Monday, October 7, 2013

Week 5 picks: Jets at Falcons

Publisher Nick St. Denis, associate editor Dan Begnoche and senior contributor Sean Donovan pick the New York Jets' Monday night showdown with the Atlanta Falcons.

Nick's take:

Against a somewhat unstable offensive line, the Jets’ stout defensive front will get some shots at Matt Ryan. The real challenge will be keeping the star trio of Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Julio Jones in check. Whoever is opposite Antonio Cromartie will need help, as will linebacker Demario Davis, who will be up against Gonzalez. Offensively, the Jets will have to control the ball on the ground, as their health is now at tailback and not at receiver.
Prediction: Falcons 23, Jets 17

Dan's take:
Atlanta's offense has struggled in two key areas thus far — on the ground and in the red zone. Those just so happen to be the strong points of the Jets' defense. Look for  Davis to have his hands full with Gonzalez in the middle, who had a huge game against New England a week ago. If Gang Green's tall, lanky DBs can stick with Atlanta's dynamic duo on the outside, New York should be able to pull out this tough road test.
Prediction: Jets 22, Falcons 17

Sean's take:
The AFC East has been unwelcoming to the Falcons the past two weeks, and they'll face another stiff challenge from the Jets on Monday night. Rex Ryan's defensive unit will be a big headache for Ryan and the Falcons offense, but New York's struggles to sustain on offense will lead to an Atlanta victory.
Prediction: Falcons 24, Jets 13