San Diego Chargers vs. Atlanta Falcons, 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, FOX
The Chargers win if…
Philip Rivers can keep the train moving in the right direction.
Say what you’d like about the Chargers, but there might be nobody in the league I root for more than Rivers. His fire and passion for the game of football is unmatched. Every week, he’s going out on the field with the belief that his team has the chance to shock the world and beat even the toughest opponent there is to offer. He doesn’t care who lines up against him, he only focuses on going out there for his guys and playing winning football. With that said, if San Diego’s defense merely keep their squad in the game with a chance for Rivers to take over in the second half, there should be no doubt that he’ll do just that, even with a depleted arsenal.
The Falcons win if…
Their capability on offense is simply too much for the Chargers to counter.
Unfortunately for San Diego fans, their team enters Atlanta this week with a matchup that not many in the league would be willing to sign up for. Matt Ryan and his band of exciting playmakers have been just that throughout 2016, currently leading the NFL in yards per game. The threats available to Ryan are as impressive as ever – as long as an unforeseen roadblock doesn’t get in their way, it’s difficult to picture the Chargers defense being the group that stops them in their tracks.
Falcons light fireworks on offense yet again, beat Chargers, 31-24.