Atlanta was one of the surprise teams of 2008 as Matt Ryan won rookie of the Year honors and head coach Mike Smith was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. The problem this year is that the roster has been ravaged by injuries, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

It is said that teams must be strong up the middle but the Falcons have a number of these players nursing injuries. Matt Ryan has missed two games with a turf toe and has been limited in practice this week.

If Ryan cannot go, the Jets will have a big advantage over back up Chris Redman. His play improved last week against a tough New Orleans team but I expect him to come back down to earth when he plays in the windy conditions of the Meadowlands.

Against Philadelphia, a team very similar to the Jets in terms of its pressure packages, Redman really struggled. A few hits can really disrupt his game.

He will struggle with his accuracy if the Jets can rush his throws. He also has a propensity for getting his passes knocked down so the Jets’ defensive linemen should be getting their hands up against him.

Redman also has a habit of locking on to receivers so there should be opportunities for the Jets’ defensive backs to jump routes.

Running back Michael Turner was second in the league in rushing last year but he has been banged up this year as well and that has hurt the offense. Turner is already one of the best in the league after only one year as a starter but his high ankle sprain has limited him to 21 carries over the last five games (he was inactive for three of them) and the Falcons have lost four of those games.

Turner is a big, powerful runner. At 5-10, 244 lbs he is a load to bring down. He hits the hole with great burst and runs with good body lean, consistently gaining yards after contact.

He has deceptive speed but is not going to run away from anyone. His game is very similar to Shonn Greene’s although he is more polished.

Along with Ryan, Turner has been limited in practice and is questionable for Sunday.

If Turner cannot go, the Falcons lose the physical element in their offense. Back ups Jason Snelling and Jerrious Norwood are nice complementary backs but cannot carry the load like Turner.

If Turner can go, the Jets will have to be stout up front and tackle him low. He is too strong to bring down with arm tackles so they must swarm to the ball and gang tackle him.

The interior of the Falcon’s line is also beat up as center Todd McClure and RG Harvey Dahl have missed some action. Dahl will be the bigger loss if he is out.

He brings a nasty attitude to the whole unit and is a real tempo setter. He also works extremely well with RT Tyson Clabo.

The two have great communication and chemistry, which helps them in picking up blitzes and passing off rushers on tandem blocks. Back up Quinn Ojinnaka is not nearly as skilled as Dahl and has been vulnerable in his absence.

The Falcons like to run to their right but without Dahl they will have to change their approach. In Dahl’s absence the line has not gotten the same push.

Expect Rex Ryan to call run blitzes for his middle linebackers in the “A” gap to test Ojinnaka. At 299 lbs he lacks bulk and power and does not get enough movement on run blocks.

The Jets will continue bringing pressure, especially if Redman gets the start. They will try to confuse him with varied fronts and bring pressure from different angles, similar to what they did against Josh Freeman last week.

Redman does not slide well in the pocket, which is why I expect the Jets’ pass rush to not only get a few sacks but to put some good hits on him as well.

Atlanta’s receiving corps is young and improving but perhaps their biggest weapon is Tony Gonzalez who, at 33, is having an excellent year. He has 75 catches and 5 touchdowns and poses match up problems for any defense.

The way to defend him is to not let him get a clean release and play him physically. If you let him get into his pattern he will just eat you up.

Both David Harris and Bart Scott have done a nice job in coverage this year but it has been mainly against running backs. Covering Gonzalez, a future Hall of Famer, is another matter entirely.

With Revis likely to be matched up one-on-one against Roddy White and not needing much safety help, the Jets will have the luxury of double-teaming Gonzalez.

They should use bracket coverage with their linebacker guarding underneath while the safety covers over the top.

As the Jets’ best cover safety, Kerry Rhodes will have an opportunity to come up with stops on Gonzalez and in doing so could begin his escape from Rex Ryan’s doghouse.

Michael Jenkins, also coming off an injury, is a big target (6-4, 217) who usually lines up in the slot and likes to work the middle of the field, especially on shallow crossing routes. But despite his size, he is not very physical and can be intimidated by a tougher defender.

Lito Sheppard will likely draw him in coverage most of the afternoon and should match up well against him. He is playing closer to the line lately, which is his strength, and is getting a good jam on receivers.

Sheppard does not fare well against fast receivers but Jenkins is more of a possession guy so he should be able to contain him with his physical style of play.

Atlanta’s offense has been average this season. They are 16th in total offense (12th in scoring) with a rushing attack ranked 18th and a passing offense ranked 13th.

They do a decent job of converting on third down and convert 42% of the time (ranked 12th) but much of that success comes from Ryan. Redman has converted only 35% in his three games.

If Ryan toughs it out and starts this week, his mobility will be severely limited.Turf toe is a very painful injury and he will no doubt be loaded up on painkillers to get through it.

The Jets must force him to move around and throw on the run. Their game plan will not change much with him under center and must disrupt the pocket to have success against him.

But Ryan is a gamer. He is mentally tough and has the mindset to play through this injury. Despite completing only 59% of his passes this season, he has an accurate as well as a strong arm and can make all the throws.

His presence alone could inspire a top performance from this offense as he has excellent leadership qualities. The Jets’ defense is playing so well lately that it could handle Ryan but it will have a considerably easier time if Redman is under center.

With all their injuries, Atlanta comes limping into the Meadowlands to face a red hot Jets’ defense. To win this battle, the Jets must apply pressure to the QB from the outset and continue to attack the pocket throughout.

Keys

• Pressure the quarterback. Both Redman and Ryan (due to injury) do not move well in the pocket and should be easy targets for the Jets’ pass rush.

• The defensive line must be stout up front if Turner gets the start. He is a powerful runner and will break arm tackles with ease. The Jets must swarm to the ball to contain him.

• Attack inexperienced right guard Quinn Ojinnaka with run blitzes. He lacks bulk and does not get much of a push in the run game. His lack of playing time has also impaired communication with their right tackle (Tyson Clabo) making this pair an opportune target for overload blitzes.

• Bracket Tony Gonzalez. With underneath coverage from Harris and Scott, Rhodes will have opportunities to make plays against Atlanta’s receptions leader.

• The Jets’ defensive linemen must get their hands up on passing downs if Redman is the starter. A number of his passes have been knocked down since he took over for Matt Ryan.