Commanders Need to Capitalize on Second Quarter Opportunity vs. Falcons

The name of the game is scoring more points than the other team, and the Washington Commanders will likely find that opportunity most available in the second quarter.

Dec 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) reacts to scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

If the Washington Commanders score more points than the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, they'll win the game. No matter what the other stats say, the officials do or don't do, who does or doesn't get injured, etc. – that one fact will always remain the same.

So that's the goal, to score more. But when we look at the matchup between the Commanders and Falcons, it becomes clear the opportunity to really grab control of this game is going to come in the second quarter.

The reason is, no matter how much Washington wants to get out to a fast start, the Falcons' history shows they're more likely to open the vault after the first 15 minutes have elapsed.

Dec 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) reacts to scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In the first quarter of Week 16, the Commanders went down to the Philadelphia Eagles 21-7, but make no mistake about it: that's the anomaly, not the norm.

It was the first time Washington had allowed more than 10 points in the first quarter and only the second it had allowed more than seven points.

On the flip side, the Commanders' offense scored seven points for the eighth time in 15 games. And it has only scored more than that twice this season.

The second quarter, however, that's an entirely different story – usually.

While the Washington offense scored just seven points in the second quarter against the Eagles last week, it has produced no fewer than 10 points in the same quarter of other games this year, six out of 15 tries. That's a much higher rate of double-digit scoring in the second quarter versus the first.

The Falcons defense this season has been equally open to points being scored in that same quarter, allowing double-digit production in seven of the 15 games they've played in this year.

Meanwhile, Atlanta is prone to giving up scoring in the first quarter, but not usually more than a touchdown.

So, a 17-point first-half figure is to be in the cards for the Commanders if they play them right. As we've discussed in other articles, getting their own ground game up and running (pun intended) again would help a lot. Keeping the Falcons from establishing their own rushing attack would help as well.

And if those three things happen on Sunday night, then a 17-point first half maybe everything Washington needs to get a firm grip on what happens in Week 17, and the majority of those looks historically most likely to come in the second quarter.

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