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Losing their last two games after winning their first two, the Atlanta Falcons' Week 6 game against the Houston Texans is now one that will be important for the rest of their season. The good news for the Falcons is that they'll be back home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Sunday.
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Home is where the heart is for the Falcons. Or, well, at least that's where they're winning so far this season, having beaten the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers. Trips to Detroit to face the Lions and then a much longer flight to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars have resulted in two lopsided losses for Atlanta.
This will be a battle of two .500 teams on Sunday, with one having a good reason for being much worse than they are, while the other has a good reason that they should be better than they are. The Texans, the former, have a rookie head coach and quarterback and have been dwelling among the bottom feeders of the league for the last couple of seasons, a completely inept football club. Meanwhile, the Falcons, even if it's not by much, have a much more experienced coach, a better roster, yet their quarterback is still a question mark.
The Texans are coming off a throttling of the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, allowing only six points while scoring 30. A game that once looked like an easy win for the Falcons before the season is now looking a bit uncertain. Will the Falcons end their skid and get back in the win column, or will more questions arise with a third consecutive loss? Let's delve into some Falcons Week 6 predictions.
4. Jessie Bates III picks off CJ Stroud twice
It seems that Texans' quarterback CJ Stroud is coming into his own as the season goes along. His weekly improvement has gotten the Texans to a 2-2 record. What might be most impressive about Stroud at this point is that he hasn't thrown an interception yet. That could easily change this week facing the Falcons, who rank 13th in the league in interception thrown percentage.
Falcons safety Jessie Bates III is a good reason for that, as he has three picks through the first four games of the season. Bates has proven he was a valuable free agent pickup this offseason and has helped reshape this Falcons defense in a big way. The Texans' rookie quarterback could be throwing his first couple of interceptions this week.
3. Kyle Pitts finally gets a touchdown
I'm going to continue to call for this every week because it has to happen eventually, right? However, this could be another tough week for the Falcons passing the ball. Plus, there's only been one touchdown reception by a tight end allowed by the Texans this year thus far. But Kyle Pitts has to find the endzone eventually for this team. He has to.
2. Desmond Ridder throws at least one interception
The Texans are just ahead of the Falcons in opposing team's interceptions thrown, ranking 12th in the league. Desmond Ridder is coming off the worst game of his young NFL career, throwing two interceptions against the Jaguars last Sunday, including one that was returned for a touchdown.
Unfortunately, if you've been watching and keeping a keen eye on the Falcons' games, this was something that was feared, as week by week, Ridder looked to be regressing slightly. And then the wheels fell off in London. Head coach Arthur Smith insists that Ridder is still his starter, but if more games like the one against the Jaguars persist, who knows how long that may last. Ridder looks rattled, so I wouldn't be surprised if he throws at least one more interception in this game.
1. Falcons win at home
Youth and inexperience will go a long way for the Falcons in this game against the Texans. That's not saying Stroud couldn't have his moments in this game. However, he's also throwing with just a 62.3 completion percentage, which is not necessarily surprising for a rookie. That could work in the Falcons' favor, though.
The Falcons will do their usual — run the ball. Or at least they'll try to, knowing they still don't trust Ridder throwing the ball down the field. The Jaguars and Lions have exploited that over the last two games, exposing Atlanta. So can the Texans do the same to what is becoming a one-dimensional offense?
It will be interesting to see if there are any sort of offensive changes this week, whether in scheme or otherwise. The Falcons love it at home, so they get back to a winning record.
