This Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons will return to the Georgia Dome to take on the Cleveland Browns. The Falcons, who are currently sitting on top of the NFC South division with a record of 4-6, are on a two-game winning streak and coming off a hot victory against their division rivals, the Carolina Panthers. They are looking to add a third victory as they take on the Cleveland Browns.
Given their success playing at home, many have predicted that the Atlanta Falcons will defeat the Cleveland Browns, who currently sit at the bottom of their division and are looking for ways to breathe life into their team in hopes of making the playoffs. However, the Browns will have their prolific wide receiver Josh Gordon making his debut after serving a 10-game suspension this season for violating the NFL’s drug policy. While it’s unlikely that Gordon will be inserted into the game and put up the stellar numbers that he’s had in the past since he’ll be a bit rusty, there is no doubt his athleticism and play-making ability should be a focus and concern for the Atlanta Falcons.
Therefore, the Falcons are preparing to face the Josh Gordon who was the league’s top receiver last season, not the rusty Josh Gordon. “I would expect Josh to play a significant role in the game,” said Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith. “He’s a playmaker, and he creates matchup issues for any team they’re going to be going against. I would imagine that we’ll see a lot of him. That’s what we’re anticipating. I think we’re going to get their best players, and he’s obviously one of the best players on the roster in our estimation.”
Given that Gordon is one of the best players on the Cleveland Browns’ offense and is expected to be quarterback Brian Hoyer’s favorite target, it only makes sense for the Atlanta Falcons to match up their top cornerback, Desmond Trufant, against Josh Gordon. While the Falcons rank last in the NFL in pass defense this season, Trufant has been ranked as the fourth-best cornerback by Pro Football Focus.
The Atlanta Falcons are on a hot two-game winning streak and have home-field advantage as they return to the Georgia Dome to host the Cleveland Browns but the team’s last-ranked pass defense faces a daunting task of containing breakout wide receiver Josh Gordon in his debut return to the Browns’ offense. Will Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant’s studying of Josh Gordon on film pay off and help lead the Falcons to a third-straight victory? Be sure to tune into the game to watch this highly anticipated match-up and see which team ends up on top.