Falcons 2021 schedule predictions: The Giants in Week 3

Will a second straight road game set Atlanta behind?

The last time Atlanta faced the Giants was back in 2018, when Atlanta eked out a narrow 23-20 victory. Of course, these are two entirely different teams. Eli Manning has retired and Joe Judge is at the helm of the Giants. Dirk Koetter isn’t the Falcons offensive coordinator, and Atlanta will have a new head coach.

The Falcons have won 3 of their last 4 against the Giants and New York is a team that was second in their division with a 6-10 record in 2020. Let’s take a look at how we think this one could play out.

Our predictions

Falcons 21 – Giants 20

While the Giants offense struggled under Daniel Jones and new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, their defense was one of the 10 best in the league. They were in the top 5 against the run and 8th in sacks per game. Their one weakness, however, was against the pass where they ranked 18th. They did address this by signing corner Adoree Jackson, which should help this unit perform better in 2021. I think their defense will do the job, but I am just not a big believer in Daniel Jones. Jason Garrett had to simplify the offense for Jones into quick reads and short routes, limiting their overall explosive potential. I think we see a bit of a defensive battle with Atlanta squeaking out a narrow win on the road. – David Walker

Falcons 19 – Giants 15

This is the battle of two teams that could be surprisingly good or unsurprisingly bad. The Giants have an underrated defense, a returning elite back, and a quarterback who should be ready to blow. The Falcons seem to have their coaching in place and a fairly veteran offense that could make waves. I’m not sold on either putting it all together yet. I have to imagine Saquon Barkley takes some time to get back to form and for Daniel Jones to still look incomplete. For the Falcons, the loss of Julio has overshadowed the lack of talent on the defense and the worsening talent along the interior offensive line. If either team turns it around, it is unlikely to happen by or before Week 3. Falcons should be slightly better in a low-scoring game. – Matt Chambers

Falcons 27 – Giants 21

I’ll believe the Giants are any good when I see it, frankly. I’m not sold on their quarterback, their overall cast of offensive weapons, or their coaching staff, so a good defense alone isn’t enough to convince me they’ll be able to handle an even modestly improved Falcons team. In general in 2021, I’m going to be skeptical that the Falcons can stop anyone from putting up 20+ points and skeptical that any team can hold them under 20, and the Daniel Jones Fumble Fun tour should give Atlanta additional opportunities to score. Expect it to be close if Atlanta’s fortunes in recent year hold, but the Falcons ought to win this one to move to 2-1. – Dave Choate

Falcons 24 – Giants 20

Believe it or not, this can be a tricky matchup for the Falcons. Sure, it’s fine to have skepticism hanging over the head of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. But if he finds an ounce of consistency, he has a nice grouping of skill players around him in RB Saquon Barkley, WRs Kenny Golladay and Sterling Shepard and TE Evan Engram. The Giants had a sneaky good defense last season that was ninth in scoring and 12th overall. I like the potential on the defensive line in Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. The reason why I have the Falcons inching this one out is a testament to my belief in offensive coordinator Jason Garrett’s play calling ability. Something that can be more of a hinderance to their overall potential than most would think. – Eric Robinson

Your prediction