Atlanta (3-4) at New England (6-2)
Sunday 1 p.m. EST, CBS
Against the spread: Falcons 3-4; Patriots 6-2.
Series record: Patriots lead 10-6
Last meeting: Patriots beat Falcons 25-0 in Atlanta on Nov. 8, 2021.
Last week: Falcons lost to Miami 34-10 at home. Patriots beat Cleveland 32-13 at home.
Falcons offense: overall (14), rush (11), pass (13), scoring (28).
Falcons defense: overall (2), rush (21), pass (1), scoring (13t).
Patriots offense: overall (10), rush (18), pass (9), scoring (8).
Patriots defense: overall (9), rush (2), pass (19), scoring (4).
Turnover differential: Falcons plus-2; Patriots plus-2.
The Falcons offense runs through Bijan Robinson, the dual-threat running back with 962 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns through seven games. Robinson was limited to just 25 yards on nine carries in a Week 9 loss to the Dolphins — the fourth-lowest rushing total of his career. A stout Patriots run defense presents the biggest challenge of the season yet for the running back.
QB Drake Maye. He is coming off his seventh consecutive game of notching a 100-plus passer rating after finishing with a 135.8 rating in last week's win over the Browns. With an eighth game he'll tie the franchise record and join Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson as the only players with such a streak. Brady did it twice, in 2007 and 2010.
Robinson vs. Patriots run defense. New England is the only team in the NFL this season not to allow 50 yards to a running back through eight games. Robinson has 549 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Falcons: QB Michael Penix Jr. (knee) and WR Drake London (hip) are both day to day and were limited on Wednesday. Edge rusher Leonard Floyd (hamstring), WR Casey Washington (back) and DL Zach Harrison (knee), all missed the first practice of the week.
Patriots: RB Rhamondre Stevenson sat out Wednesday’s practice with a toe issue. C Garrett Bradbury (toe), WR Stefon Diggs (ankle) and DT Khyiris Tonga (knee) were all limited.
The Patriots have won the past seven meetings. That includes the Patriots' 34-28 overtime comeback victory in Super Bowl 51 to cap the 2016 season. Atlanta hasn't won in Foxborough since 1998, when New England was playing in the since-demolished Foxboro Stadium
The Falcons defense has performed at a high level this season, holding opponents to an average of 275.6 yards per game — the second-lowest total in the league behind the Texans (266.9). Atlanta’s pass defense has limited opponents to an NFL-best 149.1 yards per game. Offensively, the Falcons have averaged 17.1 points per game, the fifth-lowest in the league. RB Bijan Robinson leads the team with 549 rushing yards. Drake London has a team-high 469 receiving yards. QB Michael Penix Jr. has completed 61 percent of passes for 1,409 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Both Penix and London were sidelined last week and are considered day to day ahead of the team’s trip to Foxborough. ... The Patriots enter on a five-game win streak. It is their longest streak since winning seven straight during the 2021 season. ... New England is coming off a season-high 177 rushing yards last week against Cleveland. That followed a 175-yard effort the previous week at Tennessee. ... New England's defense is allowing opponents 76 rushing yards per game, which is second in the NFL only to Seattle at 75.7. ... WR Stefon Diggs needs one reception to become the 29th player in league history with 900. He is fifth among active players in career receptions behind Travis Kelce (1,041), Keenan Allen (1,022), DeAndre Hopkins (994) and Devante Adams (988). RB Rhamondre Stevenson is in seventh place on the Patriots career rushing list (3,345) and needs 47 yards to pass Don Calhoun (3,391) into sixth place. ... S Brenden Schooler is leading the team with 11 special teams tackles and needs three to match his career high of 14 set during his rookie season in 2022.
Maye has a tough challenge this week opposite the Falcons' top-ranked pass defense, allowing just 149.1 yards per game. But Maye has thrown for at least 200 yards in every game this season and has six games with at least two touchdown passes.
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