Atlanta Falcons bold predictions for Week 13 vs. Chargers

The Falcons looking to get back to in the win column after a two game skid.

The Atlanta Falcons (6-5) are back in action in Week 13 after a much-needed bye week. They'll return home to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4).

The Falcons needed the time off to recover and regroup, but the injury report from Wednesday’s practice, as noted by SI's Daniel Flick, suggests the team isn’t fully healed. A number of defensive players remain limited, and offensively, wide receiver Darnell Mooney’s status is still in question.

Atlanta needs a win this week, plain and simple. The team is on a two-game skid and has gone 2-3 over their last five games. However, their last two losses have been increasingly troubling. First, they fell to the Saints, a team that had just fired its head coach and only had two wins at the time. Then came an embarrassing 38-6 blowout loss to the Denver Broncos, a team led by a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix.

The bad news? Things won’t get any easier this Sunday against the Chargers. Los Angeles just snapped a six-game winning streak with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in a dramatic Harbaugh brothers showdown. The Chargers will undoubtedly be eager to rebound this week.

Both teams have the playoffs in mind, which adds even more intrigue to this matchup. The Falcons need a win to maintain their position in the NFC playoff picture, especially with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers breathing down their necks.

Now, let’s dive into some bold predictions for the Falcons’ matchup against the Chargers in Week 13.

Kirk Cousins throws for 230, one touchdown, one interception

Kirk Cousins needs a bounce-back game. There have been moments this season where he’s looked like the Cousins of old, but there have also been times when he’s appeared to show his age. One consistent issue for Cousins has been his penchant for turning the ball over.

Cousins currently ranks sixth in the NFL in turnovers with 11, including nine interceptions and two lost fumbles. That’s concerning, especially considering the Chargers are among the league’s best at forcing takeaways. They boast a +8 turnover differential, having caused 13 turnovers this season.

Turnovers have undoubtedly been a factor in the Falcons’ struggles this year, with Cousins often at the center of them. This game could easily come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes. Cousins will need a much better performance, ideally passing for at least 230 yards and a touchdown, though it’s still likely he’ll throw at least one interception.

Bijan Robinson rushes for 115 yards and two touchdowns

Against the Ravens, the Chargers allowed a season-high 30 points. Sure, Lamar Jackson played a role, throwing for two touchdowns, but he managed only 177 yards through the air. The game got away from Los Angeles on the ground, with Derrick Henry rushing for 140 of the Ravens’ 212 total rushing yards.

Atlanta doesn’t have a Derrick Henry, but they do have Bijan Robinson. While not quite comparable at this stage in their careers, Robinson is still a strong option for the Falcons. He had been producing some of the best games of his young career until the matchup against Denver, where he managed just 35 rushing yards. Perhaps offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can take a cue from the Ravens’ game plan and find ways to exploit the Chargers' run defense with Robinson in Week 14. We're predicting he rushes for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Falcons get one sack against Justin Herbert

If you’re reading this and thinking, “just one sack?”—well, that’s probably the boldest prediction for this year's Falcons team. Atlanta remains the worst in the league at getting to the quarterback this season. In 11 games, they’ve totaled just 10 sacks, seven fewer than the next-worst team. They’ve had four games this year where they failed to record a single sack.

The Chargers, meanwhile, rank in the lower portion of the league in sacks allowed, ranked 20th with 30 on the season. So, it's not entirely possible the Falcons’ defensive front doesn't get to Justin Herbert at least once.

Falcons lose to Chargers, go on three game losing streak

This team has looked downright sloppy in its last two outings. While the bye week hopefully gave Atlanta and Raheem Morris time to make some adjustments, a multitude of injuries still at hand is tough to overcome—especially when the team hasn’t been playing well to begin with.

This matchup against the Chargers feels like a tough draw for the Falcons to return from their bye. The only silver lining is that it’s at home, though they’ve already lost three times there this season. Atlanta is entering a crucial two-game stretch that could define its season, with the Chargers in Week 13 followed by the Minnesota Vikings.

Unfortunately, too many mistakes and mounting injuries may drop the Falcons back to .500 for the first time since Week 4.