By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons
Thursday – November 18 – 7:20 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA.
Records Before the Game
New England Patriots (6-4, 4-0 Away)
Atlanta Falcons (4-5, 1-3 Home)
The Patriots have found their stride in the last four games averaging 30 plus points per contest. The Falcons on the other hand is a team that’s 2-2 in their last four games. Let’s take a close look at both teams and the key for a victory in the ATL.
There’s still time
Say whatever you want, but the Falcons are a good team that are struggling finding that killer instinct they need to compete with good teams. They are 4-5 and they have eight games left in the season. The Patriots turned their season around after falling below .500 earlier this year.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are on a four game winning streak with quality wins over Cleveland, Carolina, Chargers and Jets. Their last loss was against Dallas at home. The Patriots have one of the greatest coaches to lead a team in Bill Belichick. He will have the answers against the Falcons. His defense has been stifling and physical. The x factor for a win will be the play of the Patriots special teams. Look for the Patriots to come out smoking.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are on the fence between being a good team and a bad team. The have wins over New Orleans, Miami and Jets. The offense averages 19.8 points a game and they need to score more points to win games in the latter parts of games. Quarterback Matt Ryan is a proven winner, but has disappeared in the 3rd and 4th quarters of games this season. He will be the key for victory in this game. He has to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers early and often.
Prediction
ESPN has the Patriots with a 69% chance of winning on the road. I’m going for the upset this week. I’m taking the Falcons by 9!
Final Score
Falcons – 30
Patriots – 21
