After the Atlanta Falcons swept the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and extended their lead in the NFC South, Dave Archer of 92.9 The Game spoke to Defensive Player of the Game, Jessie Bates. Bates had a forced fumbled, that he recovered and an interception in the game.
Jessie told Arch that he was surprised that the Bucs took the ball first, when they did, we knew we needed to set the tone early on defense. On his forced fumble, Jessie said “the guys made a good tackle and I focused on punching the ball and then it was out.” He said that he does that in practice all week, so it translated on the field. You can see Nate Landman punching at the ball too.
Arch was surprised that Buccaneers’ quarterback Baker Mayfield tried Jessie on that interception. Jessie walked us through it. It was a flea flicker with the down safety in zone. They jumped the motion and Micheal Hughes was on the post as the WIL, so Jessie knew the ball was coming. He simply tracked it and picked it out of the air. Which is not completely accurate, Jessie picked it right out of the hands of the receiver.
Arch asked Jessie about the run game difference, 62 yards in the first quarter and 40 yards the rest of the game. Jessie said “once we settle in as a defense, we can stop the run and lay a good defense.” He did say they needed to settle in earlier. It also helps when the offense is scoring so the opposing team isn’t running as much.
Key inactives on offense are Julio Jones and AlexMack. Rookie MattHennessey will get his first start today. DarquezeDennard, MarlonDavidson, and DeadrinSenat are key defenders out.
Starting at the 25, Matt Ryan is under pressure and finally finds Todd Gurley for a 25-yard reception along the sideline. The second play is a hand off for 2 yards. Ryan drops back and hits RussellGage behind the line of scrimmage. On 3rd and 10, under pressure, Ryan’s throw is tipped and falls incomplete. Sterling Hofrichter punts to the 13.
From their own 13, Le’Veon Bell goes along the left side for a first down. PatrickMahomes pitches up to TyreekHill who taken out by Isaiah Oliver who crossed the field to knock him out. Bell gets the next call, Grady Jarrett makes the stop for a 3-yard loss. A flag on the next play, Jarrett jumps and pops Mahomes, giving the Chiefs 5 yards. On 2nd and 8, Hill makes a short reception for a 6-yard gain. On 3rd down, Travis Kelce makes the reception and behind a Sammy Watkins’ block moves up for the first down, taking Kendall Sheffield and Keanu Neal with them. Mahomes throws incomplete into the end zone, Hill was still at the 10. Blitz is coming, Mahomes throws incomplete over the hands of his receiver with Foye Oluokun in tight coverage. Still at midfield, the blitz coming again, Mahomes steps up and is tripped up by Deion Jones while releasing the ball, Sheffield knocks the ball down before it can reach Kelce.
Ito Smith Finding Holes and Yards Today-Photo Courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons
From the 13, Ito Smith gets the pitch for an 8-yard run. Smith gets another 13 yards on a run by finding a huge hole created by Luke Stocker and makes a defender miss. Smith goes up the middle for another 4 yards. Smith comes out and Gurley returns. Gage in motion and makes the reception at the first down marker. Ryan finds Hayden Hurst for another first down along the sideline. There is a flag on Calvin Ridley for an illegal shift. First and 15 from the 40, Ryan finds Hurst over the middle, taking a big hit, right at the first down marker. From the Chiefs’ 45, Ryan hands to Smith who pauses a second, then goes for 4 yards. Ridley gets the ball around the left side and loses yards, now a 3rd and 13. Then Kaleb McGary has a false start and backs them up even more. On 3rd and 18, under a 4-man rush, Ryan scrambles, then is sacked. He lost the ball, but got it back.
After the punt, Tyler Hall immediately hits the punt returner and KC will begin on their own 10. Hill makes the reception, then goes for 31 yards, causing AJ Terrell and Oluokun to miss, finally stopped at the 41 by Ricardo Allen. Hill gets the ball again for no gain. Bell gains 3 yards up the middle. Mahomes drops back, misses Kelce and Sheffield almost comes up with the interception. After a punt, the Falcons will begin on their own 4.
With the jumbo formation, Gurley gets the call up the middle for a gain of 6 yards to the 10.
End of Q1 – No score.
From their own 9, it’s 2nd and 5, Ryan finds Keith Smith for a first down along the sideline. A fresh set of downs at the 16, Hill in at tailback, get the ball back to the line of scrimmage. On 2nd down, Ryan throws too long and out of bounds over Ridley. Hill had a great block to give Ryan the time to get the throw away. On 3rd and 10, Ryan is sacked by an unblocked defender. Hofrichter kicks from his end zone. Hill hits the punt returner immediately and the Chiefs begin at the 45.
