Ball security might be a turning point in the battle between the Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
The Rams had an unexpectedly slow start in their season opener Sept. 8 in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, who are thought to be a powerhouse in the AFC, but that might show a way for the Falcons to take down the Rams – by winning the turnover battle.
That might seem obvious unto itself, but consider that the Falcons stood a better chance of coming away with a Week 1 win Sunday against the New Orleans Saints had quarterback Marcus Mariota not fumbled at the Saints 5-yard line.
Coach Arthur Smith had that same thought. “Look at our game, right? That turnover made the difference, more than likely,” Smith said of Mariota’s red-zone mistake.
The Falcons themselves forced two turnovers and played great for three quarters, and if they can take advantage of a defending Super Bowl-champion Rams team that lost its opener, that might be a plan for success.
“Turnovers are an emphasis every week,” Smith said. “Turnover margin, the turnover battle, along with situational football, have not changed, and those are factors that can decide a lot of games in the league.”
Veteran Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford still plays aggressively, which could make gambles by the athletic, young Falcons secondary worth the risk, though the downside of that possibly is giving up a big-yardage play and forcing the offense to march down the field against a Rams defense looking to avenge its poor Week 1 performance in which they still forced four turnovers.
Aside from that, winning the turnover battle should be important because the Rams may be susceptible to turnovers, as Stafford logged three interceptions last week, and it could provide a boon for the Falcons offense.
Coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone showed that they have more options to stress defenses, including Mariota’s mobility, and combining the options of Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Cordarrelle Patterson with a shorter field would allow for more unique play-calls – as opposed to grinding out yards against an opponent that is opportunistic on defense, having forced two fumbles and two interceptions against the Bills.
“There is a lot that can be changed about football, aesthetics, the formations, even the rules, but in the end, turnovers are turnovers. That has not changed, and their effects have not changed either,” Smith said.
Given the substantial challenge ahead, along with the aggressive styles of the Falcons and the Rams, a high-risk, high-reward style of play may be in the cards as the teams try to start strong. That might involve even more risk from a Falcons perspective, but given how well they played for most of the Saints game, that gamble could be justified.
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