Once again, the NFL opens the week with a Thursday Night Football contest, this week with the Jacksonville Jaguars visiting the Atlanta Falcons.
Some notes about both teams:
JAGUARS: MEL TUCKER earned 1st win as head coach last week...Rookie QB BLAINE GABBERT (No. 10 overall) aims for 3rd straight game with 2 TD passes...RB MAURICE JONES-DREW (61) needs 2 rush TDs to surpass FRED TAYLOR(62) for most in team history. Jones-Drew (73 TDs) had 4 TDs last week (2 rush, 2 rec.) & surpassed Taylor (70) for total TDs in club annals. Has NFL-best 1,222 rush yards & needs 170 rush yards to surpass career-best of 1,391 in '09. Has rushed for 80+ yards in 12 of 13 games...TE MARCEDES LEWIS had season-best 77 rec. yards last week. Has most rec. yards (2,609) & TD catches (17) by TE in club history...LB PAUL POSLUSZNY leads team with 102 tackles. LB DARYL SMITH had sack & FF last week...Rookie CB KEVIN RUTLAND (undrafted FA) had 1st career INT last game...
FALCONS: QB MATT RYAN is 6-1 at home vs. AFC, completing 150 of 237 (63.3 pct.) for 1,852 yards with 13 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 102.2 rating. Falcons are 21-0 when Ryan has 100+ rating, incl. last week's 120.5 rating. Had 320 pass yards, 4 TDs & 0 INTs vs. Car...Since joining Atl. in 2008, RB MICHAEL TURNER has 47 rush TDs, 2nd most in NFL. In that span, has 29 rush TDs at home, most in NFL. When he has 23+ att., his teams are 21-1 (.955)...Rookie WR JULIO JONES had 3 catches for 104 yards (34.7 avg.) & 2 TDs last week. Has 100+ yards in 4 of his past 8. WR RODDY WHITE has 64 catches for 964 yards (120.5 per game) & 8 TDs in past 8 vs. AFC. Since start of 2007, has 446 rec., most in NFC. Aims for 4th in row with TD. TE TONY GONZALEZ had 8 catches for 100 yards in last meeting (10/7/07 with KC). Has 73 receptions, his NFL-record 13th season in row with 60+ catches...DE JOHN ABRAHAM has 107.5 sacks, 2nd most among active players. LB MIKE PETERSON had 19th career INT last week. Played 6 years with Jax. (2003-08).