Mahomes fakes then throws to Darryl Williams for a 5-yard gain. On 2nd down, Mahomes fakes to Williams then throws incomplete to Mecole Hardman, covered by Terrell. On 3rd and 5 at the 50, Mahomes completes to Harman who is rolled up by Jarrett crossing the field and stops the Chiefs 1 yard short. Williams gets the call on the 4th and 1 and goes up the middle for 11 yards, dragging Jones part of the way. Kelce has a false start and is 1st and 15 from the Falcons’ 40, Oluokun chasing Mahomes into an errant throw. On 2nd down, a short pass to Williams goes for 13 yards, stopped by Jones and Sheffield. 3rd and 2, Williams goes up the middle for a yard, Jarrett on the stop to force the 4th down. Mahomes passes back to Watkins, Watkins tries to throw to Mahomes and Neal gets the interception. Neal stayed with Mahomes as soon as he left the line of scrimmage.
From their own 2, Gurley gets the ball and provides some breathing space for the Falcons, out to the 8. Ryan finds Keith Smith at the first down marker, then Smith goes for several more yards out to the 15. On first down, Ryan finds Ito Smith for a 5-yard gain. On 2nd down, Hill gets the call for 3 yards. on 3rd and 2 at the 23, Ran fakes to Gurley, as he is being tackled, Ryan throws the ball up and Gurley catches it and gets the first down. At the 31, Hill goes for 4 yards up the middle.
Calvin Ridley Goes for 54 Yards – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons
In the shotgun, Ryan fakes to Hill, then finds Ridley who goes 54 yards down to the 11. Ridley was cutting and speeding up trying to get into the end zone. A first down at the 11, Ryan gives to Hill for a few yards. Ryan hits Hurst with a shovel pass and he shoves his way through the line for a touchdown.
With 3:55 to go in the half, the Falcons lead 7/0.
Mahomes begins at the 22 with a pass to Bell who gains 8 yards. Watkins makes the first down reception. From the 40, Mahomes finds Watkins who is immediately stopped by Oliver at the 44. Kelce makes the reception for another first down. Under a 4-man rush, Mahomes escapes John Cominsky around the sideline and gains 14 yards and a first down. From the Falcons’ 31, Mahomes throws behind Hardman. Mahomes has to scramble again, up the middle for a 9-yard gain. The coverage downfield was tight and a 3-man rush flushed Mahomes out of the pocket for his run. Jones was able to finally bring him down. On 3rd and 1, Mahomes finds Kelce right at the first down line and his dropped by Jones and Neal. Jarrett nearly tipped the pass at the line. The Chiefs take a time out. Mahomes under pressure by Jacob Tuioti-Mariner throws the ball away. Mahomes then finds Williams for a 9-yard gain, shoved out short of the first down by Neal. Williams easily gets the first down up the middle, but the entire Falcons’ defense converges to stop the touchdown at the 4. Oluokun was the first man in to slow Williams up. Mahomes pass to Kelce is just inside the endzone for a touchdown.
With 30 seconds remaining in the half, the game is tied at 7.
The Chiefs begin the second half at their own 25. Bell gains 3 yards up the middle. A penalty on Oluokun for a neutral zone infraction gives the Chiefs a 2nd and 2. From the 33, Mahomes hands to Bell again for a first down. From the 39, Mahomes scrambles, no one open, pressure coming and Mahomes throws out of bounds. Terrell, Oliver, and Jones had tight coverage on the receivers and tight end. On 2nd down, Mahomes finds Hardman for a first down, shoved out by Sheffield, a quick timing route with lose coverage. Deion Yelder makes the reception for another first down. From the Falcons 38, Mahomes to Hardman on the jet sweep for a 20-yard gain. Bell takes the offense and defense up the middle for 10 yards. Bell literally refused to go down, kept his legs moving and spinning with almost 20 people in a moving pile. Mahomes throws out of bounds over Kelce. On 2nd down from the 7, Mahomes is pressured back 10 yards, has to throw across the field toward Bell, but the ball falls incomplete. On 3rd and goal, Mahomes throws directly to Oluokun at the goal line. Oluokun returns the ball 52 yards, finally having the ball knocked out by Hill, but goes out of bounds.
Foye Oluokun Returning his Interception – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons begin on the 45, Ryan is sacked on first down. On 2nd and 19, under pressure, Ryan is sacked again. On 3rd and 22, Ryan gets to Hurst for a short gain and punt.
Mahomes finds Hill for a quick first down. From the 34, 4-man rush, Mahomes out of the pocket and throws an incompletion. On 2nd down, blitz coming, Mahomes trying to escape Jarrett, throws the ball incomplete. Downfield coverage is tight again, Mahomes is flushed deep in the pocked with Tuoiti-Mariner and Jarrett coming again, forcing another incompletion and punt.
