press sets up the Falcons game

from Week 7 PFF Preview – https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-7-pff-players-to-watch-predictions-betting-projections

Los Angeles Rams @ Atlanta Falcons

Players to Watch

The Falcons’ defense has been awful to start the season. Only the Miami Dolphins rank lower in EPA per play allowed, and Atlanta’s highest-graded defensive back in coverage is Desmond Trufant with his dismal 57.9 coverage grade. Deion Jones and Grady Jarrett have both earned high grades to start the year, but their efforts haven’t been enough to mask the woeful play in the secondary.

Cooper Kupp should have a field day against Atlanta if targeted early and often. He leads all Los Angeles receivers in yards per route run (2.20) and receiving grade (79.8) through Week 6.

In Week 1, the Rams had the fifth-highest time of possession (ignoring overtimes) in the league, at 33:16. That number has dropped literally every week since, down to a season-low 21:08 in Week 6 that was fourth-lowest. The team averaged the eighth-highest time of possession in 2018. Less time of possession generally means fewer plays, which means fewer chances at fantasy production. It lowers the ceiling of the entire offense.

Greenline Preview

Two teams that have underperformed and let bettors down face off in this potentially high-scoring matchup. The market seems to be buying into the Falcons, with the juice sliding toward them, or this spread dropping to +2.5. If +2.5 is available, Greenline thinks this is a good spot to fade the Falcons.

from Matthew Tabeek, atlantafalcons.com: Questions about Falcons defense, pass rush
https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/questions-about-jalen-ramsey-falcons-defense-pass-rush-matt-ryan-more

A pass rush – pressure, hits, sacks, strip sacks, forced fumbles – would absolutely do wonders for this defense and, really, this team. If the defense could force some bad throws resulting in more incompletions and interceptions, that would be fantastic as well. It puts the ball back into the hands of Matt Ryan and the offense with more opportunities to put points on the board. But that’s been one of the biggest problems so far through six games. The Falcons have tallied just five sacks and they are tied with the Dolphins at the bottom of the league in that category. They also have only two interceptions (tied for 26th). Atlanta has managed to force eight fumbles but they’ve only recovered two of those. But the most important and telling stat is points allowed and the Falcons have given up a league-high 186 points (31.0 points per game).

I don’t think Dan Quinn is in over his head though. I think it just comes down to players winning their one-on-one battles – and they’re not right now. They’ve been caught out of position, too, and paid dearly at times. The easy response (and fix) is they need to get to the quarterback more. I thought this defense would be more aggressive and take more chances before the season. Now, because of all the issues they’ve had on the back end, I think I’d roll the dice and bring even more rushers at times. You live and die with the blitz but it might be worth the risk at this point. That’s just my two cents.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-week-7-s-top-games-desperation-time-for-cowboys-eagles-ramsey-debuts-with-rams-155648194.html

Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons

The Rams and Falcons haven’t looked the same since losing in their respective Super Bowl appearances, and both teams are desperate for a win. The difference is there’s reason for some optimism with the Rams.

Having finally escaped purgatory — otherwise known as Jacksonville — cornerback Jalen Ramsey is free to wreak havoc again on the football field. It’s amazing how a trade to the West Coast has suddenly improved his back “injury,” right?

You may not even realize it, but the Rams have only one more win than Ramsey’s former team. But the expectations for Sean McVay’s squad are considerably higher now that the chatty corner has been added to their collection of stars. Ramsey’s presence won’t sort out the Rams’ offensive line issues, nor will it improve Jared Goff’s passer rating (80.8) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (7:7). But he’s expected to inject some much-needed life into a team that has lost three straight for the first time under McVay.

Meanwhile, it seems the Falcons have found every conceivable way to lose. Their latest defeat came at the hands — or, uh, feet — of kicker Matt Bryant, who missed the game-tying extra point last week against Arizona. The Falcons have lost four in a row and are near the bottom of the league in pass defense (27th) and points allowed (31st) per game. Head coach Dan Quinn has received the public support of the team owner thus far. But if Atlanta loses a fifth straight, should he?

NFL Week 7 picks: Who the experts are taking in Rams at Falcons

At 3-3, the Los Angeles Rams may not be off to a roaring start in 2019, but they’ve looked better than the Atlanta Falcons have. That’s exactly why they enter Sunday’s game as 2.5-point favorites despite being on the road.

The spread might be somewhat small in the Rams’ favor, but the number of experts picking Los Angeles to win is not. According to NFL Pick Watch https://nflpickwatch.com/ , 89 percent of experts are taking the Rams compared to just 11 percent for the Falcons.