The regular season is here and it’s finally time for the Atlanta Falcons to take flight after a busy offseason.
Atlanta will host former head coach Arthur Smith and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in their opening game of the 2024-2025 regular season. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday and you can catch the game LIVE on FOX, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV, and other various streaming platforms.
Kirk Cousins makes his Falcons debut, as do new defensive additions Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons. There has been a lot of excitement and hype around the team throughout the offseason and Atlanta will get a chance to start off strong against a Steelers team that has some question marks on the offensive side of the ball.
Before we see the opening kickoff, however, we will take a look at four bold predictions that could take place at any point during the game for the Falcons:
Kirk Cousins Dazzles In Debut
Kirk Cousins joined the Falcons this offseason and fans have clamored for him to finally take the field in live game action.
Here’s the moment you all have been waiting for, Cousins will be suiting up and calling the shots under center, so with that being said, I’m expecting him to be well worth the wait. Now, Cousins performing well isn’t a bold prediction, it’s more-so his statline that’s bold.
I’m boldly predicting the veteran quarterback to eclipse over 350 passing yards to go along with three passing touchdowns.
Falcons Running Backs Combine For Big Day
Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are the essential thunder-and-lightning duo for Atlanta and I expect them to start very strong.
New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has spent a good chunk of the offseason gushing over this running back room, and he could prove his point on Sunday afternoon by scheming ways for both running backs to have monster days. While the starter in Robinson figures to get a majority of the carries, Allgeier could see a solid amount of work in his own right, at times.
If that is the case, I will predict Robinson and Allgeier to combine for at least 180 rushing yards in Atlanta’s regular season home opener.
Offensive Line Allows Zero Sacks
The Falcons offensive line is amongst the best in the league, but the Steelers defensive front is also nothing to take lightly.
Pittsburgh’s pass rushers consist of All-Pro T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, who combined for 26 sacks in 2023. If those two defenders aren’t enough to scare you, veteran Cameron Heyward is still making his presence felt on the defensive line.
While Atlanta does have a top-tier offensive line, facing off against this defensive front won’t be a cakewalk with Watt sniffing around, which is why I will boldly predict this offensive line to hold their own and allow zero sacks. If the Falcons can somehow keep Watt under control in this game, it will be a major success story for the front five in Atlanta. I’m looking at you, Kaleb McGary…
Arthur Smith Attempts Trick-Play
The bad man is back in town.
Smith returns to Atlanta, not as the team's head coach, but as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator. Something that Smith did a lot during his time with the Falcons was attempt to outsmart the opposing team. It just so happens that the opposing team on Sunday is a team that knows Smith’s tendencies very well.
I don’t think that will stop him, though. At some point in the game, I predict that Smith will attempt some sort of a trick play, whether that’s quarterback Justin Fields entering the game and running a curl route, or the ever-so-famous jet sweep by a tight end who in this case would be Pat Freiermuth. With the Falcons knowing Smith’s brain, they should be able to stop whatever play he has in the back of his mind…right?
While these all may not totally come to fruition, that is the goal of ‘bold predictions’, to think outside of the box.
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