The Falcons begin on their own 8 with an Ito Smith run of 5 yards. A 4-yard pass to Smith. On 3rd and 1, Gurley gets the call and the first down and a couple more, behind the lead block of Keith Smith. Ito Smith is back in for a short gain. After a snap infraction by the center, the Falcons have a 2nd and 12 at the 17, Smith gains no yards. Now, a 3rd and 11, Ryan drops back and throws toward Hurst who is already tackled and on the ground. A first down fake, then successful pass to Hurst for 3 yards. Smith up the left side for 3 yards, with another flag on Hennessy for holding. On 2nd and 17 from the 22, Ryan is pressured and throws the ball into the ground. Chris Lindstrom gives up the near sack. On 3rd and 17, under pressure, Ryan throws another short errant pass that Gurley hauls in for a loss and another forced punt.
From their own 37, Williams goes for 4 yards. On 2nd down, Mahomes is under pressure from Cominsky and throws incomplete. Before the snap of the ball on 3rd down, false start on the offense and it is 3rd and 6. A 3-man rush, flag on the play, Mahomes cannot find anyone open, goes toward the sideline, then finds Kelce coming back for a big first down to the Falcons’ 38, 25-yard reception. Williams goes up the middle for 3 yards.
End of Q3, tied at 7.
From the 35, Mahomes drops back and is nearly intercepted by Tuoiti-Mariner in front of Watkins. On 3rd and 7, Mahomes drops back, up to Williams who is stopped behind the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs kick a 53-yard field goal and take the lead.
14:08 to go in the game, Chiefs 10/Falcons 7.
From their own 25, the Falcons begin with a pass to Ridley for 15 yards. Hurst is open in the middle of the field for a 17-yard gain. Hill goes up the middle for 2 yards. From the Chiefs’ 41, Ryan throws to Laquon Treadwell for 6 yards. Gurley is on the field, Ryan rolls out, finds an open Stocker for 9 yards and the first down. Stocker escaped coverage and came back to Ryan. Ryan throws to Hill for 6 yards. Ryan finds Powell near the first down marker, but the ball is knocked out and called a fumble, Kansas City recovered.
Williams goes 11 yards for a first down. Oluokun is injured on the play, Mykal Walker comes in to replace him. Williams with another short run as Kelce limps off the field. Another quick pass for a 4-yard gain, stopped by Sheffield. Kelce returns to the field. On 3rd and 4, Mahomes pitches to Williams and Neal – from the middle of the field, comes to the sideline to ensure Williams does not gain the first down. A punt to the 25.
Ito Smith reverses course and gains 9 yards, but is negated by the third penalty on Hennessy. 1st and 20, Ryan fakes to Smith and finds a wide-open Ridley for 31 yards. Hill goes up the right side behind Matt Gono for 17 yards, then 4 yards and 2 yards. From the Chiefs’ 31 on a 3rd and 4, Ryan finds Gage for another first down. From the 22, Ryan sees Hill wide open, he gains the first down and is shoved out of bounds at the 5. First and goal, throws out of bounds over Ridley in the end zone. On 2nd and goal, Ryan changes the play at the line and finds Treadwell in the front of the endzone for a touchdown.
With 4:33 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 14/10.
Mahomes rolls out and throws the ball out of bounds. On 2nd down, Mahomes rolls out under pressure again, Hardman cannot hold onto the ball. On 3rd down, Mahomes finds Kelce wide open in the middle of the field who goes for a 36-yard gain, but is backed up by a Hill block in the back on Oliver. A 10-yard penalty from the spot of the foul, giving Kelce extra yards. Steven Means nearly blocked the pass at the line. From the 45, Williams goes for 3 yards. On 2nd down, Mahomes finds Kelce again for a 16-yard gain with Sheffield in coverage. Mahomes quick to Hardman, a yard short of the marker. On 2nd and 1, Mahomes hands to Williams who easily gets the first down. With 2:40 to pay, from the Falcons’ 25, Mahomes flings the ball into the end zone….to AJ Terrell, but he loses the ball as he hits the ground. The Falcons challenge the call that he dropped the ball. The ruling stands, incomplete pass and Falcons lose a time out. Mahomes throws a touchdown to Demarcus Robinson over Sheffield.
