Falcons (5-6) at Jets (4-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: Fox
Spread (BetMGM):
Falcons by 2.5
Falcons’ keys to victory: Bijan Robinson.
Keep feeding rookie RB The Falcons have finally let their top-10 pick loose. He’s coming off 123 total yards with two total touchdowns in a win over the Saints, which put Atlanta in first place in the NFC South. The Jets still struggle stopping the run, and the defense has been fading a bit, almost succumbing to the pressure of having to be near perfect. The Atlanta defense should be able to be physical with the Jets offense and rattle QB Tim Boyle.
Jets’ keys to victory: Win with defense. It just seems like nothing the Jets try is working on offense, so it’s up to the defense yet again. Fortunately, the Falcons aren’t very good at passing the football, so if there’s a week for the defense to get right, it’s this week against Falcons QB Desmond Ridder.
Matchup to watch: Jets WR Garrett Wilson vs. Falcons CB A.J. Terrell. Terrell has again quietly been a very solid cornerback this season. In fact, both he and Dee Alford ranked among the top 35 or so in Pro Football Focus grading this season, so Wilson should see a healthy dose of both and be challenged all game long. With no other Jets receiver stepping up – including Allen Lazard, who was inactive in Week 12 – the Falcons may be able to zero in on Wilson to slow the Jets offense.
Who wins? Neither offense is particularly exciting. It’s difficult to put any stock into the Jets offense. New York should get T Mekhi Becton (ankle) back, but with Boyle (four career NFL starts) still at QB, the mess is everywhere.
Falcons, 16-10