Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is holding on to the ball a long time this season – 2.6 seconds before each throw. While that might not sound like much, for an aggressive, attacking defense like the Detroit Lions, that sort of time is all they’ll need to reach Ryan over and over again Sunday. Ryan’s 15 sacks taken is 26th in the NFL and tied with two other quarterbacks who have already dealt with the Lions: Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith. If Ryan can’t get rid of the ball fast enough, his star receivers won’t be able to make the plays they need.
And this is a game where Atlanta needs to score points, considering the Falcons are allowing 28.4 points a game. The Lions have struggled on offense, but Atlanta has a porous enough defense that if the Lions did find an offensive spark during the final four minutes against New Orleans, it could be a long game for the Falcons.
The pick: Lions 31, Falcons 17