Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons This Sunday afternoon the 4-3 Atlanta Falcons travel to Oakland to take on the 2-5 Raiders. Odds makers call the Falcons a 2 1/2 point favorite on the road with the total sitting at 41.

Quarterback Matt Ryan, the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, has exceeded expectations in his first season, passing for 1,441 yards and seven touchdowns thus far. However, the Atlanta Falcons recognize the importance of an effective running game.

Running back Michael Turner ranks third in the NFL with 655 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Turner has been excellent, but he admits that the running game has been on the decline recently.

"It's not a concern," Turner insisted. "The running game is something we believe in. We've just
got to execute better."

They just might be able to break out against the Raiders as they look to take advantage of one of the NFL's worst run defenses this weekend in Oakland.

The defense is not Oakland's only concern, the Raiders managed a dismal 35 yards of total offense in the first half en route to as 29-10 loss to Baltimore last Sunday. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell played a little better in the second half going 15-for-33 for 228 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

"The first half, we just got our tails whipped at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball," Oakland coach Tom Cable said. "There's really no other way to put it."

There seems to be a lot of that going around in Oakland these days. Take the Falcons and give the 2 1/2.