Sept. 14, vs. Philadelphia, 7:10 p.m.
The Dan Quinn era will kick off against coach Chip Kelly and his high-flying Eagles. They are coming off a strong exhibition season in which several long-time Philly observers are predicting a Super Bowl-caliber team. Quarterback Sam Bradford has looked good on offense, and the secondary is much improved. The Falcons will be out-classed in the opener. Falcons lose
Sept. 20, at New York Giants, 1 p.m.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning was less than sharp during the exhibition season, but holds a 5-2 record against the Falcons. Controversy has swirled around the Giants after Jason Pierre-Paul's fireworks accident July 4 that led to the loss of a finger. The Giants, like the Falcons, have been flagged for poor offensive line play. This one will be a toss-up with the Falcons finding a way on the road. Falcons win
Sept. 27, at Dallas, 1 p.m.
The Cowboys, who have one of the strongest offensive lines in the NFL, are trying to replace running back DeMarco Murray with a committee of backs. The revamped Falcons defense must slow the rushing attack and contend with wide receiver Dez Bryant. This will be an opportunity for cornerback Desmond Trufant to show that he's an elite-level cornerback. The Cowboys have too much firepower and should win going away. Falcons lose
Oct. 4, vs. Houston, 1 p.m.
This the "Hard Knocks" battle of the past two teams to appear on the show. The Falcons get another crack at "The Destroyer" Brian Hoyer. Last season, he came into the Georgia Dome and led the Cleveland Browns to victory as they amassed 475 yards. Hoyer, who beat out Ryan Mallett for the starting job, tried to give the game to the Falcons last season with a couple of late interceptions, but the Falcons didn't want any part of victory that day. Falcons lose
Oct. 11, vs. Washington, 1 p.m.
The Redskins, with Kirk Cousins at the helm, come to town. While coach Jay Gruden believes that Cousins is a sharper passer than Robert Griffin III, the Redskins still want to run the ball. Rookie Matt Jones and Alfred Morris give them two solid ground options. In a Matt Ryan vs. Kirk Cousins showdown, go with Ryan. Falcons win
Oct. 15, at New Orleans, 8:25 p.m.
The Saints have focused on rebuilding their offensive line. They picked up center Max Unger from Seattle in the Jimmy Graham trade. They know that protecting Drew Brees is the key to success. The Falcons haven't had much success against Sean Payton and seem to struggle at the Superdome in prime-time games. Falcons lose
Oct. 25, at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
The Falcons opened the exhibition season against the Titans, and they jumped on rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota early. He settled down later. ESPN analyst Jon Gruden has predicted that Mariota will win the offensive rookie-of-the-year award. Coach Ken Whisnehunt will have his team ready for this one, but the Falcons should prevail. Falcons win
Nov. 1, vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is in charge of the "Jameis Winston Project" in Tampa. The Falcons can expect to see a lot of bubble screens to wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. The Bucs are trying to revive running back Doug Martin's career. Go with Dan Quinn and the Falcons' defense over the rookie quarterback. Falcons win
Nov. 8, at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
The 49ers had the worst offseason in recent history, with several players getting cut, retiring or being suspended. Their fall from grace hasn't been as steep as the Falcons' after the two clubs played in the NFC Championship game after the 2012 season. But many are predicting the 49ers to fall over that same cliff this season. Falcons will give them a nudge over the cliff here. Falcons win
Nov. 22, vs. Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Andrew Luck. Let's move on. Falcons lose
Nov. 29, vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m.
The Vikings out-hit the Falcons last season in Minneapolis, and Mike Zimmer has his program more entrenched. Teddy Bridgewater, who's putting in the necessary work to learn how to read pro defenses, is developing nicely. The Falcons couldn't stop the Vikings' run game with Adrian Peterson out of the lineup last season. So with Peterson back, this game figures to be too big of a challenge. Falcons lose
Dec. 6, at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Coming off two loses, the Falcons will need to win this game to stay in the hunt in the NFC South. We project they pull back to .500 at 6-6. Falcons win
Dec. 13, at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Carolina's defensive front is just too tough for the Falcons' offensive line. Luke Kuechly will single-handedly shut down the rushing attack. Panthers will start to close in on their third consecutive NFC South title. Falcons lose
Dec. 20, at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
The Jaguars will be much improved in Gus Bradley's third season at the helm. He was the defensive coordinator in Seattle before Dan Quinn took over in 2013. Going with Matt Ryan over Blake Bortles in this one. Falcons win
Dec. 27, vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.
Panthers are tougher at home. Falcons will only have a chance if Cam Newton gets careless and start tossing interceptions. Falcons lose
Jan. 3, vs. New Orleans, 1 p.m.
With chance to post a non-losing season, the Falcons come out and smash the Saints. Pretty sure that 8-8 will not be enough to win the division this season, but it's a start in the right direction after two losing seasons. Falcons win
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