The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some Atlanta Falcons Week 6 bold predictions. The Falcons return home as they host the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.

Atlanta is coming off a controversial 21-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Late in the fourth quarter, Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett sacked Tom Brady on a third down. However, the team was called for a roughing the passer penalty, giving the Buccaneers a first down to help them run out the clock.

With the loss, Atlanta is 2-3 and third in the NFC South. The Falcons will now face a 3-2 San Francisco squad that is aiming for another postseason run with Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback.

With that being said, here are three bold predictions for the Falcons as they face the 49ers in Week 6.

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3. Drake London finishes with 50+ receiving yards, one touchdown

Even though Atlanta is a team heavy on the run game, there are still some bright spots on the receiving end. Perhaps the biggest one is rookie Drake London.

The Falcons' first-round pick in 2022 leads the team in both targets and receptions with 39 and 22, respectively. For comparison, Pro Bowler Kyle Pitts only has 10 catches out of 22 targets across four games and is questionable for Sunday. London is also tied with wideout Olamide Zaccheaus with two receiving touchdowns.

While he might not be getting the most opportunities right away due to quarterback Marcus Mariota's run-first style, London is getting some attention in the NFL world. According to FanDuel, he is fourth in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race with +900. He is behind Dameon Pierce, Breece Hall and Chris Olave.

However, London will have a big challenge on Sunday. San Francisco has one of the best passing defenses in the NFL, having allowed just two touchdowns this season. It will be tough, but the bold prediction is that London will have his fourth 50-yard game of the year, plus his third touchdown as a pro.

2. Desmond Ridder will make his NFL debut

For London to have a good day, Atlanta's passing game needs to be on a good day. So far in 2022, this has not been the case. The team is the third-worst in the league with a completion rate of just 57.7%. Additionally, the Falcons only have 926 yards when combining all five games, placing them in the bottom five in the league.

That is mostly due to Mariota's preference for the run game. Prior to signing with Atlanta, the former Heisman Trophy winner had only attempted 30 passes in the past two years with the Las Vegas Raiders. While he came off the bench in all opportunities, he mostly served as a gadget quarterback, either running the ball himself or handing it to a teammate.

Because of that, his passing game is still a work in progress with the Falcons. However, based on how things have been going recently, Atlanta might consider a change. In the past two games, Mariota failed to throw for more than 150 yards and had just one touchdown.

The team drafted Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati in the third round of this year's draft. The young quarterback has yet to make his NFL debut. But with how Mariota has been performing recently, there have been some conversations among fans if it is time for a change under center.

The bold prediction is that Mariota will once again have some problems passing, which will prompt head coach Arthur Smith to put Ridder in the game against the Niners. Both quarterbacks will alternate, with the veteran focusing more on the game on the ground.

1. Falcons keep it a one-score game

Despite the 2-3 record, the Falcons could be undefeated if just a few possessions went differently this season. In all games played so far in 2022, all five were decided by at most six points. That includes the three losses by a combined 11 points.

For a team that was expected to be at the bottom of the rankings, Atlanta is giving playoff contenders some trouble. The Falcons have already played the reigning Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both games were decided by mistakes late in the game. Against the Rams, Mariota threw a pick with a minute remaining in the contest. Versus the Buccaneers, there was the previously mentioned roughing the passer penalty.

All things considered, it is very possible that Atlanta keeps the game close on Sunday again. Fans should expect tough defenses and back-and-forth action, especially later in the game. This should be at most a one-score game, which can go either way.

FanDuel has San Francisco as the favorite, but the spread is just -5.5 as of Friday morning. The matchup will likely only be decided in the final possessions as one of the teams will score or make a big stop.