Falcons dropped two spots in the run defense rankings after giving up a season-high 138 yards rushing against the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins became the second consecutive team to rush for more than 100 yards against the Falcons. The Bills rushed for 117 yards.
The Falcons are giving up 102 yards a game, which ranks 13th in the league. Before the Miami game, they were giving up 93 yards per game, which was 11th in league.
They Falcons will need to shut down the Patriots, who average 102.2 yards per game (19th in the league), to make a move back up the rankings and into the top 10.
Defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley believes the defense can shut down the run.
“We understand that it’s a long season and we have to make the corrections that we messed up on (against Miami),” Beasley said. “We can’t allow that to have (an effect) on us because we are going to New England to play a pretty good bunch of guys.”
The Dolphins ran the ball off the backside of some unbalanced formations and through the middle of the Falcons defense.
“A lot of guys got out of their gaps,” Beasley said. “We had a couple MEs – mental errors – there, but those are things that we can correct and we are go in correct those going into this week.”
Also, getting possibly getting defensive tackle Courtney Upshaw back should help the interior of the defense.
Here’s a look at how the Falcons and Patriots are ranked in key categories:
2017 Regular Season Statistics Rankings
Falcons Patriots
24.2 (12) Points/Game 28.7 (5)
378.4 (5) Total Offense 412.0 (1)
120.6 (11) Net Rushing Yards/Game 102.2 (19)
257.8 (6) Net Passing Yards/Game 309.8 (1)
29:43 (20t) Possession Average 29:55 (15)
21.8 (15) Opponent Points/Game 26.5 (30)
312.4 (10) Opponent Total Offense 440.7 (32)
102.0 (13) Opp. Rushing Yards/Game 115.8 (20)
210.4 (12) Opp. Passing Yards/Game 324.8 (32)
-4 (27) Turnover Differential +3 (8t)