2 minute warning. Chiefs 17/Falcons 14
Ryan rolls away from pressure, finds Hurst, but ruled incomplete and a penalty in the secondary. Prior to the pass, holding on the defense, 5 yards and a first down. From the 30, 1st and 10 with 1:49 to go in the game, Ryan drops back, finds Gage who literally leaps over a defender to get past the first down marker. From the 42, Ryan finds Ridley at the 42 along the sideline. First and 10 from the Chiefs’ 42, Ryan finds Ridley for 9 yards. On 2nd and 1, Ryan goes to the end zone, Ridley was 5+ yards out. On 3rd and 1, jumbo formation, Gurley gets 2 yards for the first down. From the 26, Ryan throws to Ridley, but out of bounds outside the endzone, but there is a penalty on the defense for 12 men on the field and offsides. First and 5 from the 21 with 27 seconds to go. Blitz coming, Ryan throws incomplete toward Gage. With 23 seconds to go, Hurst in motion, Ryan is sacked and ball is fumbled and recovered by Kansas City. The referees rule it is an incompletion that bounced off a defender and bounced back to look like a fumble. On 3rd and 5 with 19 seconds, Ryan back peddles and releases an almost interception that Ridley knocks out of the defender’s hands.
Younghoe Koo comes out to attempt the field goal and misses.
Inactives of note this week are Takk McKinley, still with the groin injury. Marlon Davidson and Jordan Miller and late scratch Ito Smith, which I can only assume is because LB EdmondRobinson was flexed to the active roster. For the Carolina Panthers, ChristianMcCaffrey will not play.
It is a balmy night in Charlotte, NC, where remnants of the tropical storm Zeta went through earlier in the day. At game time, it started to drizzle.
The Falcons will receive the ball to start. From the 25, MattRyan drops back to throw to JulioJones at the 49. Play action again, Ryan finds Jones again for another 27 yards along the sideline. Jones comes off the field, HaydenHurst is in motion. A fake to ToddGurley and a pass to Hurst at the 12. Gurley gets the ball for a single yard game around the left end. In the shotgun, Ryan passes to Calvin Ridley who makes a move away from the defenders for a 7-yard gain. On 3rd and 2, Gurley gets the call up the middle for inches short of the first down. With 11 minutes to go in the first quarter, the Falcons take a time out. The offense leaves the field and YounghoeKoo kicks a 20-yard field goal.
With 11:14 to go in the first quarter, Falcons lead 3/0.
The Panthers begin on their own 25. TeddyBridgewater throws toward DJ Moore who cannot haul it in as Kendall Sheffield and KeanuNeal combine to knock the ball out. Sheffield is hurt on the play, as Neal hit him in the side/back. On 2nd and 10, Bridgewater fires to Robby Anderson for 5 yards. Neal was closing on Bridgewater as he released the ball. Hit as he throws (by Grady Jarrett), the pass falls incomplete as Isaiah Oliver is called for PI, giving the Panthers the yards and a first down. Chased out of bounds by Dante Fowler, then tapped on the sideline by Deion Jones, Bridgewater is given another free first down. Across the 50, Mike Davis gets the ball for a 7-yard run. A quick pass to Davis gains the first down and more. He escapes Neal and is finally stopped by Jarrett. From the 29, Davis escapes all tackles, spins and switches field, lowers his shoulder and gains another first down, finally brought down by 3 Falcons. Curtis Samuel takes the next handoff in for an easy touchdown.
With 8:14 to go in the first quarter, the Panthers lead 7/3.
From the 25, Ryan hands off to Gurley who gains 4 yards. On 2nd down, Ryan finds Jones for another 13 yards. From the 42, Ryan hands to Gurley who goes 3 yards along the left side. Ryan changes the play, takes the snap and finds an open Jones in the middle near the 35-yard line for a 20-yard gain. Gurley and Hurst blocking well along the right side to give Ryan time to find Jones. Gurley is stopped at the line of scrimmage. Ryan drops back, flings the ball toward Hurst as the blitz is closing. On 3rd and 10, Ryan takes another time out. Then, the Panthers take a time out. Back on 3rd and 10, Kaleb McGary jumps and moves the Falcons back to the 41. On the 3rd and 15, Ryan finds Ridley in double to triple coverage for the first down and an extra yard. Brian Hill gets the call and goes 12 yards along the right side for a quick first down. At the 13, Ryan throws in the end zone for Jones, who cannot make the reception. No PI was called for the defender tugging and tapping Jones. Ryan throws for Jones in the corner of the end zone with two defenders in his face. On 3rd and 10, jones is off the field, Ryan is sacked. Koo comes on for another field goal.
With 3:00 to go in the first quarter, the Panthers lead 7/6.
During the kick return Keith Smith late hits the returner, so the Panthers will begin at their own 37. Bridgewater drops back and finds Anderson near the sideline, he escapes AJ Terrell’s tackle. Before the pass was thrown, there was a defensive hold, but it was declined. Jarrett gets hands on Davis’ ankles and slows him enough for the rest of the defense to get him down behind the lin. On 2nd and 14, Jarrett and Terrell converge to stop Davis at the original line of scrimmage. On 3rd and 9, Bridgewater is sacked by Oliver and Foye Oluokun for a loss of 12 yards. Oluokun came straight up the middle, while Oliver was along the left side. The quarter ends before the punt.
