Don't Rain On My Falcons-Redskins Parade, Clouds

For all the time we've spent talking about the Redskins ground game, the Redskins passing game, how great Matt Ryan is and why this might be a shootout, we've neglected to mention the weather.

There's a good chance it's going to rain in Washington on Sunday, and there's a decent chance it's going to rain hard. If that's the case, the Falcons are still going to pass like crazy. They have too many weapons not to do so, and it's not like rain is going to render that passing attack entirely ineffectual.

Nonetheless, it's a worrying sign for the Falcons. The Redskins are going to try to pound the ball and take the occasional shot downfield to keep up with the Falcons' high-octane passing attack, a strategy that's likely to be at least somewhat effective given how dangerous that ground game is. To really put this game away, the Falcons are going to have to score in gobs.

The rain makes that a little harder to do. The ball's a little slick, Matt Ryan has a slightly trickier time gripping and throwing those beautiful spirals and the team's occasionally drop-happy receivers have a tougher time reeling them in. If that leads to a couple of mistakes or drive-killing incompletions, it could be bad news.

Of course, the easiest solution is just to beat the Redskins to death with a little Michael Turner, but let's assume you're concerned about this. How do you handle the rain if you're the Falcons?