The Atlanta Falcons look to rebound this week against the Seattle Seahawks after a disappointing loss to the New York Jets . If the Falcons are going to challenge a Seahawks team in the midst of vying
for the top seed in the NFC playoff race, they’ll need to see several players step up. But only five Falcons can ever be named, and I’ve identified those at the forefront of needing to be better this Sunday.
Kyle Pitts
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is once again poised to lead the Falcons in receiving this week with wide receiver Drake London out of the lineup. Pitts has led the team in receiving in two of the three games that London has missed so far. But he’s going to need to be even better this week if the Falcons want to take the soaring Seahawks. Fortunately, he should have a favorable matchup given that the Seahawks have been one of the NFL’s worst teams this season at containing tight ends.
They rank 30th in yards allowed to tight ends this year, one of Seattle’s few defensive weaknesses, while they are the league’s top-ranked unit according to DVOA and second-ranked in expected points added (EPA) per play. But if the Falcons offense is going to do damage, Pitts will need to produce more than usual, averaging six catches and 55 yards in the games that London has missed so far this year. Instead, he may need to have a career day against the Seahawks if this Falcons offense hopes to exploit this singular weakness. A fourth career 100-yard receiving day or the second multi-touchdown game of his career would be welcome.
Darnell Mooney
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney also will need to step up alongside Pitts if the Falcons hope to have success against the Seahawks. The Seahawks sport the NFL’s top run defense according to both DVOA and EPA. This makes it unlikely that running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier will have a field day on the ground. Instead, the Falcons’ passing game will have to do the bulk of the heavy lifting against one of the NFL’s best pass defenses. But while the potential has been there the entire season with Mooney, he has failed to deliver. The Falcons’ two starters in Mooney and David Sills last week combined for four catches and 40 yards on nine targets. Since Sills is a journeyman injury replacement stepping in for London, expecting more out of him is probably a pipe dream. Instead, it’s on Mooney to do a lot more heavy lifting if the Falcons’ passing attack is going to do any damage.
Ruke Orhorhoro
Defensively, the Falcons will need a lot more out of defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro if they hope to slow down the Seahawks’ offense. While rookie edge-rushers like Jalon Walker and James Pearce have shone brightly in recent games, the Falcons need more from their interior players like Orhorhoro. Especially this week with Brandon Dorlus out of the lineup and David Oneymata questionable with a foot injury. The Seahawks’ offensive line is vulnerable up the middle, and if the Falcons are going to continue exploiting a four-man rush, they’ll need a lot more from Orhorhoro.
According to PFF, his pass-rush win rate of 5.3 ranks eighth on the team and is identical to former Falcon Ta’Quon Graham’s win rate during his second season back in 2022. With the Falcons giving up premium value to trade up for Ruke in the 2024 NFL Draft, not getting a higher return than what they got from a fifth-round pick a few years earlier has been a disappointment. Orhorhoro can change the narrative with a stronger performance come Sunday.
A.J. Terrell
A defensive player who has a lot less to prove but still needs to play well is cornerback A.J. Terrell. That is mainly due to who he’ll be lining up against in the Seahawks’ wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards. Smith-Njigba is coming off his least productive game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, and the only game in which he’s been held under 75 yards receiving. The Falcons will hope that Terrell can make it two in a row.
It’ll be a tall order, but achievable if the Falcons coaches can find a way to maximize the number of times Terrell lines up against Smith-Njigba via shadowing him in man coverage. Opposite Terrell, cornerback Mike Hughes has been a disaster as of late, and minimizing the opportunities he has to face the Seahawks’ top receiver is a good strategy. But Smith-Njigba has been incredible against man coverage this year, earning PFF’s highest grade among wide receivers against the coverage. So if the Falcons want to hide Hughes while also containing the NFL’s top wideout, they’ll need Terrell to have one of the best games of his career.
Jamal Agnew
The Falcons’ special teams unit will also need to step up in this game if the team hopes to take down the Seahawks, and a major focus will be on return specialist Jamal Agnew. The Seahawks sport the NFL’s second-ranked special teams unit according to DVOA and the top-ranked unit according to EPA. Meanwhile, the Falcons rank 30th and 29th, respectively, in those same categories. Agnew somewhat personifies the abysmal showing, given a very disappointing season.
The Falcons let Avery Williams walk this offseason, and many saw it as a good move given his lackluster 2024 and Agnew’s Pro Bowl pedigree. However, Agnew hasn’t delivered on those expectations, averaging more than two yards less per return on both kickoffs and punts. Williams was also sure-handed, never muffing a punt in three seasons as the Falcons’ main returner, while Agnew has muffed two in the past three games. If the Falcons are going to have any chance of closing the gap on special teams, it’ll start with Agnew showcasing why he was worth bringing in this Sunday.
Can you name any more Atlanta Falcons that figure into a potential upset on Sunday against the Seahawks?
