Mohamed Sanu

Why the Chiefs have the perfect formula for beating the high-powered Falcons

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:55 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

Arguably the biggest game of Sunday’s action is between the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have a playoff berth within their grasp, but with their divisions being as tough as they are, nothing is given – not even a chair at the postseason table.

These two squads aren’t complete polar opposites, but there are far more differences than similarities. The Falcons have the best offense in the league, throwing it up and down the field with the greatest of ease. The Chiefs, on the other hand, make their living by playing physical defense, limiting what teams can do on offense.

It just so happens that this is the perfect formula for beating the high-octane Falcons – and it’s exactly why the Chiefs will win Sunday’s game.

The Falcons’ best weapon is Julio Jones. He leads the league in receiving yards with 1,140 to go with five touchdowns. He has the most 20-yard receptions (21) and averages an absurd 17.5 yards per catch. Not to mention, Jones is the most versatile receiver in the NFL. He can go deep on the outside, run crossing routes and obliterate man coverage in the slot or take a screen pass 40 yards for a touchdown.

So how do you defend that? With a physical shutdown corner like Marcus Peters.

Since 2015, Peters leads the league with 13 interceptions. He’s the definition of a No. 1 cornerback, boasting all of the qualities a scout looks for in a defensive back: ball skills, physicality, size, length, awareness. It’s all there. He matches up extremely well with Jones thanks to his man-coverage ability.

“The ball skills are there for sure. That’s so easy to see,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said of Peters. “So, a defender who can track the ball in the air and play it like a receiver when it’s in the air like Marcus can do, that’s a really significant attribute to have. And I think that probably allows him to be the ball-hawk that he is.”

Last week, Broncos QB Trevor Siemian lit up Kansas City’s defense. He had 368 yards passing in the best game of his career. How many did Peters allow? Just 19. He surrendered a measly two catches for 19 yards against a team with Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. That’s impressive.

Matt Ryan would be smart to avoid Peters when he drops back to pass, considering Peters allows just 59 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed with a passer rating of 64.4. He’s allowed just two touchdowns this season compared to five interceptions, showing he makes big plays more than giving them up.

Of course, this game won’t be decided on this single matchup. The Falcons also have Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel, two guys who can step up when Jones struggles. However, the Chiefs’ secondary is deep and can match up with both of those receivers. Not to mention, the pass rush has been outstanding, led by outside linebacker Justin Houston, playing like a man possessed. He is battling a minor injury but should be able to go on Sunday. If he does, look out, Ryan Schraeder.

The Falcons’ right tackle has been great the past few years, but Houston showed what he can do last week against the Broncos. He had 10 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, wreaking havoc on Denver’s offensive plans. Tamba Hali on the other side also makes quarterbacks’ lives difficult with his pass-rush ability. For these reasons, the Falcons will have trouble moving the ball.

What about when the Chiefs have the ball? Well, we all know Kansas City doesn’t have an explosive offense with big plays on every drive, but that’s OK. Its game plan is built to handle teams like the Falcons.

The Chiefs have held their own against powerhouse offenses like the Colts, Raiders and Saints. They outgained two of those teams, beating all of them by a combined score of 83-45. That’s both a testament to the defense as well as the offense, but it was the ground game that made it happen.

The Chiefs had 383 rushing yards in those three games, winning time of possession in two of the three. In their win against the Raiders, the Chiefs held the ball for 36 minutes, limiting Derek Carr’s possessions. Against the Colts, they had it for 33 – and that was when QB Alex Smith got injured.

If the Chiefs can control the clock, take the air out of the ball and limit the number of times Atlanta gets the ball, they’ll win this game. Running back Spencer Ware should have a good game against the Falcons’ mediocre run defense, which allows 4.2 yards per carry. This sets up well for the Chiefs on both sides of the ball.