1. The Chargers are struggling to stop the run
The Baltimore Ravens beat the Chargers this past Monday not by relying on Lamar Jackson and the air attack but by leaning on them rushing the football. A defense that had been playing so well struggled to deal with the consistent body blows the Ravens were throwing at them in the run game. This is Atlanta's path to winning this team and getting their season back on track.
Yes, Kirk Cousins is going to have to make throws and the defense must be better than what we saw from them in Denver. However, the biggest factor in this game is whether or not Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson can follow the blueprint of what the Ravens did last week. If they cannot find a consistent ground game they aren't winning this game.
The lack of pressure on Justin Herbert is going to allow the Chargers to score easily Atlanta's only path to an upset is establishing the run. Bijan Robinson has been the one consistent piece of Atlanta's offense while Allgeier's production has faded in recent weeks. Getting the duo going early will be telling of how this game will go.
2. Kirk Cousins is due
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback has taken a lot of heat over the last three weeks. Kirk's last two games have been defined by awful interceptions and an inability to get a single score. While the quarterback isn't the defining reason the Falcons have lost their last two games he hasn't been the hope for solution.
During Kirk's short tenure in Atlanta, we've seen the quarterback play his best football after a rough week. Games against the Eagles and Bucs stand out as the most obvious examples. The Atlanta quarterback has responded well after a rough stretch of offense.
The Atlanta offense deserves far more blame as a whole despite Kirk's recent turnovers. Early in both games the veteran was playing well but put under pressure and made a poor decision when the Falcons had a chance to turn the tide.
While Cousins deserves heat for this it wasn't the defining reason the Falcons lost. It was due to injuries and a sloppy gameplan that consistently resulted in penalties and poor calls. Cousins has a chance this week to be the solution with another week off to get healthy and time to continue to rebound from last year's injury.
3. Atlanta is far healthier
For the health of the roster, the bye week couldn't have been scheduled at a more perfect time. Yes, the injuries were a big reason for the last two losses. You cannot excuse the lack of adjustments on defense or the sloppy offensive approach. Still, injuries played a big role in why the Falcons have stumbled so badly down the stretch this season.
With an extra week to get healthy as many as ten players could return to Atlanta's lineup. The impact of injuries has been felt unquestionably for a defense that has been far worse without Troy Andersen on the field. The middle linebacker's injuries can be directly tied to defensive regression.
Andersen is far from the only important defender expected back in the Atlanta lineup. Slot corner Dee Alford is fully practicing and expected to return to the lineup as well. While Atlanta's injury report is still full it is far more hopeful than a week ago.
There is reason to believe that simply getting fully healthy and Kirk Cousins returning to form will allow this team to keep control of the NFC South. A division lead that Tampa is looking to attack with an easy schedule down the stretch.
