Just about 72 hours until kickoff between the Falcons and Steelers. For both teams, this game is extremely important game for both clubs (all games are important in the NFL obviously, but this one I think carries added significance).
For the Steelers, a loss would drop them to 2-4; a win would level their record at 3-3. It's just a 1-game swing, but it may take 11 wins to get in the playoffs, and it would asking a whole lot for the Steelers to finish 9-1 in their final 10.
After dismantling a Carolina team in Week 1 that many thought would represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Falcons have been extremely inconsistent. Last week against the NY Giants, Michael Vick was sacked 7 times, negating the productive day had by Warrick Dunn in the running game. How topsy turvy was Atlanta's offense last week? Well, they racked up more than 200+ yards rushing the ball, yet only managed to score 14 points.
What scares me about this game is that it's the second game of back-to-back home contests for the Falcons. After being embarassed last week, I'd expect the Falcons to play inspired football this Sunday. It's not often that playoff-caliber teams lose back-to-back home games in this league. The good news is that the Falcons did so last year, dropping consecutive games against the Packers and Bucs. It's a bit harder to be even kieled when your QB displays flashes of both brilliance and idiocy within the same game.
While I work on a more comprehensive preview, let me know what your initial thoughts/concerns are heading into this Sunday's game?