Sarkisian looking for ground game to improve

The Falcons average 83.3 yards per game, which ranks 30th in the league. The Redskins, who held the Giants to 38 yards rushing Sunday in their 20-13 win, allow 80.1 yards per game, which ranks second in the league.

» Falcons at Redskins: 3 key matchups

The Redskins are playing off defensive tackles Da’Ron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis.

“They have a lot of talent up front,” Falcons center Alex Mack said. “They are playing really hard. They are big, strong guys.”

» More: Falcons depth chart against Redskins

Inside linebackers Zach Brown and Mason Foster have been free to run to the ball and stop the run.

“The whole defense plays well together,” Mack said. “It’s a bad combination. That makes it difficult.”

The Falcons need to get the run game going so that teams will continue to honor their play-action fakes.

“The only way to go forward is to keep battling on,” Mack said. “They are going to be a good front that is not going to give us many yards easily. We have to try and keep chipping away and hope we get some explosive runs. …They are going to be talented, and we have to keep working.”

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