With a 2-4 record, the Falcons will continue to work on improving during their injured-riddled season. The Falcons next play the N.Y. Giants (1-5) Oct. 22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Falcons are 2-3 in their last five meetings against the Giants. Here are 5 things to know:
2-and-doom?
The Falcons at 2-4 have an improbable road to the playoffs.
More than a dozen teams have made the playoffs after starting out 2-4. The Detroit Lions have defied the odds three times (1983, ‘94 and ‘95).
Even the 2-5 N.Y. Jets finished the season 9-7 to make the postseason in the 2002 season.
But, no team that started a season 1-4 — as the Falcons did — has ever made the Super Bowl. Only the 2002 Tennessee Titans made a conference championship.
The matchup
Atlanta has scored 167 points this season. The Giants have allowed 162. The Falcons are +4 on takeaways. New York is at -4. They each average about 86 rushing yards per game and are tied for 24th in the league allowing 121 rushing yards per game this season.
Injured birds
The Falcons will be without kicker Matt Bryant, who has a strained hamstring, and running back Devonta Freeman, who has a groin injury. Both will miss the Monday night game against the Giants.
Freeman has already missed four games this season with setbacks to his knee and foot.
The Falcons re-signed Bryant to a three-year, $10.5 million contract this offseason. The 43-year-old has connected on at least 85 percent of his field goals in seven of the last eight seasons.
While the Falcons list four players on injured reserve, the Giants list twice as many out for an extended period.
Jones’ scoreless streak
The last time Julio Jones scored a touchdown was Oct. 22, 2017.
Jones has 44 catches this season for 707 yards (117 yards per game). Only 38 receivers in the NFL have ever had more than 500 yards receiving and zero touchdowns.
No NFL receiver, however, has ever had a 1,000-yard season without a touchdown.
Ryan’s records
Over 11 seasons, Matt Ryan has put his name on the Falcons’ record book over-and-over-and-over again.
In terms of NFL records, however, he's entered new space by moving past Joe Montana on the NFL's all-time touchdown pass list. Ryan now has 274 career touchdown passes and is 16th all-time. Peyton Manning owns the all-time record at 539.
There are at least two more NFL records lists Ryan can climb this season. Ryan (15th) needs 860 more passing yards to jump ahead of Drew Bledsoe (44,611) on the all-time list of passing yards leaders. Ryan is tied for 11th with Eli Manning, Joe Montana and Matthew Stafford with 26 career fourth-quarter comebacks. Tenth on the list with 28 is Hall of Famer and former Falcon Brett Favre.
