Arthur Smith finally notched his first win as the Falcons head coach in Week 3 thanks to a dramatic last-second kick by Younghoe Koo. He will look to make it two wins in a row this coming Sunday when the Falcons face a Washington team that's carrying a similar 1-2 slate. Who will prevail in this Atlanta vs Washington showdown? Read our preview for a breakdown of this game.
Atlanta Falcons installed as +1.5 underdogs
Atlanta finally chalked up its first win of the season with a thrilling 17-14 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. It was a morale-boosting victory for the Falcons, who suffered humiliating defeats to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay in their opening two games.
Atlanta's win wouldn't be possible without the heroics of Younghoe Koo, who kicked the game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired. Matt Ryan also had a solid game, completing 27 of 36 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a passer rating of 111.2.
Kyle Pitts also stepped up big time in the final period after not being targeted the previous three quarters, recording two vital receptions and earning a pass interference call that proved instrumental in the comeback win.
The Falcons' defense also starred in the win against the Giants, holding New York to just 14 points on Sunday. That was a vast improvement for Atlanta, given that the Falcons allowed an average of 40 points in their previous two losses to the Bucs and the Eagles.
They will need to bring that same kind of defensive effort this coming Sunday to record their second win against Washington. The Falcons will need to stop a Washington side that's 19th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 22.3 points per game this season. Atlanta is third-worst in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing an average of 31.3 points through the first three games.
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Washington Football Team enter Week 4 as -1.5 favorites
On Sunday, Washington was sent crashing back to earth with an embarrassing 43-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Ron Rivera's men had no answer for Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who accounted for five total touchdowns, four of which came through the air.
For Washington to return to the win column against the Falcons, they will need to do a much better job on their third-down opportunities. They converted just two of their 11 third-down attempts against Buffalo on Sunday. The onus then is on Taylor Heinicke to improve on his passing accuracy. He completed just 14 of 24 passes against Buffalo with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
It's important for Washington as well to improve on its faltering ground game against Atlanta. They rushed for just 78 yards on 25 carries against the Bills on Sunday. Washington is currently 21st in the NFL in rushing offense this season, averaging just 97.0 yards per game. Washington will look to get its ground attack going against an Atlanta side that's allowing 118.3 rushing yards per game this season, 19th in the NFL.
Writer's Prediction
Washington wins and covers the spread.
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