Kyle Pitts gets going and two defenders excel...while others do not.
The Atlanta Falcons moved to 4-0 in the NFC South and 5-3 overall. The Falcons didn’t slam the door shut on Tampa Bay the way fans would’ve hoped in the final quarter, but they did what it took to win, especially on offense.
Even with an overall disappointing defensive performance, two players still headline the up list, but two also headline the down list. Here’s this week’s 3 up and 3 down.
Three Up
Kyle Pitts
The 24-year-old has been heating up all month, and he broke out on National Tight Ends Day for two touchdowns and 91 yards. Pitts’s loudest critics will focus on the fumble that didn’t count, but they won’t mention how explosive he looked on that play as he split the defense and broke two tackles. They won’t mention how he fought through a penalty on his first touchdown catch and didn’t give up on his route, which Cousins rewarded him for, as the quarterback promised he would. They’ll continue to focus on his few mistakes, because evidently he’s the only Falcons player guilty of such horrid crimes.
The reality for weeks now is the good has far outweighed the bad. Pitts is on the most productive run of his career since laying an egg five weeks ago. Per PFF, among all tight ends, Pitts is fourth in yards (409) and third in yards after the catch (201). Earlier this season, I wrote how it would take time for Pitts to adjust to his new role in the offense and how Zac Robinson needed to adjust the vertical route calls for him. Since then, we’ve seen his growth and potential in this offense. Post-game, Pitts took full ownership of his goalline blunder, admitting he shouldn’t have left it in the hands of the refs. Pitts is growing up before our eyes, and it’s time for his critics to do the same.
AJ Terrell
What a bounce-back game for the Falcons top-paid corner. Terrell snagged his second interception of the season, and this one wasn’t an Andy Dalton gift; Terrell makes this play happen. The corner now has his first multi-interception season since his 2021 All-Pro season.
Terrell has been heavily criticized this season after inking the third most expensive per-year corner contract. Some of it has been unfair, and some justified, but he didn’t leave anything up to interpretation this Sunday. Yes, the Buccaneers were without their top pass catchers, but Terrell still found a way to make an impact, and that’s what the best corners in the game do.
Jessie Bates III
Build the statue. Jessie Bates is the best Falcons defender of the past decade, and he’s building an argument for being their best defender of the 2000s. If his defensive coordinator got out of his way, he would be firmly involved in Defensive Player of the Year conversations.
Bates bailed out Jimmy Lake multiple times yesterday, making ridiculous play after ridiculous play. The third of his name caused two turnovers and slammed the door on the Buccaneers offense in the second half. Even with no Justin Simmions by his side and Richie Grant playing exactly how you’d expect after not seeing action as a backend safety all year, Bates didn’t allow his environment to impact his performance.
Since his arrival, the team captain has secured wins for the Falcons and minimized the mistakes of this defense. Hopefully, Atlanta can reward him with a playoff appearance in his second year here so that he can finally receive the national respect and coverage he deserves.
Three Down
Richie Grant
The first second-round pick of Fontenot’s career has been a disastrous experiment. Grant looked like a polar bear in Arlington, Texas, Sunday afternoon. I have been asking for more Grant snaps, but not like this. In the box for heavy nickel looks? Sure, but on the backend as a true safety? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, the Falcons had no other options due to the injuries of Justin Simmons and DeMarcco Hellams.
It’s hard to imagine Grant returning to this team next year. The former UCF Knight has been a bust, and the Falcons need to cut their losses when the time comes. Luckily, Atlanta took measures to keep Grant off the field this year, and it sounds like Simmons’s injury shouldn’t keep him out for too long. Hopefully, that’s the case cause this defense can’t afford to have Grant out there for much longer.
Matthew Judon
At this point, the red sleeves are purely a fashion statement because there’s no blood spilled from Judon’s play. The edge defender has seemingly regressed every week and only looks interested half the time. Unless the former Patriot can go on a run in the second half of the season, this trade will be viewed as a bust.
There’s no sugarcoating it; he’s just been bad. Others at the position play the run better than him, and he hasn’t been a top pass rusher in weeks. Judon has had three pressures in his last three games and hasn’t had a sack since Week 2, yet he still leads the team in sacks. That’s the state of the Falcons pass rush in a nutshell for you.
Tyler Allgeier
An unfamiliar name in this territory, Allgeier had one of the worst games of his Falcons career. The running back averaged 2.8 yards on 12 attempts and had a costly fumble/handoff miscue with his back to his endzone. That fumble, which did count, resulted in a safety that breathed life into the Buccaneers. After receiving the kickoff from this blunder, Tampa Bay drove the ball down the field to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter.
Everyone has a bad day at the office, and it’s good that Allgeier’s performance didn’t come back to haunt him. The running back has earned himself a mulligan, and I’m confident it’ll be a while till we see him have a performance like this again.
The Falcons are back on track and have firm control of the division with a 4-0 record. Atlanta is tied with the Detroit Lions with a 5-1 record in the NFC overall, and the team is currently third in conference rankings. As you’ve heard all season, the team still needs to play a complete game, but they know how to win games, and that’s what’s most important as they continue to improve and look to get better.
