Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons vs. Oakland Raiders: To-Do Checklist for Week 2

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Falcons are set to face off against the up-and-coming Oakland Raiders. Check out what the Falcons must do to get a win.

A tough Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers left a sour taste in the mouth of the players, coaches, as well as the fans. Granted, the Bucs deserve a tip of the cap. They have talent, especially on the offense with the trio of quarterback Jameis Winston, running back Doug Martin, and wide receiver Mike Evans.

As we turn the pages to Week 2, the Falcons encounter another young team that has a decent share of young, up-and-coming talent. With a gunslinger in Derek Carr, a receiver duo in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, plus a pass rushing terror in Khalil Mack (who the Falcons coveted highly during the 2014 draft) the Raiders are no longer a doormat team. Besides, the Falcons enter Week 2 of the season in “must-win” territory. Before the Falcons and the Raiders tussle on Sunday, here are a few items that the Falcons must address to walk out of Oakland with a victory.

1. Limit The Penalties

Hidden within the Falcons loss to Tampa was the amount of costly penalties that altered momentum during offensive drives and gave the Buccaneers cheap yards during their offensive drives.

The mistakes started quite early with linebacker De’Vondre Campbell receiving a 25-yard pass interference call on the Bucs first offensive drive which moved the ball from the Bucs 44-yard line to the Falcons 31-yard line and well into field goal range.

Left tackle Jake Matthews had his share of costly penalties, one in particular with a false start penalty late in the 2nd quarter that may have altered the Falcons as they were driving to score before the half. These mistakes are going to have to be cut down.

Especially when you account for the fact that the Raiders themselves garnered 14 penalties for a mind-boggling 141 yards during their contest with the Saints. What that tells me is that while the Raiders are young and getting better, penalties can mount for them. If head coach Dan Quinn wants to instill discipline, one way of incorporating that is to allow other teams to defeat themselves in other ways than on the scoreboard. The veteran Falcons team must allow to let a Raiders team to hurt themselves via penalties if possible.

Sep 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) catches a touchdown pass over Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Brent Grimes (24) running back Charles Sims (34) during the first half at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2. Win In The Red Zone

A constant issue for the Falcons over the years, converting red zone trips into points has been more of a headache than it should be for a team with Matty Ice, Julio, and Devonta Freeman on offense. This past Sunday, the Falcons scored one touchdown on four red zone trips against Tampa.

Although converting field goals are never a bad idea, this Falcons team in particular need to reach the end zone not only for the scoreboard but for the confidence factor as well. The Falcons were 18th in the league last season in red-zone touchdown percentage (54%). To put it in perspective, three of the four teams in last postseason’s conference championship games (Carolina, Arizona, and New England) were all in the top ten. Getting to the red-zone is one thing, walking away with six points on the board is another level.

Sep 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn (99) celebrates a play in the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

3. Get To The Quarterback!!

I don’t think I have to stress this enough.

Getting to the quarterback is imperative in this league. You can’t win unless you get the opposing passer to the turf consistently. For the Falcons, the last few seasons have not been so kind in that department.

Pop quiz: Jameis Winston was sacked how many times during Week 1?

Answer: Zero.

That can’t happen against the Raiders. As tough as it was dealing with Winston, Derek Carr is another up-and-coming passer who is fresh off throwing for 319 yards and a touchdown against a Saints defense that couldn’t generate a sack as well. The matchup of Falcons cornerbacks Desmond Trufant/Robert Alford vs. Raiders wide receivers Amari Cooper/Michael Crabtree will be a very interesting one. A solid cornerback tandem can only cover but so long. Carr is going to have to get sacked on more than one occasion to better the Falcons chances of winning this ballgame.

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) runs the ball against the Washington Redskins in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

4. Emphasize The Run Game

I started with this element on the checklist for the Tampa contest and of course, the run game was nonexistent in Week 1.

During the 6-1 start in 2015, the Falcons rushed for at least 105 yards in six of the seven games, including rushing for at least 127 yards in a five-game stretch. As effective the passing game was during Week 1 against Tampa, the ultimate outcome may have been different if the Falcons were able to total more than 52 yards in the rushing department. Even though part of that total has to deal with the Bucs having a pretty good run defense.

The Raiders gave up 4.0 yards per carry in 22 rushing attempts to the Saints. The disparity in play-calling more than likely changed for the Saints based on the game becoming more of a shootout. What that also says is that running lanes may be there for the Falcons in this one. The passing game with Ryan, Jones, Sanu, Hardy, and Tamme can be effective but having that ability to get four or five yards a carry with Freeman & Coleman will make things so much easier for Ryan and his targets.