It’s not often that a team faces the Super Bowl combatants from the previous season in back-to-back weeks the following year. But that’s what’s ahead for the Atlanta Falcons after they took apart Cam Newton and the defending NFC champion Panthers on Sunday to take a two-game lead in the NFC South. Now, Atlanta gets a trip to the Mile High City and a date with the defending league champion Denver Broncos in a Week 5 matchup.
This matchup in Week 5 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, October 9, 2016, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Sports Authority Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Atlanta Falcons +5
Denver Broncos -5
Over/Under 47
Odds Analysis
Oddsmakers feel strongly enough about the Broncos defense to open them as a 6-point favorite. It doesn’t seem to matter who the starting quarterback is as long as the defense remains intact. The line was wagered down to -5 rather quickly. The betting public appears to like Denver’s defense better than Atlanta’s offense with the under getting 55 percent of the early action.
Injury Report
Sean Weatherspoon – Atlanta’s group of linebackers took another hit when Weatherspoon went down Sunday with a leg injury. The extent of his calf injury will be revealed following an MRI. The Falcons are already down two inside backers in DeVondre Campbell and Paul Worrilow which could hurt in trying to corral C.J. Anderson and the Broncos running attack.
Trevor Siemian – Denver’s starting quarterback exited Sunday’s game in the first half with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. He didn’t return as Paxton Lynch took over, but the Broncos did say Siemian could have played if needed. Lynch played well in relief of Siemian, but the lights are a little brighter if he is to make his first NFL start on Sunday.
Matchup to Watch
Atlanta offense vs. Broncos secondary:
Denver rode its defensive prowess all the way to a Super Bowl victory last season. This season has started much the same way. The Broncos know they have the best defense in football and it really doesn’t matter who starts at quarterback. But the Broncos are all about the D. They rank second in the NFL in pass defense, allowing fewer than 170 yards per game, and they are fourth in total defense giving up 283.2 yards per game. Denver has not allowed more than 189 net passing yards in any game and only one opposing quarterback – Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton with 206 – has thrown for more than 200 in a game.
The Broncos have faced some good quarterbacks too. They held Cam Newton to 194 passing yards and Andrew Luck to 197 before Dalton’s outburst in Week 3. Denver put the clamps on Jameis Winston and the Bucs on Sunday, holding him to 179 and the team to 143. Following their record-setting performance, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones will see what they can do against the Broncos. Ryan threw for a Falcons’ record 503 yards while Jones caught 12 passes for a team record 300 receiving yards. Atlanta leads the NFL in total offense, pass offense and scoring offense.
Free ATS Pick
We saw something similar from the Falcons last year when they started the season 5-0 and scored all kinds of points. So before we go saying this team is for real we need to see some sustainability. The Broncos, on the other hand, have been able to sustain their work on defense and rode that play all the way to a world championship last year. So we know they are for real.
Atlanta is putting up ridiculous offensive numbers and it isn’t completely by surprise. We know Ryan has the potential and Jones is the most explosive receiver in the league, the tandem of Devontae Freeman and Tevin Coleman gives a little change of pace to the group, and the line has been phenomenal. But the Falcons are still lagging on defense and that’s going to be their downfall as they try for the upset over Denver. Atlanta couldn’t put Carolina away despite building a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter and were still clinging before an interception return finally sealed it. Scoring will be tough against the Broncos and the defense will have its lapses to cost the game.
NFL Odds: Broncos 24, Falcons 18
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