Twill be the eve before Christmas when the Atlanta Falcons (6-8) are set to face the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) in Week 15, and oh, what a scene it would be!
The Falcons, coming off one of their worst and most embarrassing stretches of the entire season in the last two weeks, blowing late leads and losing by a total of seven points combined, not to mention losing the NFC South division to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the process. The most embarrassing loss, however, was last week against a one-win Carolina Panthers team that hasn't scored a touchdown in the last two weeks and was on a six-game losing streak.
The two catastrophic losses earned Desmond Ridder a place on Arthur Smith's naughty list, as the quarterback will be benched for a second time this season, with Taylor Heinicke set to replace him. The move, though, is perhaps too little too late, with the Falcons' chances of making the playoffs now down to a mere 11%, according to Next Gen Stats. But if anything, this may be nothing but a last-ditch effort for Smith to show that the Falcons under him in Year 3 can still finish out the season strong, beating a competitive Colts team in the playoff hunt, and maybe even go out with a winning record.
If this does turn out to be a third consecutive loss for Atlanta, it could be Smith's final nightmare before Christmas, earning him a lump of coal in the form of a pink slip in his stocking.
Now, let's mercifully get into some Atlanta Falcons bold predictions for Week 16 versus the Indianapolis Colts.
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The Falcons score 10 or more points against the Colts
It's really sad that this has to be a bold prediction. The way this offensive unit is built, 10 or more points should be nothing to achieve, but considering they've only scored 20 points in two out of their last three games, here we are. At least they'll be in the confines of their own stadium, with weather not becoming a factor like in those games.
Against teams with struggling offenses similar to Atlanta's, like the Panthers, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans (Week 5 only), and last week's opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, they're holding them to an average of just over eight points. The Falcons will be looking for a boost offensively from Heinicke behind center.
Taylor Heinicke throws for over 230 yards, one touchdown, one interception
Well, it's time to see if Heinicke is truly that much better than Ridder in this offense. We've seen Heinicke in three games this season, starting in two. The most he's thrown for is 268 yards in a single game this season. He also has three touchdowns to one interception.
Falcons fans will be livid if Heinicke throws an interception, depending on just how badly it's thrown, that is. But at this point, if it's anywhere close to one of his receivers or tipped, it'll be excused after watching Ridder's horrific turnovers.
Bijan Robinson scores on a touchdown reception, runs for 90-plus yards
Last week wasn't exactly rookie Bijan Robinson's best week. But then again, it was no one's best week if you were the Falcons. Robinson only ran for 11 yards, with another three yards receiving. His fumble late in the third quarter inside the Atlanta 25-yard-line proved to be a costly one, with the Panthers scoring just a few plays later on a field goal.
Maybe with Heinicke, Smith can open up the playbook a little bit and utilize Robinson for his skills as a receiver as well as running back.
Falcons lose to Colts by five
I've picked this team too many times to win this season, and they've failed nearly every time. No more. This team just doesn't have it under Smith. The offense is completely inept, with or without Ridder as the quarterback. I believe that Heinicke will improve the offense somewhat but not by much. Plus, this is a beat-up defensive squad right now, which tends to show up late in games, and like it probably will on Sunday.
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