Will the Falcons Reign in Southern California?

With a big win on Monday Night Football under their belts, the Falcons continue their 2012 season with yet another AFC opponent this week. On Sunday afternoon, the Dirty Birds will be on the road in sunny San Diego to take on the Chargers.

Like the Falcons, the Chargers are 2-0 on the season and are trying to prove they are viable contenders in their respective division. As for the Falcons, this game is important because it would be the third consecutive victory over an AFC East team this season, which sends a message of dominance to the rest of the league.

This Sunday’s game also marks the only 4 o’clock start time for the Falcons all year. It couldn’t have come at a better time, considering Monday night’s game went into Tuesday morning.   

The boys out in Las Vegas have the Chargers as 3-point favorites in the game, but I think San Diego will lose the game, especially if Mike Smith is able to establish the run. And that’s why I think Michael Turner is critical in this game, and not because of, well, you know—that whole drinking incident.

As for you that may not have heard the news, and been hiding under a rock his past week, Michael Turner was arrested on suspicion of DUI after caught high-tailing it up Interstate 85 after the win on Monday night. What a bonehead move on his part. After a long week of practice, studying film, and weightlifting the only thing on my mind would be sleep. Guess that’s why I’m not an NFL player.

Nevertheless, this is an important game for Turner because he’ll be returning to San Diego, the team that drafted him, benched him, and ultimately released him. The game marks Turner’s second time playing against his old team so I look forward to him to sending a message to the organization. He needs to put forth a better performance than what he’s been though. Thus far, Turner is only averaging 2.6 yards per carry with a total of 74 yards rushing this season - absolutely horrible. But, anything is possible on any given Sunday right?

I think the Falcons will be successful in establishing the run early, which should keep the Chargers’ defense off balance. But the task may not come with ease as the Chargers have the #1 rush defense in the league, only allowing 83 yards total.

Ultimately, I think the game lies in the hands of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. If he has a bad game, the Falcons lose, if he doesn’t, they win—simple as that. I don’t think the Chargers’ fans will be much of a factor in this game as the Falcons have already proven in Kansas City that they can play in a hostile environment. Ryan will maximize the use of his talented receivers as well as his veteran tight end Tony Gonzales for this game. Also look for Julio Jones to come alive this game as he was relatively quiet against the Broncos.

I expect the Falcons to win big on the road in San Diego and bring it back home to the dome next week against the Panthers.