The Falcons suffered a tough loss yesterday, but we still saw a lot of promise from the faces of this franchise’s future. Here’s the Week 1 3 up and 3 down.
3 up
Devine Deablo
The Falcons appear to have a real inside linebacker again. Deablo was as good as advertised in his Week 1 debut. The imposing figure was all over the field, flashing his sideline-to-sideline speed in both the run and the pass. He had a near interception, multiple tackles for loss, and was a heat-seeking missile when blitzing.
It was a promising
debut and one that should give fans hope that the team has found a legitimate field general for its second level. We’ll want to see Deablo stack multiple games like these before getting out of hand, but he already looks like the best free agent signing of the offseason.
Xavier Watts
The lights were dim for the Falcons starting rookie safety. Watts made plays everywhere. He had two near interceptions, an impressive pass breakup, and made a shoestring tackle on a play that would’ve likely been a touchdown without it. The team will want to see those near interceptions converted going forward, but it appears the Falcons have found their answer at safety next to Jessie Bates. This team needs early returns from this year’s rookie class, and Watts delivered in his debut.
Michael Penix Jr.
A devastating loss after the quarterback drops the family jewels on the table and does everything to give his team a chance to win. Welcome back, the Matt Ryan era Atlanta Falcons. Penix Jr. did not blink when the game was on the line; instead, he gave fans a rush of adrenaline and nostalgia with his Superman stretch at the goal line, a la Michael Vick. This kid is already the best we’ve seen since Ryan, and it is not close. He has the respect of the locker room and the confidence of this staff behind him. In just four performances, he’s proven that this team is never out of the game. The most exciting part is that we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
3 down
Zac Robinson
The play caller’s day wasn’t as bad as his loudest critics will tell you, but it was still an uninspiring performance to kick off the year. Robinson deserves credit for keeping Penix relatively clean while dealing with injuries at right tackle, but outside of that, the play caller did not do his offense many favors. ZRob’s offense hasn’t grown much; we still saw a desire to run out of the gun and pistol while utilizing almost zero under center formations–two plays total. The red zone offense asked players to do the heavy lifting, with zero play action calls in this area. Getting the run game going without McGary was going to be a struggle, but Robinson didn’t seem prepared for this obvious outcome. He’s going to have to do some heavy lifting as he looks for answers heading into Week 2.
Leonard Floyd
Floyd was given $10M guaranteed this offseason to be the Falcons top pass rusher, but he did not perform like it yesterday. Floyd had a pressure rate of 9% with two hurries; James Pearce Jr had a 27% pressure rate with three hurries and one QB hit. Floyd is the same age as Matthew Judon (33), who the team allowed to walk due to age and performance; however, signing Floyd came with similar risks, and the Falcons spent a pretty penny for just a one-year rental.
Floyd was left one-on-one with the Buccaneers backup left tackle on multiple occasions, but could not take advantage of the opportunity. He doesn’t make much of an impact in the run; he only had eight snaps against it yesterday, so he’s fresh for his pass rush opportunities. There’s no reason to panic yet, but if Floyd can’t be the designated pass rusher the Falcons desperately need, then it could be another long season for those hoping to see a significant change in this department.
Younghoe Koo
Lost the team the game and didn’t have the courage to talk to the media afterwards. It’s never easy being the target of fans’ ire, but Koo has earned it, and there are no excuses left for him or the team. He’s healthy, he’s had three years to perfect his new form (a decision that likely cost him his career), and he won the camp battle. The team has offered words of confidence in press conferences, but the sideline reaction to the miss said it all: no one trusts that the ball is going in when he steps on the field anymore. This is one of the worst outcomes for the Falcons, who needed Koo to get back to form for at least one season. Lenny Krieg lost the battle by all accounts, and Atlanta doesn’t want to risk killing his confidence by throwing him out before he’s ready, but something has to change.
Atlanta will need to shake this loss off quickly, but there is no reason to panic just yet. The team was still in position to win the game, and if they clean up their act, they can get this season back on track. Let’s hope they do.
