The Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals seem to be pret

ATLANTA (AP) — ty much on equal footing into what appears to be a dud of a game this week.Injuries have essentially ruined each team’s season. The Falcons (4-9) have dropped five straight and have the NFL’s worst rushing offense. The Cardinals (3-10) have lost four of five with the league’s second-worst rushing attack. They rank last in scoring and passing.The Falcons entered Week 1 as a Super Bowl contender after winning the NFC title in 2016 and advancing to the divisional round last year Qadree Ollison Atlanta Falcons Jersey , but they lost three starters on defense and three on offense. Atlanta hasn’t been the same since.That’s nothing compared to Arizona’s injured list. The Cardinals lost defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, a first-round pick in 2016, to knee surgery this week and have placed 16 players on season-ending injured reserve. Six of them were offensive linemen.“Injuries and all this stuff happen all the time,” Arizona rookie quarterback Josh Rosen said.“It’s just that the degree happens to be a little bit more here this particular year. Throughout your football life, you’re always faced with adversity in different forms and fashions. It just happens to be a little bit more. I’ve got to buck up and get ready just a little bit more.”A few things to know about Sunday’s game:JULIO JONES vs. PATRICK PETERSONTwo of the best are expected to face off when Falcons receiver Julio Jones, the only player in league history with at least 1,400 yards receiving in five consecutive seasons, faces Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson.“You’re talking about two of the best at their position,” Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said. “Who knows? Two guys that could be future Hall of Famers. It’s going to be a great contest. I know Patrick is excited about the — I don’t want to call it a challenge — but the opportunity to be able to cover Julio.”Arizona’s defense, Peterson included Youth Qadree Ollison Jersey , has enjoyed some good days with 11 interceptions in its past four games against Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Only Carolina, Tampa Bay and New Orleans have more, and they are in the same division as Atlanta.Jones missed some time this week after getting sent home with flu-like symptoms, but is likely to play.LOPSIDED MATCHUP?The difference Rosen and Ryan is substantial.Ryan, the 2016 NFL MVP, is an 11-year veteran with a 99-72 record. He has the NFL’s leading wideout in Jones, and if he’s covered tightly, Ryan has the option of looking to first-round pick Calvin Ridley, seven-year veteran Mohamed Sanu or tight end Austin Hooper.Rosen, the 10th overall draft pick Black Desmond Trufant Jersey , has a 62.8 rating to rank 32nd among eligible passers. He has yet to top 2,000 yards and has three victories.Rosen’s star receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, is one of only two players in history with at least 16,000 yards receiving, but had just one catch entering the fourth quarter of last week’s sluggish home loss to Detroit. That’s mostly because the Cardinals had recently lost Christian Kirk, their second-leading receiver, to a broken foot, and Fitzgerald was easier to contain.Atlanta ranks fourth in passing, but Ryan has been under duress all season and is on pace to finish with a career-high 46 sacks.BALL SECURITYFalcons coach Dan Quinn bemoans his team’s minus-4 turnover margin. Atlanta has nine interceptions Desmond Trufant Jersey 2019 , five by second-year safety Damontae Kazee. Arizona is worse with a turnover margin that ranks 29th, but Quinn isn’t concerned with opponents.It’s been an ongoing, unpleasant topic all season for a defense that has recovered just two fumbles.“Defensively there will be 10 to 12 plays (per game),” Quinn said. “Did you take the shot? Did you make the interception? Did you cause the fumble on the sack?“Offensively there will be the same. Did you take care of it in traffic? Did you go get the contested catch? It’s during those moments that I want to make sure that’s the strongest indicator of where our focus is. Make sure we’re thinking about the football in all cases.”KEEP IT CLEANNothing irritates Ryan more than penalties. The Falcons aren’t among the league’s worst offenders, but they’ve made a habit of untimely gaffes. That was the case last week at Green Bay.“What’s important is how you respond to it, and we didn’t do a good enough job of responding in those situations,” Ryan said. “They’re tough to overcome. Penalties, particularly when you’re on the road, it’s more difficult to overcome those things and keep drives going. So percentage-wise when we get our chances and create those plays, we’ve got to keep them. We have to keep the ball where it is.”GEORGIA BLUESThe Cardinals were to leave Friday to get a day to adjust to the time difference. They could use whatever edge that can muster. Atlanta has not been friendly as Arizona has lost eight straight in the Peach State since its most recent win in 1993. Reminisce about the Falcons of old."Keith Brooking was signed by the Dallas Cowboys on February 28 Black Damontae Kazee Jersey , 2009 where he would play for three seasons. Following the 2011 season, with the emergence of linebacker Sean Lee, the Cowboys decided not to re-sign him. On August 6, 2012 Keith Brooking signed a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos. Following that season in which he started 14 games, Keith Brooking retired from the NFL.Outside of football, Keith Brooking established The Keith Brooking Children’s Foundation in 2003. The foundation located in Atlanta was inspired by his mother who was a foster parent while he was growing up. The foundation serves the needs of foster children in metro Atlanta. In 2002, Brooking was named the Atlanta Falcons’ Man of the Year for his extensive community involvement. He spent much of his offseason time raising awareness for his foundation and visiting local schools. In 2007, Keith Brooking was named to the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame. I became a Falcons fan at age 6, during the 1996 NFL season. The first NFL Draft I watched was in 1998 when Keith Brooking was selected. Brooking goes down in Falcons history as one of the best linebackers the team has had, and trust me Damontae Kazee Jersey 2019 , they have had their share.Let me know in the comments below some of your favorite Keith Brooking memories. As always, you can find me on Twitter @EvanBirchfield. Additionally, make sure to follow @The_Falcoholic on Instagram for up-to-date news and information. Thanks for reading, Falcoholics.