NY Jets: Scouting the Atlanta Falcons ahead of Week 5

Finally, the NY Jets are victorious.

After a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, New York changes course for a trip over the pond to London to take on the Atlanta Falcons. The game is set to kickoff at 9:30 am ET on October 10th, an early wake-up for many fans who reside on the East Coast.

The Falcons, led by head coach Arthur Smith, a name that should sound quite familiar to Jets fans, are also in the hunt for their second win of the season.

The last meeting between the Jets and Falcons was in 2017 when the Matt Ryan-led squad beat the Jets by a score of 25-20. The Jets are certainly hoping the result swings the other way come Sunday.

The NY Jets are hoping to win their second consecutive game in Week 5

With that said, the Jets should be able to keep Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense at bay. After Week 4, the Jets now rank at No. 13 in overall defense.

Pair that with the 24th rated offense in Atlanta, and those who tune in should expect a heavily contested game both through the air and on the ground for the Falcons.

While Atlanta certainly isn't the most efficient team in the NFL when it comes to moving the football on offense, they do host the likes of a couple of standout players.

Fourth-year wide receiver Calvin Ridley and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts are two players that have the capabilities to change the game from a skill standpoint, though Atlanta hasn't been able to generate much even with those two on the field at the same time.

Ridley should be a great test for the Jets' young secondary.

Whoever is the primary cover cornerback that is assigned to take Ridley on, whether that be Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, or Michael Carter II, the Jets will certainly have to keep their eye on the fourth-year star out of Alabama. Restricting Ridley to limited yardage will go a long way to securing back-to-back wins.

Nothing likely frightens the Jets on the ground versus the Falcons, though. After going head-to-head with the dreaded Derrick Henry in Week 4, the Jets seem to get a bit of a break with a weak Atlanta offensive line, and a backfield that hosts the likes of running back Mike Davis, who has only totaled 151 yards rushing thus far.

On the defensive side of the football for Atlanta, they rank almost equally as worse as their offense at No. 23. The Jets will certainly be looking to build upon their impressive offensive performance against Tennessee with a consecutively sizeable showing versus an underwhelming Falcons "D".

Much like the offense for Atlanta, the Falcons still host a few intriguing players that could disrupt the Jets' flow on offense if they don't game plan efficiently.

Seventh-year defensive lineman Grady Jarrett and sixth-year linebacker Deion Jones are two players that the Jets must be aware of when operating on offense.

The Jets should look to continue to get wide receiver Jamison Crowder involved. Week 4 proved how beneficial Crowder is to a young quarterback, especially a rookie. Crowder should continue to produce against a relatively weak Atlanta secondary.

London matchups are always intriguing. For one, there usually isn't a defined "home" team. Fans will cheer for almost any big play and/or momentum swing. It's important for the Jets to get off to a fast start and try to keep any and all momentum throughout the majority of the contest.

If the Jets find a way to win on Sunday, it'll mark their first two-game win streak since December of 2020. Before that? December of 2019.

Consecutive wins aren't common for New York. Heck, wins aren't either. So one could imagine how important it is to head into the BYE week with a victory.