ESPN Unanimous Predictions for Falcons at Commanders

ESPN was unanimous in their choice as the Atlanta Falcons take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football.

Michael Penix Jr. looks to become the first Atlanta Falcons quarterback ever to win his first two starts. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons control their own destiny in the NFC South and the automatic home-playoff game that comes with winning the division.

However, they have a stiff test against their former head coach Dan Quinn and his 10-5 Washington Commanders. The Commanders are led by probable NFL Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels at quarterback. The 24-year-old signal caller was the No. 2 overall draft pick and handed the reins from day one in Washington.

Daniels got off to a fast start, leading his team to a 7-2 record the first half of the season. He completed a remarkable 82.1% his first-four starts. He's 301 of 432 passing (69.7%) on the season for 3,303 yards and 22 touchdowns against just eight interceptions.

He's not only dangerous with his arm though. The Heisman Trophy winner has 737 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Jayden Daniels is 79 yards away from breaking the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie QB. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/NfQTfKBYWs

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 26, 2024

The Falcons take on the Commanders on Sunday Night Football and are 4.5-point underdogs according to ESPN. Their panelist of prognosticators: Senior NFL writer Kalyn Kahler, fantasy analyst Eric Moody, and analytics writer Seth Walder don't see an upset coming on Sunday night.

ESPN's Picks Falcons at Commanders


Kahler's pick: Commanders 30, Falcons 28
Moody's pick: Commanders 27, Falcons 23
Walder's pick: Commanders 27, Falcons 23

Moody says to keep a lookout for Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin has torched the Falcons for 252 yards and two touchdowns in his only three games against Atlanta, and he's currently on a heater.

"The Falcons' defense has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, and it has really struggled against perimeter receivers," wrote Moody. "McLaurin has been on fire lately, scoring 17 or more fantasy points in four straight games (308 yards and six touchdowns). Given the matchup, he has a real shot at being the top fantasy receiver this week."

Walder likes Drake London in this one. He names the Falcons third-year man as his bold prediction for Sunday's game.

"Falcons wide receiver Drake London will record his second game with 100-plus receiving yards of the season," wrote Walder. "London enters Week 17 with an 80 open score, which is tied for ninth among all eligible receivers."

Walder previously used the open score metric in a previous bold prediction for the Falcons. Kyle Pitts was coming off three-straight games of 65 yards or more, and Walder predicted he'd have less than 25 yards against the Dallas Cowboys, because he had the worst open score in the NFL.

Pitts finished with one catch for 11 yards in the 27-21 win over the Cowboys and has just 124 yards and no touchdowns in his last seven games. While London is top-10 in open score, Pitts is 130th out of 141 eligible receivers.

Walder was right on Pitts, and the Falcons are hoping he's right about London as well.

If the Falcons beat the Commanders and the Panthers at home next week, they'll finish 10-7 and win the NFC South for the first time since 2016. If they lose, they'll need to Buccaneers to drop one of their last two games. When the Falcons suit up against the Commanders, they'll already know the result of Tampa's 1:00 p.m. home contest against the Panthers.

Carolina has been playing better as of late, but winning in Tampa might be too much to ask. Atlanta hosts the Panthers next week in the final regular season game. They're hoping a win over the Panthers clinches the NFC South, otherwise, they'll be scoreboard watching as the Buccaneers host the New Orleans Saints.

Slowing down Jayden Daniels enough to pull off a win is a tall order for the Falcons defense. They typically play too deep in the secondary and their linebackers lack the athleticism to run with Daniels.

They may need to take their chances on the outside with McLaurin and crowd the line of scrimmage to limit the Commanders' third-ranked rushing game. Do that, and they've got a chance to put a strangle-hold on the division on Sunday night.

Let the Commanders control the ball, the possessions, and the clock with their running game, and Atlanta is going to find themselves in an uncomfortable position, rooting for the Saints on Week 18.