The Lions and Falcons travel overseas to Wembley Stadium in London for this game, which will be aired in the early hours of Sunday morning in the states. The Falcons have lost four in a row as their offensive line and defensive deficiencies have become glaring weaknesses. And that red-hot offense has cooled off, too, as they’ve produced a lower score each of the past four games. No mismatch will be as great as the Falcons’ O-line against Detroit’s dominant D-line. Matt Ryan will likely be on his backside more often than not. Calvin Johnson‘s absence will likely not matter in this one.
Bold prediction: Aside from Emmanuel Sanders, Golden Tate is turning out to be the best free-agent signing of the offseason, helping to overcome Megatron’s absence in the lineup with some clutch catches. I’m not sure any Falcons defensive back can slow down Tate, who may have to shoulder to workload with Johnson and possibly Reggie Bush sidelined. Tate continues his Pro Bowl-worthy campaign with 100-plus yards receiving and not one, not two, but three total scores.
