Falcoholinks: What can we expect from the Falcons vs. the Lions this week?

The Detroit Lions went into last week’s matchup against the red-hot Arizona Cardinals with a 1-11-1 record and the odds heavily stacked against them. Yet they came out the other side of it with a 30-12 win.

Any given Sunday, right? Or Thursday. Or Monday. Or Saturday. Or even Tuesday, I guess, with COVID still running rampant in the country and the NFL.

There are a lot of factors that may have helped the Lions pull off that win over the Cardinals. One could simply be that the team’s hitting its stride late in the season. They were able to shake off the potential of a zero-win season after a victory over the Vikings, which likely was a big load off of players’ and coaches’ minds. Arizona could have gone into that one thinking there was no possible way the lowly Lions could sneak past them, and looking past any team in the NFL is a recipe for disaster.

But what matters for the Falcons is how the Lions will perform this week. Normally, I’d feel pretty confident with the Lions coming to Atlanta, but the Falcons have won exactly zero games in Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year. The Falcons are favored, but not by much.

What are you expecting from Falcons vs. Lions? Weigh in below in the comments.

On to the links!

Falcoholinks

• The Lions appear to be getting hot just in time to play the Falcons. Dave Choate breaks it down here.
• What can we expect from the Falcons defense against the Lions offense? Pain? Sadness? Hopefully not. David Walker has the full preview.
• Dave got into the nitty gritty of how these teams have changed since their last meeting and how they compare statistically. Check that out here.
• Unfortunately for all of us, it’s not too early to start talking about the NFL Draft. The Falcons currently hold the ninth overall pick, writes Matt Chambers.

Other Falcons links

• Russell Gage’s emergence with Atlanta Falcons comes at a critical time - Michael Rothstein, ESPN
• Falcons are losing the size vs. speed battle in short yardage situations - D. Orlando Ledbetter, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Kyle Pitts only ‘scratching the surface’ of the player he could be - Tori McElheney, AtlantaFalcons.com

Around the NFL

• The 6 teams with the most hopeless futures in the NFL - James Dator, SB Nation
• A TikTok and dozens of pro sports teams convinced a teacher to cancel a pre-holiday break test - Jeanna Kelley, SB Nation

Blast from the past

In honor of the upcoming holidays, let’s revisit ‘Christmas Vacation: Falcons edition’.

Today in Falcons history