The Atlanta Falcons' Week 8 matchup will have them traveling to Nashville, TN to face off against the Tennessee Titans. The Falcons are coming off a victory over what was then the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, until Atlanta took that from them. They now have a winning record at 4-3, leaders of the division, and have their sights set on a team with some familiarity.
Before Falcons' head coach Arthur Smith was grimacing with fraught and frustration at Desmond Ridder's late-game turnovers, he was the offensive coordinator for the Titans from 2019 to 2020. Smith had been with the Titans since 2011, however, beginning as a defensive quality control coach and then working his way up from there.
During Smith's tenure, he oversaw the highest-scoring Titans offense in nearly 20 years and revitalized the careers of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. Since Smith left, the Titans as an offense haven't quite been the same and have yet to return to the playoffs and have all but moved on from Tannehill.
The Falcons and Smith won't have to worry about Tannehill on Sunday when they face the 2-4 Titans as he is out with an ankle injury, which most likely leaves rookie Will Levis making his first NFL career start.
Let's now get into some Falcons Week 8 predictions.
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The Titans won't score a touchdown against the Falcons
The Titans have the fifth-worst offense in the NFL, averaging 17.3 points per game. They've only scored over 20 points once this season in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, scoring 24. In two games, they didn't score a single touchdown, only a field goal per game.
On Sunday, they'll be facing the third-best overall defense in the NFL, which is only allowing 19 points a game, ranking ninth best in the league. The Titans weren't producing offensively even when Tannehill was there, having an unknown backup rookie in Levis starting against this Falcons defense could result in not a single offensive touchdown from the Titans.
The Falcons pick off Will Levis three times
Facing the overall third-best defense in the league is a daunting task for any rookie quarterback who is all but being thrown into the fire given Tannehill's injury. The Falcons have six takeaways on the year, with four of those being interceptions, according to ESPN stats. Jessie Bates III has three of those all by himself. Atlanta will be looking to throw the rookie off in a bad way this Sunday. Levis throwing multiple interceptions seems very plausible.
Bijan Robinson scores a receiving touchdown, runs for just under 100 yards
If Bijan Robinson doesn't have any other suspicious illness before or during the game that Smith doesn't want to report, then things should get back to normal for the Falcons' offense with the former Texas Longhorns running back leading the way. Robinson has been a dynamic force for this Falcons team when he's been on the field, whether that's catching or running the ball.
Maybe he won't have one of his 100-yard games like he's had previously this season, but he'll have a touchdown, but through the air and not on the ground.
Desmond Ridder finishes the game turnover-free
In Desmond Ridder's last two games, he's turned the ball over six times. His fumbles against the Buccaneers last Sunday could have cost the Falcons the game, while his interceptions did cost them against the Washington Commanders. Ridder is still learning how to be a starting quarterback in the league, with just over 10 starts now in his career. He desperately needs a clean game, especially one that's on the road.
The Falcons beat the Titans with the biggest point differential of the season
The Falcons are only a 2.5 favorite but all the elements should be there for Atlanta to have a big game, although they will be facing a defense that's only allowing 19.5 points per game. Tennessee's defense could certainly cause some fits for the Falcons' offense for a while. But the Titans' defense is liable to wear down with all the time they're going to have to spend on the field due to their offense having short possessions.
Look for the Falcons to pull away late in the third quarter, where, in the end, the Falcons will have their fifth victory and the biggest point differential of the season.
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