The Atlanta Falcons are in the middle of the toughest stretch of games any NFL team will play this year, facing four straight serious Super Bowl contenders. Next up are the Kansas City Chiefs, who roll into Week 10 with a 6-2 record and have just added wide receiver Josh Downs at the trade deadline.
Naturally, the Chiefs are favored in this one despite being the road team - but some analysts are expecting an upset. If that's going to happen, the Falcons have to win a few key matchups. Here are four to watch.
DT Gervon Dexter vs. QB Patrick Mahomes
No quarterback likes facing quick interior pressure and Patrick Mahomes is no exception to the rule, no matter how special he might be. The Chiefs have been to the Super Bowl five times with Mahomes - and the two that they've lost had interior pressure as
the common denominator. The Falcons' top pass-rushing threat inside is Gervon Dexter, who has the 15th-best pass rush grade among interior defensive linemen this season. If Dexter can make Mahomes uncomfortable, it'll go a long way towards a Falcons win.
LB Kendal Daniels vs. RB Kenneth Walker III
Kansas City's best weapon this season is starting running back Kenneth Walker, who won Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks last year. Walker currently ranks second in the league behind Bijan Robinson in rushing yards and is tied with Jahmyr Gibbs for the most touchdowns from scrimmage (11). Stopping the highly-elusive Walker will require a full-team effort, but Atlanta's leading tackler is rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels. Above all else, Daniels cannot allow Walker to get to the edge.
RB Bijan Robinson vs. LB Nick Bolton
The Falcons of course have their own superstar in the backfield in Robinson, who had been relatively quiet in three straight games until he dropped 147 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on the Bengals. Hopefully that was the start of a new hot streak for Robinson. The Chiefs' top tackler this season is inside linebacker Nick Bolton, who has the sixth-best run defense grade in the league at his position. Meanwhile, Robinson's rushing grade ranks fourth at RB.
WR Drake London vs. CB Nohl Williams
Atlanta's top wide receiver Drake London has been productive putting up yards (692 ranks eighth in the league) but he hasn't been a scoring threat, managing just one touchdown catch in nine games. The Falcons' offense needs to get London going in the end zone but it won't be easy when he's lined up across from Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams. He has only allowed one score to go with a 39% completion rate and a 49.1 passer rating this season
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons vs. Chiefs: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 10
