The Atlanta Falcons are on the ropes as they get ready for the first of three straight prime-time games. On Thursday night they'll visit the Green Bay Packers, hoping to put an end to their two-game losing streak to begin the season.
There is legitimate hope that the Falcons will be much better this week than they looked in Weeks 1-2 with Cooper Rush starting at quarterback. Michael Penix Jr. is making his return to the lineup, and with it Atlanta's offense has a chance to drag themselves out of the league's basement.
However, most analysts are picking against the Falcons this week, including Pete Prisco at CBS Sports. Here's his prediction for Thursday NIght Football.
"This will be Michael Penix back in at quarterback for the Falcons, who badly
need it. The Packers rallied to beat the Jets last week, thanks to the defense. That defense will play well here as well. Jordan Love gets it going if the banged-up line can hold up. I think they will. Pick: Packers 27, Falcons 17"
The Packers are a superior team on paper right now, but there are some slivers of hope. For one thing, the Falcons defense has performed far better than expected this year, holding opponents to the fewest rushing yards per game in the league and ranking among the top five teams in pressures.
That defensive sharpness could be particularly tough on Green Bay. While nobody has performed worse than Cooper Rush this season at quarterback, Packers starter Jordan Love hasn't exactly set the world on fire so far. Heading into Week 3 he ranks 21st in passer rating and 26th in QBR, having totaled four touchdowns, one interception and seven sacks - tied for the third-most in the NFL.
The Falcons offense will be better with Penix under center, but the Packers have a top-five defense so we should expect a low-scoring affair.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: CBS analyst shares prediction for Falcons-Packers TNF matchup
