Atlanta offense vs. San Francisco defense

	FALCONS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	29
	Pass	15
	Tot. Yds.	24
	Scoring	28
	Int's allowed	15
	Sacks allowed	42
	49ERS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	23
	vs. Pass	28
	Total yds. allowed	29
	# of Ints.	11
	# of Sacks	23
	Turnover differential	-11

In last week's decisive win over New Orleans, Atlanta QB Chris Chandler finally was reminded of how it feels to operate an offense with a legitimate running game. With Byron Hanspard out of the mix, RB Ken Oxendine is running with increased confidence and finally appears ready to be the workhorse that this offense has missed all season. Against a banged up Saints defense and behind bruising FB Bob Christian, Oxendine carried 19 times for 85 yards and a touchdown.

In cold and soggy conditions last week at Cincinnati, the Niners had trouble bringing down RB Corey Dillon, who rolled up 133 yards on 25 carries. Although they would like to blame the weather for their troubles, the Niners' sloppy tackling was simply case of a failure to break down on the ball carrier.

If the Falcons can run the ball successfully, look for a road win. Coach Dan Reeves' club is 3-0 when they rush for over 100 yards.

With the run game clicking, Chandler enjoyed the luxury of play-action for the first time all year. WR Tim Dwight, who was on the receiving end of a 48-yard touchdown last week, didn't return after halftime after because of a knee injury and his status for this week is still questionable. If Dwight and starting TE O.J. Santiago can't go, it will severely hamper the Falcons from a play-calling perspective because their options at receiver are very limited.

Atlanta will need WR's Terrence Mathis and Bryan Still to pick up the slack against the Niners' inviting secondary. Aside from DT Bryant Young's pair of sacks, San Francisco's sagging pass rush produced no pressure on Cincinnati QB Jeff Blake last week, allowing the streaky passer to throw for 334 yards and four touchdowns.

The Niners, especially smurf DC Darnell Walker, could not contend with the Bengals' tall receivers on the deep ball but the good news this week is that the Falcons have only one receiver listed over 5-11.

Defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr.'s unit's susceptibility to the big play is underscored by their 7.29 yards allowed per completion. A startling number considering it's over a yard more than the league average.

Look for the Falcons to utilize the screen game more this week than they have in the past. Oxendine hasn't been used much in a receiving role but he should be able to do some damage against a Niners linebacker corps that allowed Dillon to chew up 77 yards out of the flat.

Garcia's big day was a result of the offensive line's best game of the season. The Niners held the Bengals without a sack last week but they will have a tough time duplicating that feat on Sunday against a Falcons defense that rang up a season-high seven sacks last week.

Atlanta defensive coordinator Rich Brooks' crew was able to get pressure last week through a number of inside blitzes by MLB Jesse Tuggle and OLB Keith Brooking. The Niners interior line must hold up well without much help from FB Fred Beasley because he will have to concern himself primarily with DE's Chuck Smith and Lester Archambeau, who registered three sacks against the Saints.

San Francisco's passing game was more efficient last week because it was based on short drops that allowed Garcia to set up quick and find a rhythm. Look for more of the same against a Falcon secondary that is allowing just 179.6 yards per game through the air.

The key matchup to watch will be WR Jerry Rice working against DC Ray Buchanan, who returned one of his two interceptions last week for a touchdown. Rice and Terrell Owens had some success working fade and streak routes against the Bengals' shaky secondary that, like Atlanta, has trouble against the deep ball.

If they have trouble containing the pass rush early, expect offensive coordinator Marty Mohrninweg to work RB Charlie Garner out of the backfield on screens and delays over the middle in hopes of catching Tuggle out of position on the blitz.

The Niners have a chance of putting an end to their eight-game losing streak if they can establish Garner on the ground and sustain his presence for the entire game. Garner, the team's lone bright spot on offense all season, had 91 yards on 18 carries (5.1 avg.) last week before they were forced to abandon the run in the third quarter.

Even in their win over the Saints, Brooks' unit had trouble stopping the run, allowing Wilmont Perry & Co. to run for 149 yards on 26 attempts. The Falcons are giving up 128.3 yards per game on the ground and could have real trouble with the bruising combination of Garner and Beasley.