End of Q1: Panther 7 Falcons 6
The Falcons punt to Brandon Powell who fair catches at the 17. Ryan drops back and is picked off by Dante Jackson who is covering Ridley.
The Panthers begin on the Falcons 40. Davis is brought down by Oluokun after a 6-yard gain. ON 2nd and 4, Davis gets the ball again, along the right side this time, still stopped by Oluokun for a 2-yard gain. Bridgewater changes the play, takes the snap, passes to Samuel along the sideline, gains the first down and is knocked out by Neal. Bridgewater and Davis with the flea flicker, finds an open Samuel in the end zone. The Falcons were in zone coverage and Ricardo Allen could not catch up and knock the ball down, although he got a finger on the ball.
With 12:40 to go until half, Panthers 14/Falcons 6.
Hayden Hurst Making a Big Reception – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Mark Brown
Again at their own 25, Hill goes along the right side for 8 yards. On 2nd and 2, Ryan gives to Hill again who goes up the middle for a 4-yard gain and first down. From the 37, Ryan finds Hurst who has to pick the ball off the ground. Before Ryan can snap the ball, the Panthers challenge the play. The play was kept. Hurst credited with the 18-yard pick up. Hill drops the next short pass. On 2nd and 10, Hurst makes the standing reception of 8 yards where he is rocked by Shaq Thompson. Quadree Ollison in at running back. Ollison pushes through for the first down. Hill gains a yard on the next play. Ridley gains 19 yards on the next pass. Nine yards on the catch, 10 yards on the YAC. His ankles were twisted up by the defender and Ridley is down on the field. From the 14, Hill gets the call, Gurley is on the sideline still. On 2nd and 9, Ryan scrambles and eventually goes into the edge of the end zone himself.
With 8:02 to go in the half, the Panthers lead is cut, Carolina 14/Atlanta 13.
Bridgewater finds Ian Thomas for a 21-yard gain, but paid for it as Jones was unblocked and leveled Bridgewater. The Panthers are on their own 46 and Samuel goes between the tackles for 9 yards and is stopped by Steven Means. Across midfield, Davis gains the first down, stopped by Neal. Bridgewater calls their final timeout of the half. Bridgewater scrambles way to his right and finally finds Anderson for a 4-yard gain. Davis pushes through the right side of the line for 3 yards. Samuel gets the handoff, Jarett gets through the double team and gets hands on Samuel to stop him on 3rd down. The Panthers go for it on 4th down. Bridgewater keeps the ball, tries to go around the edge, tries to stiff arm Oluokun, but he is stopped and shove out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.
Falcons take over at their own 35. Ryan finds Russell Gage for the first time. Gage takes it from behind the line of scrimmage for 19 yards and a first down. Gurley is back on the field at running back. Across midfield, Ryan finds ChristianBlake for 7 yards on the sideline. Hill is back in and gets the ball, makes a nice cut and is down at the 30, behind the blocking of McGary. From the 30, Ryan hands to Hill, but his stopped behind the line.
Two Minute Warning.
Gurley is back on the sideline, Jones is on the field. From the 30, Ryan finds Blake for 6 yards. Ryan scrambles and runs for a few yards, short of the first, but a flag is on the play, on defense. From the 16, Ryan throws to double covered Jones in the end zone, 42 Franklin knocks the ball up and out of Jones’ hands before his hands can close. On 2nd and 10, Ryan is sacked. On 3rd and 16, Ryan is nearly sacked, runs up 4 yards. Brian Burns easily spins off of Jake Matthews and nearly gets the sack. Koo makes another field goal.
At Halftime, Panthers 14/Falcons 16.
After the second half kickoff, the Panthers begin on their own 25. Bridgewater is under pressure and finally runs up for 8 yards. He finds Thomas for the first down, Neal stops him at the marker. Bridgewater is under pressure again, and outruns the Tyeler Davison and Fowler for 14 yards. At midfield, Davis gets the call, makes a couple of spin moves before Jarrett picks him up and lays him down. On 2nd and 5, Bridgewater passes to Davis, Neal hits him so hard, the ball flies out, #92 grabbed it, then there was a pile of players from both sides. The play goes under review. The Booth determined there was no catch. Oluokun had penetration to force a bad throw and nearly ended up with the fumble recovery. It is 3rd and 5 at the 46. Bridgewater hits Anderson, short of the first down where Terrell ensures he gains no yards after the catch. On 4th and 2, the Panthers come on to punt, then change their minds and the offense returns to the field. Davis gets the call and Oluokon and Jarrett stop him behind the line.
