The Atlanta Falcons are walking out of Minnesota with a primetime win. It wasn’t pretty, but the defense shut the door on a comeback, and the team’s kicking troubles melted away. The offense has plenty to work on, but they got what they wanted on the ground today. Here’s the Week 2 Snap Reactions.
Rookies lead the way
I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that this already looks like the best rookie class of Terry Fontenot’s career after two games. Last week Xavier Watts stole the show, but his classmates shone bright
tonight. Billy Bowman didn’t have a perfect game, but his interception was arguably the most impressive individual play of the night and showed off his instincts that Jeff Ulbrich gushes about. Both James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker made an impact on the stat sheet with a sack. It was a solid outing for the duo, who helped apply pressure all night. Watts would end up with an interception that sealed the game in the final minutes.
Special Teams bounces back
Last week was a nightmare for the special teams group, but Marquice Williams got his unit right and ironed out the coverage mistakes that stood out in Week 1. Mike Ford looked like the special teams ace he was signed to be, causing a muffed punt with his siren call. Atlanta didn’t help the Vikings out in the field position battle. The most notable special teams difference was John Parker Romo, who was called upon to kick five field goals and one extra point and made them all. It looks like the Falcons have their new kicker moving forward.
Pass rush gets home
The Falcons had the most sacks (5) in the first half since November 8, 2009. The team was able to generate pressure throughout the game, making life difficult for J.J. McCarthy, who was never able to get comfortable. Thanks to the consistent pressure, there were no late-game heroics from the Vikings this week. It’s hard to believe this is the same team from last year, but the investments in the pass rush are starting to make noise, and if this is a sign of things to come, the group could be a force to be reckoned with.
Red Zone offense struggles
It’s never good when the offense has to settle for five field goals. Once again, the Falcons moved the ball well, but they could not punch it into the end zone. There were procedural errors, drops, and bad plays. Play action is still missing in this part of the field, and fans are looking for answers from offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. The team ran the ball well regardless of whether or not they were in pistol and utilized more undercenter formations, but Robinson is going to have to go back to the drawing board after another.
A win is a win, and fans should be excited about the performance from Jeff Ulbrich’s defense. Yes, the offense will need to improve, but there are worse places to be than 1-1. The Falcons didn’t embarrass us on primetime, and that’s really all we can ask for.
