Can the Falcons beat another team with a winning record? The Falcons are closing in on the NFC South title, but have one victory over a team with a winning record. They have an opportunity to double that total against the Steelers (8-5) before closing the season against the Saints (5-8) and Carolina (4-8-1). The Falcons' only victory over a winning team was their 29-18 win over Arizona, which was 9-2 at the time, Nov. 30.
The Falcons, who wanted to get tougher, are 0-3 against the rugged AFC North this season. The Steelers, Ravens, Bengals and, this season, even the Browns have played a brand of tough football that the Falcons want to emulate. The Falcons, although they had the Browns on the ropes, did not fare well physically against the Ravens or the Bengals. While the Steel Curtain featuring Mean Joe Greene isn't coming to town, the Falcons get another chance to see if they are tough enough.
The emergence of second-year cornerback Desmond Trufant. About halfway through the season, the Falcons started to put more on the second-year cornerback's plate. It started when they matched him against Baltimore's Steve Smith. Since, Trufant, who's been a bright spot on the NFL's 32nd-ranked defense, also had duty against Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin, Cleveland's Josh Gordon and Green Bay's Jordy Nelson. He'll certainly get some action against Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, who leads the league with 105 catches. "Antonio Brown is definitely one of the best in the league," Trufant said. "He's quick and athletic. He's a big-play type of guy. I've got to be on my 'A' game."
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