Falcons begin on their own 43. Gurley is brought down way in the backfield by Tre Boston, for a loss of 4 yards. Ryan starts to run again, then sees Jones 23 yards down the field. From the Panthers 38, Ryan fakes the handoff and passes to Smith, who cannot hold onto the ball, at the line of scrimmage. On 2nd and 10, Ryan hands to Gurley this time and he makes a move and crosses the first down marker. From the 27, Ryan hands to Gurley gain for 2 yards and another 2 yards. ON 3rd and 6, Ryan sees the blitz and rushes to his right and he throws an incompletion. There was a hold by the defense for the defender holding and yanking the jersey of Blake downfield. The Falcons have a 1st down on the 18. Hurst cannot haul in the pass. Gurley goes up the middle for a single yard. Ryan changes the play, takes the snap, and flips it to Gage crossing in the middle of the field, short of the first down marker. Koo makes the 30-yard attempt.
With 6:26 to go in the 3rd quarter, Falcons lead 19/14.
The Panthers begin on their 31. Bridgewater sees the blitz coming, Jones closing and forcing an errant pass. Bridgewater finds Chris Manhertz and is stopped by Sheffield. Bridgewater goes long for Samuel, but overthrows him. Terrell in tight coverage. On 4th down, the Panthers are charged with a delay of game and punt on 4th and 9. It is a fake, a direct snap to Jeremy Chinn, who gains 28 yards. Davis cuts back for 3 yards. On 2nd down, the pass is tipped at the line by Charles Harris. On 3rd and 7 from the 37, Bridgewater is tripped by Fowler. He falls and is hit by two more Falcons. Bridgewater is down on the field. Harris is ejected for his late hit on Bridgewater once he was on the ground. From the 24, PJ Walker goes to the end zone to Anderson, Terrell in perfect coverage ensuring the ball cannot be caught. After the snap and hand off and reverse, Anderson gets back to the line of scrimmage with Oliver on the stop. On 3rd and 7, the pass is high and incomplete. Joey Slye kicks the 39-yard field.
With 2:59 to play in the 3rd, the Falcons lead is cut to 19/17.
From the 25, Ryan hands to Gurley who is tackled from behind by Chinn. Gurley immediately leaves the field. On 2nd and 7, Ryan finds Hill just past the line of scrimmage. Ryan scrambles and runs again and gets 10 yards and a first down. From the 38, Hill finds a huge hole and gains 15 yards. Across midfield, the Falcons cause a neutral zone infraction and get a free 5 yards.
End of Q3: Falcons 19/Panthers 17.
Gurley finds 4 ½ yards. Play action and Ryan finds Hurst for 12 yards. Gurley leaps over one defender, then forced out by another after a single yard gain. Ryan finds Jones who is at the first down marker. Gurley hesitates, then gains 7 yards. Gurley jams and spins behind an Alex Mack and Smith block and gest down to the 5-yard line. On the next play, Gurley goes behind a James Carpenter and Smith block for the touchdown. Koo misses the extra point.
With 11:01 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 25/17. An 8-point game.
Bridgewater stays on the sidelines. Davis gets the handoff and goes for 8 yards, stopped finally by Jones. Walker hands to Davis again for a 12-yard first down, stopped by Terrell. An incomplete pass gives Bridgewater enough time to recover. On 2nd and 10, he finds Anderson for a 5-yard gain where Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Oliver combine for a stop. On 3rd and 5, Bridgewater throws to Samuel behind the line of scrimmage where Wreh-Wilson is immediately for the stop. The Panthers punt this time with the ball going out of bounds at the 5.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson Making a Big Stop on Curtis Samuel Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons
Ryan hands to Hill who gains 2 yards. Ryan drops back and passes behind Hill who forces his way past the first down marker. From the 16, Hill runs into a wall, rolls off the pile and gains one yard. A flag for defensive holding moves the Falcons up 5 yards and provides a first down. From the 22, Hill gets the ball again, 3 yards along the left side. The Falcons call a timeout from the sideline. On 2nd and 7 from the 25, with Hurst in motion, Ryan finds him at the 30 for a 5-yard gain. Ryan is sacked by Burns. A defender was holding Hurst and another first down. Ryan finds Jones again for 20 yards, down at the Panthers 45. Gurley is smashed behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 4 yards, behind a missed McGary block. Ryan quick throws at the line to Gage, the ball pop ups, but no one catches it and it falls incomplete. Gurley returns to the field. On 3rd and 14, Ryan tosses to Gurley who goes 5 yards before running out of bounds. Sterling Hoffrichter punts to the 5.
With 2:58 to go in the game, the Panthers are down by 8 and have 95 yards to go. DJ Moore gets the reception for a 13-yard gain and goes out of bounds to stop the clock. Bridgewater passes to Anderson for minimal gain, but there is a flag on the play. Fowler jumped offsides, moving the ball up 5 yards. On 1st and 5 from the 23, Bridgewater sees the blitz and starts to run, Jones stops him after 3 yards. Oluokun had good pressure forcing Bridgewater out of the pocket. On 2nd and 2, Bridgewater finds Thomas just past the marker and is stopped by Terrell.
