FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Falcons are coming off their best offensive performance of the season and will be the X-factor against an aggressive Jets defense when they meet at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday at Tottenham Stadium in London.
The Falcons amassed 374 yards and four touchdowns Sunday against the Washington Football Team, while the Jets were ripping through the Tennessee Titans for seven sacks.
The Jets’ defense is led by defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker C.J. Mosley, a four-time Pro Bowler who opted out of last season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Good player, he’s been disruptive,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “Those guys move. They don’t give up on the rush. They’ve got initial burst up the field. They’ve got good counter moves, and they run (stunts) as well as anybody in the league.”
Williams works well with his linemates.
“It’s as good a coordinated rush as I’ve seen so far,” Smith said.
Mosley had 13 tackles in the win over Tennessee.
“C.J. (is a) really smart football player,” Smith said. “Obviously, Dean (Pees) coached him in Baltimore. Gone against him a few times. Very, very smart player.”
Mosley changed one of the play-calls last week, and his audible led to a sack.
“So, from what I’ve seen on tape, he looks as good as he’s ever looked, and he’s making plays and looks like he’s running the show over there,” Smith said. “He’s a really good football player, and we (must) account for him.”
With the strong statistical showing against Washington, the Falcons went from the 29th-ranked offense overall to the 24th at 319.5 yards per game.
“I do think we’ve made strides,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “We still have a long way to go and can be a lot better than we’d been up until this point.”
Ryan has scouted the Jets’ defense.
“It’s a front four and a linebacker crew that does a great job both versus the run and the pass,” Ryan said. “I think they’ve done really well on third downs; they’ve been effective in terms of pressure and playing tight man coverage.”
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Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Washington FT 34, Falcons 30
New York Jets vs. Falcons in London, Oct. 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Bye Week
Falcons at Miami Dolphins, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.
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