Following a dominating performance on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons travel across the country to take on the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
Both teams enter the game 2-0 and look to continue their success early on in the 2012 season.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan has been excellent this year, passing for over 500 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions as the Falcons put more prominence on the passing game. The past few years the team concentrated on running the football, but has grown into a passing team with explosive receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones.
Ryan is the top-rated passer in the league and is completing over 70 percent of his throws. White had14 receptions for 189 yards, while tight end Tony Gonzalez hasn't slowed down with age, catching 12 balls for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons have had a hard time rushing the ball this season and it may stay that way if they can't get starting back Michael Turner going. The team is expected to have Turner for the game on Sunday, but is not sure yet after he was arrested on Tuesday morning for drunk driving and speeding. He was released after a few hours.
"This is a legal matter, and it's very well-defined how we have to proceed with it through the league, and we'll let this process run its course," said coach Mike Smith, who cited the collective bargaining agreement.
Turner would be facing his former team, the Chargers, for the second time since leaving the team in 2007. Atlanta won the last game 22-16.
Another tough hurdle for Atlanta rushing the ball is the Chargers run defense, which is ranked number one in the league, giving up only 41.5 yards a game.
Atlanta is looking to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2004 and has only lost one game in eight matchups against San Diego.
The Chargers beat the Tennessee Titans last week 38-10 and are looking to go 3-0 for the first time in ten years. Coach Norv Turner has seen some successful teams in five years as head coach, but never a 3-0 start.
"The thing that is unique to me is how close they are," Turner told the Chargers' official website. "The number of new guys we brought in (are) the right types of guys -- (tight end) Dante (Rosario), (linebacker) Jarret (Johnson), (running back) Le'Ron (McClain). They feel the chemistry that's already there."
Quarterback Philip Rivers is the unquestioned leader of the team, but the backup players have made an impact. Dante Rosario had three touchdowns last week while playing for the injured Antonio Gates and running back Jackie Battle rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns for injured started Ryan Mathews.
"It is a super unselfish team all the way through, it's just win," said Rivers, who has the league's second-best completion percentage at 73.8. "I just want to win and that's how every guy thinks: 'I just want to win, how can I help us win?'"
Rivers is trying to cut down on his turnovers this season after throwing 20 last year. He has 515 yards passing and four touchdowns and only one interception this year. San Diego has scored 60 points in two games and has only given up one turnover.
The Chargers will try to run the ball against the Falcons to exploit their rush defense, which is ranked 25th in the league.
"At some point in time this year, even though this is a passing league ... you're gonna have to stop the run," Smith said.
San Diego is usually notorious for its slow starts and strong finishes, but this season the team is hoping to start strong and stay consistent all year. Last season the team started 4-1, but eventually finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.
The game is one of the top matchups of the weekend and features two of the best quarterbacks in the league in Rivers and Ryan.
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