We don’t really want to think about that game again, possibly ever, but we gotta get these snap counts off.
Offense
Kirk Cousins: 50
Jake Matthews: 50
Matthew Bergeron: 50
Ryan Neuzil: 50
Chris Lindstrom: 50
Elijah
Wilkinson: 50
Kyle Pitts: 46
Darnell Mooney: 45
David Sills V: 45
KhaDarel Hodge: 33
Bijan Robinson: 30
Tyler Allgeier: 20
Charlie Woerner: 15
Dylan Drummond: 6
Casey Washington: 4
Teagan Quitoriano: 3
Nate Carter: 2
Jamal Agnew: 1
The wide receiver corps has become a baffling mess. With Drake London parked, somebody had to step up, and this time around the Falcons basically sat Casey Washington in favor of David Sills and KhaDarel Hodge. Sills was once again a complete non-factor as a pass catcher, reeling in one reception for 12 yards, and . Hodge actually got more receptions (3) and nearly as many yards (31 to 35) as Sills and Mooney combined, which is extremely discouraging. Washington, meanwhile, had one nice grab on four snaps.
The team’s inability to run the ball and the offensive line’s struggles makes it seem insane that Quitoriano and Feleipe Franks are not getting any run. Washington is actually an excellent blocking option who is inarguably the best run blocker in the group with Drake London sidelined and yet was parked, while Franks and Quitoriano are certainly better than Mooney, Hodge, and Sills in that regard as well. Maybe this is a little bit of deck chairs on the Titanic talk given the caliber of players we’re talking about overall—and Sills was solid in his blocking work against the Dolphins—but I don’t feel like the personnel usage gave Atlanta’s passing game or ground game much of a chance to succeed on Sunday.
That should spark the team to think about using a sixth offensive lineman if it continues. We saw the Dolphins rolling with one-time Falcon Daniel Brunskill as their sixth option on about a third of their snaps, something that helped them overpower and run all over Atlanta’s hapless defense. The Eagles deployed Fred Johnson as a sixth offensive lineman frequently, too, and they were dominant on the ground Sunday; when Storm Norton returns Elijah Wilkinson’s value as a run blocker and iffy pass blocking could have him slotting into that role and likely doing quite well.
Defense
Kaden Elliss: 69
A.J. Terell: 69
Xavier Watts: 69
Mike Hughes: 69
JD Bertrand: 68
Jessie Bates: 58
James Pearce Jr.: 49
David Onyemata: 46
Leonard Floyd: 38
Ruke Orhorhoro: 36
Brandon Dorlus: 33
Dee Alford: 33
Arnold Ebiketie: 33
Ta’Quon Graham: 27
Sam Roberts: 26
Ronnie Harrison: 15
Jordan Fuller: 12
DeAngelo Malone: 9
I haven’t had many reasons to be frustrated with Jeff Ulbrich this season, but Sunday was an exception. After noting that Divine Deablo is a hard player to replace and the Falcons would need to use a committee to do it, they played JD Bertrand…on all but one defensive snap. Does that sound like a committee to you? That decision was self-evidently costly, because once again Bertrand was picked on in coverage and frequently washed out against the run. Pro Football Focus had him allowing 8/9 balls thrown his way to be completed for a team-high 78 yards; only Mike Hughes (4/6 for 71 yards) even came close. The Falcons need to mix in DeMarcco Hellams, Jordan Fuller, Ronnie Harrison, and even Josh Woods in more frequently, and that means getting Bertrand off the field entirely, not just moving him around.
The team’s lack of pressure against Tua was partly a product of a gameplan that had him getting rid of the ball very quickly, but it’s still worrying how little traction the Falcons got. Dee Alford had the game’s lone sack, and only Kaden Elliss, Leonard Floyd, and Ruke Orhorhoro had more than a single pressure on the day; Pearce soaked up a ton of snaps (which needs) but wasn’t very productive (he’s a rookie, but hey, we can dream). The Falcons simply have to put more pressure on Drake Maye and Daniel Jones the next two weeks.
Finally, the Falcons may be thinking short-term solutions at safety if Jessie Bates has to miss time, and I really would like to see what Hellams could do with a full game. Bates has not been himself and that continued in this one, with two missed tackles, a couple of really bad angles on long passes, and the pass break up on a Tua ball Bertrand might have otherwise intercepted.
Special teams
DeAngelo Malone: 23
DeMarcco Hellams: 23
Mike Ford: 23
Natrone Brooks: 23
Josh Woods: 23
Feleipe Franks: 17
KhaDarel Hodge: 16
Teagan Quitoriano: 15
Charlie Woerner: 12
JD Bertrand: 12
Ronnie Harrison: 12
Jamal Agnew: 10
Brandon Dorlus: 9
Bradley Pinion: 9
David Onyemata: 6
Ruke Orhorhoro: 6
Sam Roberts: 6
Liam McCullough: 6
Tyler Allgeier: 5
Dee Alford: 4
Jake Matthews: 2
Matthew Bergeron: 2
Chris Lindstrom: 2
Elijah Wilkinson: 2
Kyle Hinton: 2
Parker Romo: 2
Jovaughn Gwyn: 2
Kaden Elliss: 1
Penalties were a problem, with Feleipe Franks picking up two and Mike Ford getting another. Other than that, one quality Miami return, and that duffed punt from Bradley Pinion, things went pretty well.
If his playing time is reduced, we should see Bertrand right up near the top of the list in playing time on special teams again, and I expect that to happen sooner than later.
