No team has been able to stop the undefeated Falcons this season, and it doesn't appear as if Washington will be able to either on Sunday.
Atlanta has had one of the best offenses in the league through the first quarter of the schedule, ranking third in the NFL in points per game. The Matt Ryan and Julio Jones connection has wrecked havoc on opposing secondaries, as Jones leads the league with 38 catches and 478 receiving yards. He has four touchdown catches as well.
Much like when the Falcons raced out to an 8-0 start in 2012, Ryan is having a monstrous season so far. He's completed 67.1 percent of his throws for 1,202 yards and six touchdown passes.
But the Falcons have been more on offense than just an aerial show. For the second consecutive week last Sunday, running back Devonta Freeman rushed for three touchdowns. He also accumulated 149 total yards. At this rate, it seems unlikely that rookie running back Tevin Coleman will get his job back when he returns from a rib injury.
After enduring two consecutive sub-.500 seasons, it seems as if new head coach Dan Quinn has changed the culture in Atlanta. Perhaps the biggest change can be seen on the defensive side of the ball, as the Falcons' D has been far more disruptive this year than in previous campaigns. The Falcons are currently +6 in turnover differential.
Second-year head coach has been unable to change the culture of chaos in Washington, though his team is coming off its best win of the season –– a come-from-behind 23-20 win against the scuffling Philadelphia Eagles. Kirk Cousins led Washington on a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, finding Pierre Garcon for a four-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds remaining to even his team's record up at 2-2. Cousins has completed 68.6 percent of his passes this season, but turnovers continue to be an issue, as his touchdown-to-interception ratio is 1:1.
Given the Falcons' aggressive style of defense under Quinn, Cousins could give up the ball on a couple of occasions Sunday. A few extra opportunities may be all the potent Atlanta offense needs to put this game out of reach.
All eight of our experts have the Falcons winning at home, and all but one of the CBS experts do.
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