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29	November 2018

Falcons vs Bengals: Can the offense continue to dominate?

With a 1-2 record Youth Keanu Neal Jersey , the Falcons are now in a situation where the margin for error is getting perilously thin. The injuries to the defense have been significant, though the offense has not been immune. However, this unit has weathered the storm fairly well so far, scoring over 30 points in the last two games in spite of the injuries. Here�s how the offense matches up with the Bengals defense.Note: Assessments based off of PFF scoringIn the trenchesThe Falcons offensive line has had ups and downs this year, but is still a solid unit overall. Alex Mack and Jake Matthews are the anchors of this unit. Ryan Schraeder hasn�t been as good as in previous years but is still solid. On the interior, losing Andy Levitre has hurt, but Wes Schweitzer has filled in decently for him. He�s not great, but he�s not nearly as bad as he was at RG last year, and he did have an excellent game against the Panthers. Brandon Fusco has been solid at right guard as well. This unit has faced some fierce competition the last couple of weeks, so there�s reason to believe they will settle in and help this offense stay on track.The Bengals have some good players on their defensive line. Geno Atkins is still one of the best defensive tackles in the league and could be a problem for the Falcons line up the middle. Second year tackle Andrew Billings is off to a good start this year as well. Carlos Dunlap is a good player who has consistently played at a high level through his career. Jordan Willis looked really good as a rookie, but has been quiet so far in 2018. DT Ryan Glasgow can also do a great job of shutting down the run. Carl Lawson also offers them some pass rushing prowess on the end.This is a closer match-up than it may seem. I don�t expect either unit to dominate, but each will get their shots. Advantage: PushThe skill positionsThe Falcons offense has bounced back considerably since their week one debacle. Matt Ryan now has 897 yards with 7 TDs (plus 2 rushing!) and only 2 INTs for a passer rating of 106.5. Julio Jones had a �quiet� week against the Saints, only amassing 96 yards. However, his presence on the field opened up opportunities for Calvin Ridley, who went off for 7 catches for 146 yards and 3 TDs. The youngster looks like the real deal. Mohamed Sanu has been quiet so far this year, but he�s been reliable and is always a solid option if Julio and Ridley are covered. Austin Hooper has been good this year and looks like he�s finally growing into that receiving tight end role. The running backs have looked great Authentic Julio Jones Jersey , with Tevin Coleman and Ito Smith filling in admirably with Devonta Freeman on the mend. This is an incredibly talented and dangerous unit.The Bengals linebacking corps could be the big weakness for this defensive unit. In the middle, Hardy Nickerson has struggled against the run and the pass. Jordan Evans is good against the run but a liability in coverage. Nick Vigil is the best of this unit and is mostly average against both the run and pass. It�s clear they�re missing Vontaze Burfict. The safeties for Cincinatti are not bad. Shawn Williams is not having his best year but has shown to be capable in the past. Rookie second rounder Jessie Bates has looked good at free safety so far. Second year corner William Jackson looked great last year and has played mostly well so far in 2018. Dre Kirkpatrick has been solid but not spectacular, which is the definition of his career so far. In nickel sets, Darqueze Dennard is not off to a great start and could be someone the Falcons look to target if he gets matched up one-on-one with Calvin Ridley.The Bengals have some issues in this part of the defense and this is a match-up that strongly favors the Falcons. Advantage: FalconsOverallThe best hope for the Bengals will be to pressure Matt Ryan early and often. If they don�t, there�s no reason to think the Falcons rejuvenated offense can�t put points on the board against this unit. This defensive line is good, but isn�t considerably better than what the team has faced the past two games. Advantage: FalconsNFL trade deadline: Could the Falcons make a move if the season continues spiraling? With the Falcons at 1-4 and basically looking at every game on the schedule in the foreseeable future as �must win,� the buzzing around the Falcons beehive wonders if the trade deadline might come into play.Historically, the Falcons are mum around this time of year, even when they�re fielding a clear playoff team that might be a piece