Two Minute Warning
The Panthers have the ball at their own 32. The safeties are playing tight to the line of scrimmage, a blitz from Jones and Jarrett and Bridgewater throws towards a receiver. Bridgewater is sacked by Jones for a loss of 7. Jarrett was right behind him. The Panthers take their first time out. On 3rd and 17, Bridgewater is hit as he throws and finds Moore for a 42-yard gain. The next pass is underthrown. From the Falcons 34 Bridgewater is scrambling and has to run out of bounds after a gain of 4. On 3rd and 6, Bridgewater gets a delay of game call. But they claim the Panthers’ sideline called a time out first. Bridgewater drops back, throws a bomb to BLIDI WREH-WILSON. Wreh-Wilson leaped high in the air to make the grab and seal the game.
The offense takes the field to kneel down twice. In 2020, we didn’t even know that was still a thing.
There is nothing more Atlanta than
the way the Sunday Night Football game went down against
Philadelphia.
With 2:10 left, and down by 3, the
Falcons are near midfield with a 4th and 3. Quarterback MattRyan falls back and throws to Julio Jones for the 54-yard game
winning touchdown.
Naturally, the Eagles have too much
time left on the clock, drive back down, until 2nd year
Cornerback Isaiah Oliver makes the tackle of the game, keeping Zach
Ertz from gaining the needed yardage on fourth down. After a review,
it is confirmed that Ertz did not gain the yards needed and Mercedes Benz
Stadium was the second loudest it has ever been….the first loudest was
moments early during the Julio 54-yard run.
There was a yard that each fan saw
Julio reach when that fan knew he could not be stopped. For MohammadSanu, it was as soon as he had his guy out of the way and saw JakeMatthews flatten another defender. As we all know, no one can
catch Julio if they are not already next to Julio. Possibly the fastest
to him was actually CalvinRidley who joined him from across the
field to celebrate in the tunnel that Julio had run into. When you are
going 20.7 MPH, it is hard to stop, even in the end zone.
With this touchdown, Ryan threw the
300th touchdown of his career, while Julio became the all-time
leading receiver, surpassing his big brother, mentor, and friend, RoddyWhite.
Julio finished the day with 10,868 receiving yards, with Roddy wrapping his
career in 2015 with a total of 10,863. Of course, Julio had no clue, but
when asked after the game, Julio said he was “Honored to be mixing it up with
him.”
Calvin Ridley Making the Catch with Defenders Closing
Julio was also asked about being
double covered so often, and he replied that he was just “Trying to play each
play at a time, because that means Sanu, CalvinRidley, Justin
Hardy are out there 1 on 1.” Note that Julio was being double covered
when Calvin Ridley hauled in his touchdown.
While the end of the game was action
packed and exciting, the real story, to me, was the redemption of
the team as a whole and many individual players. After the ugly Minnesota
loss, fans and experts alike were picking apart numerous players for looking
unprepared and definitely not playing up to their potential. Almost every
one of those players not only played better, but really stepped up and had
significant contributions against a tough Philadelphia team. Most, redeemed themselves.
TakkMcKinley was in the right spot all night, had 2 tackles, both for loss, 2 quarterback hits, lots of pressure and energy. VicBeasley was in the backfield all day with near sacks, 3 quarterback hits and an actual sack. De’VondreCampbell had 8 tackles and great movement all game. DesmondTrufant was finally back looking like the Tru of old, hauling in 2 interceptions, one returned for 10 yards and 3 passes defended, 1 of his 2 pass break ups forced an early punt for the Eagles. Trufant credited the corner’s successful day with the defensive line play.
Takk & Grady Converge on Wentz
Overall, the defense had 10
quarterback hits, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions. The defense
did not allow anyone outside this week.
They may have allowed receptions, but all receivers knew they were
stopped immediately with this physical Falcon D. Note that many Eagles did not practice yet
this week due to bumps and bruises. The
D had big stops on 3rd and goal and a 4th and goal,
included a monster hit by RicardoAllen on Nelson Agholorin
the end zone to dislodge the touchdown pass.
Naturally, Rico read that one all the way and told Kendall Sheffield
to push the WR to him because he had jumped the seem earlier and knew CarsonWentz would try to take advantage.
Keanu Neal led the team in tackles with 9, followed by Campbell,
then Damontae Kazee that really stepped up this week, tallying 8
tackles, but was much more affective this week, mostly because of the catch up
the Falcons played last week.
In the first quarter, Grady
Jarrett’s sack forced the Eagles’ first field goal vs. allowing the Eagles
to continue to drive for a possible touchdown.
