A definitive road win must always be cherished during the first month of the season, considering how teams are integrating new players into their lineup and implementing schematic changes. No matter how significant the talent discrepancy looks on paper, games can be surprisingly competitive. The Falcons were underdogs going into Minnesota, as they were facing a 14-win team from the previous season led by two exceptional coaches on both sides of the ball.
Raheem Morris’ group wasn’t fazed by the raucous
crowd forcing them into committing pre-snap penalties and taking timeouts. They made the necessary adjustments to soundly outplay one of the most well-rounded teams in the league in a hostile environment.
This is a massive win for a team that must start beating opponents in the upper echelon. The Falcons fell short too often against playoff teams last season. Tre’Shon Diaz, Dave Choate, and Aaron Freeman join me to analyze the biggest standouts and talking points after two games. If this is your first time reading a roundtable, the previous edition was published in August.
Does Kyle Pitts’ strong start to the season instill confidence that he will be a genuine difference-maker this season?
Tre’Shon Diaz: I have been a Pitts believer through the ups and downs, and it feels like he’s finally taken that step as a professional many have been waiting for. The energy is different; it’s hard to explain, but it’s an eye test more than anything. Pitts is moving with all the confidence in the world. His golfing buddy (Michael Penix Jr.) trusts that he’s going to do his job; Pitts’ team leading 11 receptions (tied with Drake London) is proof of that.
There haven’t been gaudy splash plays, but that goes for everyone outside of Bijan, and that’s not what Pitts needed to work on coming into 2025. His effort as a blocker is consistent; he isn’t making mental mistakes or quitting on plays, it’s the most locked in he’s appeared since Matt Ryan was his quarterback. His current approach to the game is why he will be a difference-maker this season.
Dave Choate: Yes and no. The upper limit of what Kyle Pitts can offer this offense, with so many mouths to feed, is probably a couple of 100-yard games, steady production in between, and improved blocking, which is plenty valuable. Do I think he can absolutely annihilate a couple of teams that aren’t equipped to deal with him? Absolutely. Will he overtake London, Darnell Mooney, and Bijan Robinson in terms of volume and consistency of impact? No, and that does cap his upside a bit. I don’t think he’s going to necessarily be a 1,000 yard guy this year.
But forget a nice round number: I have felt more confident in Pitts this season already. His catch rate is up, he’s looking savvier on his routes thus far, the blocking looks more refined and less flailing, and he’s proving to be an excellent intermediate option in the early going after being more boom-or-bust in years past. Suppose he can keep that up and start turning that size and jump ball-winning ability into red zone production while also looming as a major problem downfield when the deep passing attack gets going. If he does, Pitts will be a major asset for this offense, and even if he doesn’t, he’s a useful player. It’s nice to see.
Aaron Freeman: Pitts’ impressive start gives me more confidence that he’s on track to have his best season in years. Whether that translates into him being a true difference maker remains to be seen. A lot of his production thus far has come on checkdowns, but it’s been nice to see him get more opportunities down the field on play-action concepts thus far. Hopefully, the Falcons will be able to get him and the rest of the offense more involved there.
Another key for Pitts that will make a huge difference for the offense this year is if they can get him involved in the red zone. Pitts has not been a force there, and given the team’s current struggles in the red zone, everyone would benefit from changing that narrative.
Allen Strk: Stats don’t always indicate the level of a player’s performance. Watching a player’s movement, urgency, and willingness to dig in areas of weakness can determine that. Pitts looks far more explosive in his route-running, from getting in and out of his breaks to accelerating after the catch. His body language is noticeably better after every snap. The desire to block edge defenders has improved, no matter how overmatched he can be at the point of attack against certain defenders.
If he can end the month the same way he started the season, I’m firmly behind Pitts being a consistent playmaker who can help take the offense to new heights. He can cause damage on underneath routes with his agility, as proven against Tampa Bay. How he left Josh Metellus frozen with a sharp release on a slant was eye-opening, which was followed up by a contested catch where his catch radius was on full display. Those notable plays should inspire optimism that the days of the current league-leading tight end in yards after contact not being involved are over.
How has Divine Deablo helped make the defense more formidable so far?
