The offense gets moving, James Smith-Williams rolls, but a pair of young defenders come up short.
The Atlanta Falcons bounce back with a high blood pressure finish against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The offense gets back on track after two key components took the necessary strides during the week leading up to the game. A free agent acquisition shows how being smart with your money pays off, and a pair of second-round defenders have a rough outing. It’s our weekly stock report.
Three Up
Kirk Cousins
After a shaky week one, the Falcons new quarterback showed us exactly why he got the contract he did on the final drive. Cousins had a Matt Ryan-esque finish, operating the two-minute offense to perfection and giving the dirty birds the lead. Cousins’ right leg looked healthy. The quarterback showed no signs of concern when operating play-action concepts and working from under center.
There are still questions about the strength of his arm and ability to drive the ball, but when comparing Week 1 to Week 2, it is clear Cousins has already made strides in both departments. He still needs to regain the confidence he once had, and while he likely won’t recover all his strength, Cousins should be stronger mid-season than he is today. If he can operate cleanly and lead drives like the one to cap off the Eagles game, he should be given all the time he needs.
Zac Robinson
The young offensive coordinator was under fire after fans and analysts trashed his Mickey Mouse game plan against the Steelers. The first-time play-caller responded by implementing under center formations, play-action concepts, and a zone-based rushing attack that had the Eagles moving backward all night. Robinson was also able to show that his attachment to the pistol was not misguided.
Kirk’s touchdown to Darnell Mooney came out of the pistol and was executed perfectly, showing the benefit of not making the quarterback go through a full drop. The young coordinator will likely improve with more exposure.
James Smith-Williams
There are a lot of defenders to call out in this one. Matthew Judon and Jessie Bates showed why the team made moves to acquire them, but so did one other recent acquisition. James Smith-Williams was an absolute force in the run, racking up multiple tackles for loss. The defense was getting gashed to start the game, and it took contributions from players like Smith-Williams, not just marquee names, to flip the script and stop the bleeding.
Being able to get such performances from low-cost additions will pay off big time over the course of the regular season, and it is the Smith-Williamses of the NFL that can make or break a team’s chances in the playoffs.
Three Down
Troy Andersen
It was a rough day for the Andersen hive. The entire defense struggled against the run Monday night, allowing linebackers to get reached easily and struggling to penetrate and disrupt blocking assignments. Still, the young linebackers’s play was the most concerning.
This was the type of game that you would’ve expected to see a lot of Nate Landman; his ability to take on blockers and process his run keys is superior to any of the linebackers on the team. There’s no need to panic just yet. Saquon Barkley breaks everyone’s tackles, and the Eagles will be one of the best rushing attacks this defense sees, so taking lumps against a talented opponent makes the pill easier to swallow.
That was Andersen’s ninth start as a pro, but the young linebacker will need to improve with Landman sidelined for at least three more games. The book isn’t closed on this young career, but the clock is ticking. Andersen must show that this was a learning experience, not a sign of things to come.
Arnold Ebikete
Matthew Judon had Jalen Hurts scrambling often, but no one across from him could take advantage of it, and the player many had hoped would has been a non-factor in the pass rush after two games. Ebikete saw a two-snap uptick but didn’t do much with it. He was credited with one hurry, his only contribution to the game, and it’s the only pressure metric he’s produced this season.
Even with Judon garnering more attention, the self-proclaimed pass-rush doctor couldn’t fill a single prescription for a sack or quarterback hit. The Falcons won’t be able to get away with giving quarterbacks that much time in the pocket every week, but if Ebikete can’t step up, then there’s really no one else the team can turn to. Ebikete has typically been a slow starter, but he’s going to need to turn it on quickly if he doesn’t want to see his snap counts go in the opposite direction.
Falcons 2024 Rookie Class
Through two games, the Falcons rookie that has seen the most action is JD Bertrand, who earned himself a penalty on special teams last night. Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus, and Jase McClellan were inactive for the second week in a row. Casey Washington did get the call but saw no action in the game. The injury to Bralen Trice makes the situation look worse, but it’s pretty frustrating to get almost no return from the 2024 draft class.
While we expect to see Orhorhoro and possibly Dorlus at some point, the likelihood that either will get extensive play time this season is low. Terry Fontenot has been criticized for his drafts from the beginning of his tenure, and this one is unlikely to make an impact anytime soon.