An inside look at Sunday’s Jets-Falcons NFL Week 13 matchup at MetLife Stadium:
Marquee matchup
Falcons RBs Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarelle Patterson vs. Jets run defense
The Falcons do not hide what they want to do.
They want to win games by running the ball, and they have a stable of running backs to do it with.
The Jets run defense is 31st in the NFL in yards per game allowed, but they say that number is deceiving.
They have a chance to prove their run defense is better than the stats say in this game.
The Falcons are the No. 4 rushing team in the NFL. Robinson, a rookie, leads the team with 703 yards on 141 carries.
He also has 32 catches for 240 yards and has scored six total touchdowns.
“He’s a great player,” Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. “You can see his contact balance. You see his speed. You see his agility. He can make guys miss. He’s definitely a guy you have to prepare for. but [Allgeier] and [Patterson], they got three really good backs, three guys that anytime they get the ball in their hands, they’re dangerous. We understand that we have to bring more people to the party.”
It should be a good matchup between the Falcons offensive line and the Jets defensive line.
“They do a good job running the ball,” Franklin-Myers said. “That’s a physical football team and a team that looks to impose their will. It’s a good challenge for us. Shoot, we like to play violent, we like to play physical also. We’ll see.”
Costello’s call
Aaron Rodgers returned to practice this week and his return is now closer … if the Jets can stay in contention.
I think they will actually score two offensive touchdowns and the defense will overpower the Falcons to snap their losing skid.
Jets 17, Falcons 13
Four downs
Boyle-ing point: The Jets will have Tim Boyle at quarterback for the second straight week.
His first start against the Dolphins did not go well.
Boyle completed 27 of 38 passing for 179 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
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The Jets failed to move the ball consistently and did not mount a touchdown drive until the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.
They could turn to Trevor Siemian if Boyle struggles against the Falcons.
“I thought he did a lot of good things once we were out there for a while,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “For us, like we talked about is that it is about third down and to be able to get everybody on rhythm, and he hadn’t been out there in a real-life situation in a long time and we were on a short week, but I thought there was a lot of things he saw well. Especially, for all the dramatic looks that was given to him. I am excited for him to have another opportunity.”
Hall pass: Running back Breece Hall has cooled off lately and was called out by coach Robert Saleh this week for not getting more “grimy” yards.
Hall has 70 rushes for 182 yards and one rushing touchdown in his past six games. Hall said he understands what Saleh is saying.
“I just took it as, if you can’t call out your best players on offense then you can’t really call out anybody,” Hall said.“I said last week that I take pride in being an ‘A’ player, so if I get called out, you can’t get in your feelings about it or you can’t be sad about it. It just is what it is: You have to be better.”
Dirty South: The Falcons are leading the worst division in football.
They are 5-6 and tied with the Saints atop the NFC South, but they currently hold the tiebreaker over New Orleans after beating them last week.
Atlanta lost three games in a row before last week’s win.
Though this game feels critical for the Jets, it is also huge for the Falcons, who have winnable games down the stretch — Buccaneers, Panthers, Colts, Bears and Saints — and can host a playoff game.
Familiar QB: The Jets coaching staff knows Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder a bit.
They coached him in the 2022 Senior Bowl when he was headed to the NFL draft.
There has been turnover since then on the Jets’ staff, but not on the defensive side of the ball.
Ridder lost the starting job earlier this season but then regained it.
He has seven touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, meaning the Jets defense may be able to get some takeaways.
“I think he’s a young, exciting, quarterback,” Saleh said. “He’s just got that bravado to him, just remembering from the Senior Bowl, that’s contagious. It’s a really good group, well coached group, physical group and it is going to be a challenge.”