Tre’Shon Diaz: Deablo’s consistency play-to-play is what has elevated this defense the most. Last season, both Troy Andersen and Nate Landman became too unreliable, and the second level of the defense was an evident weakness. Deablo has been exceptional in coverage, providing legitimate range and showing off his safety background.
He’s also been sound in the run game, which I credit a lot of to Jeff Ulbrich’s scheme, allowing Deablo to play fast and free. The Falcons haven’t had reliable linebacker play for years, and while it’s only been a small sample, it feels like we’ve only begun to scratch the surface when examining Deablo’s ceiling in this defense.
Dave Choate: I’ve loved what I’ve seen from him thus far. The quickness and strength have been on full display, and the length has been noticeable, but the Falcons have had players with tantalizing traits who are always behind the play. Deablo’s shown impressive instincts in the first two games over and over again, tracking runners and managing to keep himself from getting tangled up to make a clean tackle.
As a blitzer, he’s shown real promise with his ability to burst into the backfield and impact the quarterback even if he’s not quite getting home. And in coverage, it’s a testament to him that he’s only had one ball thrown in his direction (downfield, no less!) and it fell incomplete. The Falcons badly needed a complete linebacker, and Deablo has been that guy thus far; the defense is far more formidable when you have a player who can do everything well in the heart of it.
Aaron Freeman: The pitch on Deablo upon signing was that he’d be a complete linebacker that could impact in all three areas: run defense, pass rush, and coverage. And through two games, the early returns have delivered on that exact promise, as he’s been able to make several signature plays in all three areas.
Allen Strk: There’s no denying Deablo’s coverage range and instincts have been a revelation. How he tracked Mike Evans 15 yards downfield to break up a pass intended for him on a dig route was hugely impressive. His ability to cover the intermediate area of the field, whether it’s pure zone or pattern match coverage, gives Ulbrich the confidence to be more varied with his play calling.
What the former Raider is doing against the run deserves more recognition. From taking on blocks intelligently to blowing up running lanes and making tackles sideline-to-sideline, he has been flying across the field in preventing offenses from finding much efficiency on the ground. There were moments in Las Vegas where he struggled with his gap discipline and took himself out of plays. Deablo is making the plays with his improved discipline and mental processing to take the right angles against the run. His overall play has been outstanding.
After watching him face two ultra-aggressive defenses, what is one area in Michael Penix Jr’s game you’d like to see him make significant strides in?
Tre’Shon Diaz: Being more efficient with the limited shots he gets. Sometimes those deep ball opportunities only come thrice a game, and you have to be able to cash them in when they do. When watching back the red zone film, missed touchdown opportunities stood out. Not all were created equally; some misses were understandable due to the degree of difficulty, but others, like a backside post to London, or a bender route to Pitts, were hard to swallow.
Playing the defenses he did forced him to make quick decisions and quicker throws, and he’ll be a better player from the experience. His teammates have also let him down on a few of these opportunities, such as the KhaDarel Hodge mishap against Tampa Bay. The most promising aspect of these performances is that Penix Jr. never compounded an error or pressed after misses. He always remains poised and doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way.
Dave Choate: Penix Jr. has checked almost every box I’m looking for at some point over his handful of starts, from an underrated ability to escape pressure to better-than-anticipated scrambling to some of the most on-point, impressive throws you can possibly make. He’s also proven to be calm in big situations and careful enough to avoid gobs of turnover-worthy plays, something his recent predecessors did often enough to drive us all crazy.
While there are little things to nitpick, this is really it: Sometimes Penix Jr. just misses, high or low or off to the side, and that’s one of the few things holding him back from huge weeks. We should see more downfield shots as the season progresses and hopefully fewer drops and fumbles from this receiving corps. If Penix Jr. can cut down on the misses even a little bit, he’s going to truly shine in 2025.
Aaron Freeman: Most of the desired improvement for Penix is incremental, as he is a young quarterback, and that shows on occasion. The expectation is that he’ll continue to improve as he gains experience, and therefore, there aren’t any glaring weaknesses that overly concern me. However, if I had to pick one area where he could use the most work, it would be his ability to create off structure and win outside the pocket.
