Atlanta Falcons vs Kansas City Chiefs 2012 NFL Week 1 Point Spreads

The 2012 NFL season could be a make or break for the Atlanta Falcons, as another early exit from the postseason could force management to make major changes to its roster.

After losing in the divisional playoffs and the Wild Card round the past two seasons, many are beginning to wonder whether Matt Ryan is good enough to win a title in this league.

Despite the fact that he’s coming off his best season in terms of passing yards (4,177), touchdowns (29) and quarterback rating (92.2), Ryan doubters are sure to come out of the woodworks should he get off to a sluggish start. Sign up to receive free 2012 NFL Picks from the best football experts in the world!

Although the team has finished the regular season with back-to-back double-digit winning seasons, Matt Ryan & Co. hasn’t lived up to the billing come playoff time. Last season, the Falcons were eliminated in the first round after finishing second in the NFC South behind the New Orleans Saints.

While some say that they simply ran into the wrong team in the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, their performance and effort certainly left a bad taste in ATL fans. Scoring all but a safety in that game, the Falcons were dominated and humiliated as they would go on to lose by a final score of 2-24.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, winning the AFC West division in 2010 proved to be a fluke. After going into the postseason for the first time in four years, the Chiefs followed that effort with a 7-9 record, which was dead last in the division.

Thus, Todd Haley was fired during his third season, and former Browns head coach Romeo Crennel took over on an interim basis. After his players responded well to his leadership in the final three games of the season, ending the Green Bay Packers’ bid for a perfect season, the Chiefs decided to keep him on a permanent basis.

This season, Crennel will not only serve as head coach of the Chiefs, but will also be their defensive coordinator. According to 2012 NFL Week 1 point spreads specialists, the Falcons [-3] will go into their season opener as a favorites to defeat the Chiefs [+3] by at least a field goal. Furthermore, the projected OVER/UNDER line between ATL and KC is set at a combined total of 41 points scored.

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