[
theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams vs. Falcons: 5 things to know for Week 2 matchup
Cameron DaSilva
September 14, 2022 4:00 am PT
The Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons both come into Week 2 after suffering losses in their season openers, though they happened in very different styles. The Rams were blown out by the Bills, 31-10, while the Falcons blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead to the Saints, losing 27-26 at home.
The Rams need a win in the worst way after looking unprepared in Week 1, and they’ll be heavily favored to beat the Falcons at home on Sunday. Here are five things to know for this matchup at SoFi Stadium.
1
Falcons rushed for 4th-most yards in Week 1
The Falcons were excellent on the ground Sunday, and it came against a good Saints defense, too. Atlanta rushed for 201 yards on 38 attempts, an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Cordarrelle Patterson led the way with 120 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, with Marcus Mariota chipping in 72 yards on 12 carries; he also rushed for a touchdown.
The Falcons’ 201 yards rushing were the fourth-most in the NFL last week, nearly quadruple the 52 yards Los Angeles had in Week 1. The Rams had the fewest rushing yards of any team in the league.
2
Rams allowed most sacks in Week 1, Falcons gave up zero
Pass protection was not a strength of the Rams in Week 1. The offensive line allowed seven sacks, tied with the Bengals for the most in the league. Matthew Stafford was pressured on about half of his dropbacks, also taking 15 hits by Buffalo’s defenders.
The Falcons didn’t allow a single sack, one of three teams that didn’t allow its quarterback to be taken down. Again, that was against a quality Saints defense, and it’s also a testament to the elusiveness of Mariota when it comes to avoiding sacks.
Atlanta ranked fourth in pass-block win rate and seventh in run blocking, while the Rams were 23rd and 17th, respectively.
3
Falcons were among 5 teams without TD pass in Week 1
As encouraging as Mariota’s performance was, he didn’t have a touchdown pass. The Falcons were one of five teams without a score through the air. Mariota threw for 215 yards on 33 attempts and didn’t have an interception, but he also wasn’t the most aggressive quarterback when dropping back to throw.
The Falcons gave up three touchdown passes to Josh Allen and the Bills, but this is a much more favorable matchup for Los Angeles.
4
Falcons have won 5 of last 6 games vs. Rams
The Falcons have had the Rams’ number in recent years, though only two of their last six meetings have been with Sean McVay as the coach. Since 2008, the Falcons are 5-1 against the Rams, including their postseason win over Los Angeles in January of 2018.
The Rams took the latest meeting, 37-10, beating Atlanta on the road in Jalen Ramsey’s first game with his new team.
5
Matthew Stafford is 3-2 vs. Falcons
Stafford has faced the Falcons five times in his career, going 3-2 in those contests. He averages 311 yards per game in those starts and threw for 443 yards in a 2012 loss to Atlanta, tossing five touchdown passes and only two interceptions.
His career passer rating against Atlanta is 84.5 and he’s taken seven sacks.