Grady played even better than game 1 and had a special salute to his Mom,
that was in attendance, just days after surgery. She wasn’t going to miss a Grady game. Grady finished with 5 tackles, 1 for loss,
and 2 quarterback hits.
The offensive line only allowed 1
sack and 6 quarterback hits while Ryan dropped back 34 times. And the
bulldozer leveling that Matthews did to open the lane for Julio proved he was
redeemed for his opening play sack from the previous week. JamonBrown
had a solid day at right guard, in for the injured rookie ChrisLindstrom.
On the negative offensive side, Ryan
had another 3 interceptions. A bad pass to Sanu, who was triple covered,
another bad decision into the end zone – which stopped a touchdown, and when
Julio was in cover zero, but the pass was still picked off. All bad
throws/decisions on Ryan’s part. Julio did have a WWE like tackle on the Ronald
Darby INT, so, there is that.
Also not redeeming or even helping
the justification for being on the team vs. other TE’s that were traded….Luke
Stocker tried to leap over a defender (ala Austin Hooper) which led
to no more yards gained, but a fumble. Naturally, Sanu was right there
and saw the ball come out and instantly jumped on it, saving what could have
been a disastrous turnover in the Falcons’ territory.
In the toughness category, rookie
starter KalebMcGary went out with a knee issue, was actually helped
off the field. Ryan was shoved into him/rolled up on his leg and Ryan
commented later, “I feel bad, I thought I hurt him.” Meanwhile, TySambrailo came in and was a solid back up for McGary. After
being evaluated, McGary told coaches that he was going back in, his team was
depending on him and he was ok and needed to be out there with his
brothers.
Freeman Preparing to Block then Receive the Shovel Pass
While the numbers are not overly
impressive for the running game this week, it was actually a successful week on
the ground, gaining necessary yards at crucial times. DevontaFreeman
had 11 runs for 22 yards, one being a long 9-yarder, and several for loss when
the O Line wasn’t so good. ItoSmith had 4 carries for 32
yards, one was a 28-yard break out that was nearly a touchdown. Often
overlooked, Free had 3 receptions (which often look like runs – shovel passes)
for 42 yards, a 28 of his own that was nearly a touchdown, and Ito caught 2
passes for 13 yards. The Eagles using Cover Zero most of the day,
while appreciated, didn’t make much since, playing Ju, Calvin, or Sanu 1:1 is
never a good plan; leading to Julio’s 2 touchdowns and Calvin’s 1 on the day.
Julio had 5 receptions for 106 yards
and 2 touchdowns, while 2nd year receiver Ridley had 8
receptions for 105 yards. Sanu had 4 receptions for 16 yards, and tight
end Austin Hooper finished with 4 catches for 34 yards, another big 14 yarder
on the day. Stocker was targeted once, caught, then fumbled that one.
Last week, the fourth play of the
game was a blocked punt and the Falcons had 2 failed 2-point conversions.
While the return game was all but non-existent, we did finally got to see MattBryant’s leg, possibly more than we had hoped. MattBosher
pulled a hamstring in warm ups and did punt twice, but did not perform any of
the kick offs in the game. Bryant kicked a successful 50-yarder to give
the Falcons the early lead, but then also handled all of the kickoff duties in
the game. Kicks were good, not touchbacks, but several times, the Special
Teams over pursued and the returner gained more yards than preferred, but
nothing crippling.
On the second half kickoff, rookie Sheffield
forced a fumble that was recovered by SharrodNeasman providing
the Falcons with excellent field position at the Philly 33. Three plays
later, Ryan threw a 4-yard pass to Julio for the touchdown. A definite improvement
from the first week.
In 2 games, the Falcons have
committed 19 penalties, 10 this week. A
couple were questionable, so I will give them 8….either way, still needs to be
cleaned up as several were costly on yardage at the wrong time.
After seeing the play on the field this
Sunday night, not just the fact that the Falcons won, but how they won against
a really good Philadelphia team, I feel better about the season, but hope we do
not start to play to our opponent. We have
seen some insufferable games against some mediocre AFC opponents in recent years.
Injury Report:
Kaleb
McGary – knee issue is being nursed, but
not a deep concern.
Matt
Bosher – groin is being monitored, another
punter has been signed to practice squad to watch throughout the week.
Kenjon Barner – ankle issue is being monitored and did not practice
Wednesday.
Matt Gono – back issue is improving and was limited.
Keanu Neal – groin issue, also limited.
Golden Talon:
Most people would say Trufant with his 2 interceptions, but I would have to say De’Vondre Campbell for his relentlessness, pursuing, 8 tackles and overall awareness of the day. Also, Mohamed Sanu for his receptions, tackle after an interception, and constant blocking for his teammates. Sanu is a leader on the team in so many unsung ways.
Safety Jessie Bates on 10.27.24
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