The Falcoholic
The Falcons find themselves at 2-2 on the season, trailing the Buccaneers by two games in the NFC South, and now face the 4-1 Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With Tampa showing a strength for stealing victories from the jaws of defeat, this feels like a critical moment in Atlanta’s season, should it hope to contend for the divisional crown.
Atlanta is 17-28 all-time on Monday Night Football, and with Buffalo heading into town for the primetime clash, it’s no surprise that FanDuel has the Falcons as 4.5-point underdogs at home.
The Falcons are fresh off a Week 5 bye and should be receiving some necessary help in the secondary against Buffalo. Cornerback A.J. Terrell has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and while backup corner Dee Alford has been steady in relief, the value of Atlanta getting its top corner back cannot be understated against Josh Allen.
Buffalo was outdueled by Drake Maye and the Patriots at home in Week 5, a game where they turned the ball over three times and committed 11 penalties for 90 yards. The Bills are a very good football team, but they’ve had stretches in games where they’ve looked rather pedestrian — particularly against the Saints.
That presents an opportunity for Atlanta’s defense, which currently leads the league in completion percentage allowed at 57.7%. Adding Terrell back into the fold will only boost that unit against the Bills.
Atlanta has a chance to make a massive statement on Monday Night Football, and regardless of its underdog status, the defense can set the tone and lead the way against Buffalo.
