DETROIT (2-3) at ATLANTA (1-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE — Falcons by 1 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Lions 2-3; Falcons 2-3
SERIES RECORD — Lions lead 24-13
LAST MEETING — Falcons beat Lions 30-26 on Sept 24, 2017 at Detroit
LAST WEEK — Lions beat Jaguars 34-16; Falcons beat Vikings 40-23
AP PRO32 RANKING — Lions No. 21; Falcons No. 27
LIONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (24), RUSH (15), PASS (22)
LIONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (21), RUSH (29), PASS (15)
FALCONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (4), RUSH (19), PASS (2)
FALCONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (31), RUSH (5), PASS (31)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Atlanta won its first game under interim coach Raheen Morris after losing five in a row to start the season with Dan Quinn at the helm. ... Detroit is looking to win consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 2-3 of the 2019 season. ... The two head coaches have a combined record of 29-56-1 (.343). Morris, who led the Buccaneers from 2009-11, is 18-31 overall. Detroit’s Matt Patricia is 11-25-1 in his third season with the Lions. ... Detroit went into last week’s game ranked last against the run and held Jacksonville to 44 yards rushing. ... Lions QB Matthew Stafford will be playing in the state of Georgia for the first time since he starred at the University of Georgia in 2008. ... Speaking of the Bulldogs, Stafford and rookie RB D’Andre Swift became the first former Georgia players to throw a TD pass and rush for a score as teammates in an NFL game since Charlie Trippi and Joe Geri in 1952 with the Chicago Cardinals. ... Detroit is the only team without a fumble this season. ... The Lions have scored on the opening drive of the last four games. ... Detroit WR Kenny Golladay, in the last year of his contract, had 105 yards receiving last week after scoring in each of his first two games coming back from a hamstring injury. ... Former Falcons CB Desmond Trufant has played in just two games for the Lions because of a hamstring injury that was aggravated Oct. 4 in a loss to New Orleans. ... Falcons QB Matt Ryan was picked as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 30 of 40 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions against the Vikings. ... Ryan joined Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as the only players in NFL history to complete at least 75 percent of their passes while passing for at least 350 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in multiple games. Ryan also accomplished the feat in Week 6 of the 2019 season at Arizona. ... The Falcons will debut their “Rise Up” alternate uniforms, which feature a gradient fade that goes from black to red. ... Falcons WRs Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones are both averaging over 15 yards per catch. Ridley ranks fourth in the league with 546 yards receiving, while Jones is coming off a 137-yard, two-TD performance against the Vikings. ... The Falcons are averaging 403.2 yards per games, the fourth most in franchise history through the first six contests. ... Atlanta K Younghoe Koo hit field goals from 50, 21, 47 and 43 yards vs. Minnesota, tying a career high with 16 points. Koo is 15 of 16 on field-goal attempts this season. ... The Falcons had a huge edge in time of possession against the Vikings, holding the ball for 40:07. ... Fantasy tip: This is a good opportunity for Stafford to have his best performance of the season. Only the Seahawks have given up more passing yards than the Falcons.
