Atlanta @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 11, 2016 ) Washington 17, Atlanta 23

Running back Adrian Peterson continues to defy both critics and Father Time to help the NFC East-leading Washington Redskins win three straight games. The 33-year-old Peterson and the Redskins look to continue their strong performances on Sunday when they host the Atlanta Falcons, who are 0-2 away from home this season and play six of their final nine games on the road.

"He's a guy that we feed off of, I know the mindset and attitude that he brings certainly fits with what we want to be about up front and our style of play," Washington coach Jay Gruden said of Peterson, who earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring twice and rushing for a season-high 149 yards in Sunday's 20-13 win over the New York Giants. While Peterson has been getting rave reviews, Alex Smith hasn't done much with the Redskins' aerial attack as the offseason acquisition has averaged a paltry 173.0 passing yards his last three contests. Matt Ryan has encountered no such difficulty, eclipsing 355 passing yards in four of his last five contests while throwing 13 touchdowns against zero interceptions in that stretch. The 2016 NFL Most Valuable Player sent the Falcons into their bye with a two-game winning streak after completing 31 of 39 passes for 379 yards and a score in a 23-20 victory over the Giants on Oct. 22.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Redskins -2. O/U: 48.5

ABOUT THE FALCONS (3-4): The running joke gaining steam is that there's no stopping Julio Jones ... well, until he reaches the red zone. Sure, the five-time Pro Bowl selection has yet to find the end zone this season, but Jones is doing his best to turn Atlanta's fortunes around by averaging an NFL-best 116.0 yards per game. "We just have to continue to keep building," the 29-year-old Jones said. "We just have to figure out ways to win games. We need to continue to execute in winning situations." The Falcons have struggled to get much established with their 30th-ranked ground attack, although running back Tevin Coleman has a touchdown in two straight games while rookie Ito Smith has found the end zone in three of his last four.

ABOUT THE REDSKINS (5-2): Atlanta's third-ranked passing game will be put to the test against a Washington secondary that features D.J. Swearinger (NFL-high four interceptions) as well as fellow safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who was acquired from Green Bay on Tuesday. "If you can add a good player to the team, you have to do it," Gruden said of the 25-year-old Clinton-Dix, who had three interceptions this season with the Packers and provides a bit of insurance with safety Montae Nicholson nursing a hip injury. Swearinger, who recorded his second multi-interception game of the season last week, has forced a fumble in back-to-back contests.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Atlanta has won the last five meetings with Washington, although the clubs last played in 2015.

2. Redskins TE Jordan Reed recorded a season-high seven catches -- albeit for just 38 yards -- last week.

3. Falcons DE Takkarist McKinley has 5.5 sacks in his past six games.

PREDICTION: Falcons 27, Redskins 21