While Penix’s strong arm and athleticism give him the tools to be a “playmaker” when things break down, that hasn’t translated directly to the field. As seen last week, he underthrew a pass to Mooney after extending a play outside the pocket. It’s those missing plays that could work wonders in correcting the Falcons’ ongoing red-zone struggles when things get condensed and you need your quarterback to buy the receivers more time to get open.
Allen Strk: Possessing the consistent ability to make plays out of structure is such a valuable trait for quarterbacks. It allows the player to take greater command of the offense and help elevate players around him. Penix Jr. is starting to show glimpses of doing it, but it’s understandably still a work in progress. There are instances where he doesn’t look smooth escaping the pocket and throwing on the run.
His 18-yard completion to London, which unfortunately ended in a fumble, was an encouraging step toward making those key throws to sustain drives. It will also help with his ability to throw outside the numbers, particularly to the left. While it’s not a big sample size, Penix Jr. only completed nine of 21 passes on throws to his left of 10+ yards or more last season, per Pro Football Focus. He is two of eight so far this season. Improvement in that area, with gaining that natural ability to thrive outside the pocket, would be massive for his continued progress.
A combined nine defensive tackles and edge rushers played 15+ snaps against Minnesota. Do you like how the coaching staff is equally distributing snaps, or should certain players receive more playing time?
Tre’Shon Diaz: Let Nate Ollie do his thing. The new leadership in the defensive line room has every guy looking better so far in 2025, and keeping players fresh is a big part of that. James Pearce Jr is being used as a designated pass rusher, and that’s resulted in a 26.7% pressure rate. Jalon Walker does the dirty work in the run and is coming along as a pass rusher. Brandon Dorlus and Ruke Orhorhoro haven’t gotten too much too soon, but are also getting enough reps to develop and make an impact. Zach Harrison is finally getting the snap share he deserves as one of the most versatile players on the line.
This distribution method is what I was hoping we would see in 2024, but better late than never. The Falcons have preached pass rush by committee for ages, but they finally have enough talent in the room to pull it off, and that’s the right approach when having to rely on so many first and second-year players.
Dave Choate: It’s not broken, so don’t accidentally break it trying to fix it, is what I’d say. The heavy rotation up front is letting the Falcons keep players fresh, as the coaches vowed it would, and mixing and matching players for their skillset and the situation is working really well thus far.
Over time I’d love to see more Pearce Jr. and Walker off the edge and Orhorhoro and Dorlus up front because they’re the future and exciting players at present, but the team’s consistent ability to generate pressure and solid run defense thus far tells you the rotation is working as anticipated. Until that changes or players really falter, I’d continue to rotate heavily.
Aaron Freeman: Thus far, the coaches are delivering on the promise of having “waves” of pass rushers, as evidenced by the fact that six different defenders registered a sack against the Vikings. That has been facilitated by having a deep rotation of players, so overall, it’s working great. However, if there’s one player I’d like to see get a bit more action, it would be Arnold Ebiketie. He has flashed ability both as a pass rusher and run defender.
Yet, it’s probably not realistic for the team to take snaps away from Walker and Pearce Jr., given their status as first-round selections and the enormous investment the team has in their development. Instead, that leaves only Leonard Floyd as the option to lose snaps to Ebiketie. However, Floyd is coming off an outstanding performance against the Vikings, and therefore, it’s likely that the current status quo will remain until there’s a significant dip in his performance.
Allen Strk: Until Walker and Pearce Jr. are acclimated to the pros and could potentially wreck opposing game plans, the defensive line rotation is in a strong position. It has quietly brought out a rejuvenated David Onyemata, who is primarily playing running downs. That has led to him shedding blocks and destroying potential running lanes at an impressive rate. Floyd is bringing that signature high effort, veteran-savvy type of play that this young unit is greatly benefiting from.
Things can always change if the players the organization heavily invested in start to prove they can make a consistent down-to-down impact. That includes Orhorhoro, who showcased improved hand usage in generating pressure against Minnesota. There could come a time when Walker, Pearce Jr., and Orhorhoro play 30 snaps if they develop into the driving forces the coaching staff envisions them to become up front. Until then, this recipe appears effective in providing young players a stabilized platform to develop and veterans a place to maximize their strengths.
