The Atlanta Falcons (2-4) and the New York Giants (1-5), two teams that desperately need a win, clash tonight at Mercedes Benz Stadium under the lights of prime-time.
After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-29 last week, the Falcons are looking to build on that momentum to earn their first winning streak of the season.
Meanwhile, the Giants are trying to stop a three-game losing streak and rebound from last week’s humiliating 34-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
This game doesn’t bode well for a Giants team that has to play on the road with quarterback Eli Manning leading an anemic offense that is scoring a mere 19.5 points per game this season, which ranks 27th in the NFL.
The good news for the Giants is that their offense is going against a Falcons defense that is giving up 32 points per game and ranks 31st in the league in points allowed. Although with Manning at the helm the Giants may not have the talent to beat the Falcons, they should be able to use wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Saquon Barkley to move the ball and score at least three touchdowns.
Of course, as the Giants record might indicate, their problems aren’t merely on the offensive side of the ball. New York is allowing 27 points per game, which ranks 25th in the NFL.
Considering that they are going against a Falcons offense that scores almost 28 points per game and ranks eighth in the league in scoring is easy to see them putting up more points on the board than the Giants.
Nonetheless, Barkley should have a very productive game against the Falcons mediocre run defense which allows over 120 yards per game and ranks 25th in the league. Look for Barkley to rush for more than 100 yards and score one touchdown for the second straight week after finishing last week’s contest with 130 rushing yards and a score.
In five games this season Barkley has rushed for 438 yards and scored five touchdowns (three rushing, two receiving) while failing to find the end zone only in his first game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Prediction: Falcons 34 – 24 Giants
