they are going to have to do what they have been doing all season long as that is starting fast and continue to run the ball effectively. Michael Turner has rushed for 694 yards and is looking for his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game. He should have some success against the Ravens defense as they are ranked 13th in the league surrendering 104 yards per game.
If the Falcons are able to get the run game going, Matt Ryan should have a solid day in the air. If White is out he will have to go to Michael Jenkins and Harry Douglass along with Tony Gonzalez who is coming off a season high eight catches for 72 yards against the Bucs. The one thing Ryan can’t do though is not makes mistake throwing the ball because Ed Reed will be lurking from the safety position and pounce on any mistake Ryan makes.
The Falcons defense may not be the most elite unit in the league, but they are playing a lot better than last year, being ranked 19th in total defense and sixth in rush defense. Their No. 1 priority in the game Thursday night is to make sure to ground Ray Rice who had 97 receiving yards and 83 rushing yards in the win against the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday. Linebackers Stephen Nicholas, Curtis Lofton and Mike Peterson will have to make sure to keep a close eye on Rice at all times.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest challenge for the Falcons will be how physically and mentally prepared for the game after playing four days ago. They have the advantage of playing at home so they did not have to burn a day for travel like Baltimore. But they Falcons are coming in to the game a little more banged up than the Ravens and the fact they played a hard-fought game this past Sunday did not help their cause.
If they can get off to a fast start and wear down the Ravens with the run game, it should be a win for the Falcons. But the Ravens are playing their best football now and it’s going to be a difficult task for the Falcons to take down a team like Baltimore, home or away. Regardless, this should be a great contest between two of the NFL’s best teams.
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