Naming five Falcons is more critical than ever.
Much of the intrigue surrounding the Atlanta Falcons’ upcoming Week 3 battle against the Kansas City Chiefs centers on key matchups that could determine the team’s success or failure.
Naming five Falcons has become even more important than ever with the team in the national spotlight, hosting their first Sunday Night Football game since 2019.
Kyle Pitts
Tight ends have been very productive against the Chiefs through the first two weeks of 2024. Mike Gesicki had 91 yards against them in Week 2 after Isaiah Likely had 111 yards in Week 1. That suggests Kyle Pitts could be in for his biggest week in several seasons.
The fourth-year tight end hasn’t had a 100-yard game since his rookie season. Perhaps that streak ends on Sunday.
Kaleb McGary
The Chiefs defensive line features two formidable foes in defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive end George Karlaftis. Thee Falcons blocker that will likely be facing both the majority of the game will be right tackle Kaleb McGary. Jones lines up all over the place, but according to PFF, he has spent the most time (about 39 percent of his snaps) playing at left defensive end this year, where he’ll face McGary.
Even when the latter gets a reprieve from the five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, he’ll still face Karlaftis, who spends 76 percent of his snaps playing that same left-end spot. Expect the Falcons to continue to use the tight end to chip to help out McGary, which could limit Pitts’ effectiveness if he is their chosen chip option instead of backup tight end Charlie Woerner.
Matthew Judon
The Falcons hope to use Matthew Judon to exploit weaknesses along the Chiefs offensive line too. Rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia has struggled through two games, prompting his benching late last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs have revealed their plan to rotate both Suamataia and his replacement Wanya Morris at left tackle in Week 3.
This makes a prime opportunity for Judon to wreak havoc at the biggest weakness along the Chiefs offensive line, which will be necessary if the Falcons have any intention of slowing down quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Troy Andersen
Falcons third-year linebacker Troy Andersen is under much scrutiny, given Nate Landman’s absence. Andersen is coming off a game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he struggled in run defense, but did have some positive moments in coverage. He’ll have to correct those issues against the run and while continuing to be an asset in coverage, given that the Falcons will face future Hall-of-Fame tight end Travis Kelce this week.
Kelce is off to a slow start thus far in 2024, and it’ll be up to Andersen and others across the Falcons defense to keep it that way.
Justin Simmons
Another player critical in limiting Mahomes and Kelce will be Falcons safety Justin Simmons. Simmons has picked off Mahomes five times, more than any other player in his career, stemming from his days with the Denver Broncos. Simmons has snagged an interception from Mahomes in his last three outings against the Chiefs. The Falcons hope to make that a fourth time, which may be necessary even to have a chance of beating the Chiefs.
Over his career, the Chiefs have won 90 percent of the games in which Mahomes didn’t throw an interception, while they’ve won just 65 percent when he has thrown one. A single Simmons interception won’t guarantee a win for the Falcons, but it makes the Chiefs mortal. Coupled with other players stepping up and making an impact, it could increase the chances that the Falcons come away with their second consecutive win in primetime.
Are there other Falcons you can name that intrigue you in this upcoming matchup?