away from being perfect.Whether it�s just GM Thomas Dimitroff�s general desire not to trade players in-season or just a routine of not being interested when the moment strikes, it�s been radio silence during the trade season of mid-October to early November traditionally for the Birds. They�ve not had a season like this since 2014, where the wheels are falling off and the train heads nowhere fast, so one wonders in a more trade-happy NFL if the team could want to move anyone before the Oct. 30 deadline approaches. RB Tevin Coleman The first name that pops up would, of course, be RB Tevin Coleman, who has an expiring contract in March and who doesn�t appear to be destined to stick around with Devonta Freeman in the early parts of an extension and Ito Smith looking like a more-than-worthy successor. There seems to be a rash of injuries spreading around the league right now at the running back position, and any playoff team would no doubt love to have Coleman on a rental basis. Though Matt Ryan Jersey , this one feels unlikely, if only because we still have no idea if the Falcons aren�t secretly wanting to figure out a way to keep Coleman around. Freeman�s health hasn�t been sterling in the time since his extension. That�s not to say it�ll stay that way, but it is something that makes you wonder what happens with the guaranteed money runs out on his extension. Do you really want to let Coleman walk and then have to release Freeman a year or two later because he�s struggled to stay on the field? If Free can�t get healthy, they�re reliant on Ito Smith and Brian Hill to get the job done. Right now, it�d probably take a second or third rounder for Atlanta to even consider trading Coleman. They�re guaranteed at least a fourth in compensation if he walks, and they might want to see how Freeman�s 2018 progresses health-wise before they let him out the door for good. This feels highly unlikely unless a desperate team blows Atlanta away with an offer. DE Vic Beasley This is where things get interesting. It�s no secret that Vic Beasley isn�t having the best 2018, and that�s being said after an underwhelming 2017. We don�t know exactly what�s going on with Beasley right now, but he�s not getting consistent pressures or hits on the quarterbacksand his sack tally isn�t good enough for someone of his potential and past numbers. The Falcons have a huge decision to make on Beasley�s fifth-year option. He�s due to make $12.8 million in 2019, and though I�m a Beasley fan and defender, the team just can�t pay that for what Beasley is doing at the moment. He�s invisible for roughly half the game, and really only gets four or five snaps an outing where he really looks like he�s close to making a play. That�s obviously not good enough, and really not good enough for one of the biggest cap hits on the team. You hope he can figure it out and that he can get back to being the Beasley of old, but there is no doubt a probable playoff team out there (cough Los Angeles, Kansas City, New England, etc. cough) who could use some help off the edge. As my colleague Matt Chambers noted http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-matt-bosher-jersey , teams could get a look at what Beasley�s capable of through a half-season and playoffs and see if they want to kick in that fifth-year option. If not, they could release Beasley and he, no doubt, would find a new team to latch onto, being the 2016 sack leader and all and still having sky-high potential. The Falcons could get that cap space back for the future with the deals they have coming up and could maybe get a third or fourth rounder in return. Any Others? A pass-rush needy team could see if a fifth or sixth rounder would be enough to snag DE Brooks Reed, though he�s right now the second-best pass rusher on the roster. DE Derrick Shelby feels more likely, as he�s on an expiring deal and is probably in his last year here. He could help someone in run support for certain. Soon-to-be free agent WR Justin Hardy could help a team that�s lacking at receiver (the Tennessee Titans immediately come to mind, as old Falcons QBs coach Matt LaFleur is their OC now). Though, the team standing pat on trading TE Tony Gonzalez all those years ago to a contender after the 2013 season went haywire makes me wonder if that�s just not a future Dimitroff wants to see. It sends a message to the locker room when you trade a starter or valuable rotational piece mid-season, and not a good one at that. One wonders if Atlanta will just choose to roll with what they�ve got through December (or, heck, maybe January if things really do get weird), even if someone comes calling.