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The Raiders (1-3) are at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Georgia to face the undefeated Falcons (5-0). They may not have a tougher matchup this season than the one they face today. The Falcons' strengths are the Raiders' weaknesses. And there are a lot of them.
The Falcons have a premiere NFL offense this season with Matt Ryan playing the best football of his career. He has three fantastic receivers in Roddy White, Julio Jones, and tight end Tony Gonzalez. He also has running back Michael Turner to hand the ball to.
On defense the Falcons have a solid pass rush with John Abraham leading the way. They play a lot of nickel and have three good corners in Asante Samuel, Dunta Robinson, and Brent Grimes.
The Raiders have had two weeks to prepare for the Falcons. Carson Palmer will try to run the offense in a hostile environment and having both his starting receivers, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore, healthy will help that cause.
The Raiders will also look to get something going in the run game with Darren McFadden. The offensive line has yet to give him a lot of room to run but the Falcons have given up 5.4 yards per carry this season so that should be an area in which they focus.
The Raiders' defense has a new pass rusher in Andre Carter. They are hoping some added pass rush will offer some relief for the beleaguered secondary. Michael Huff makes his third straight start at corner with Shawntae Spencer still out with a sprained foot. Pat Lee will line up opposite him. Matt Giordano should again take Huff's spot at free safety.
The Falcons have the advantage on paper. But games aren't played on paper. They gotta take it to the field.
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