Even though Christmas has passed, we’re still in the midst of the holiday season. What better way to celebrate this festive time of year than by naming Atlanta Falcons players!
As they gear up for their primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, the Falcons hope to receive the gift of an upset win. But to do so will require strong performances from five players who are particularly intriguing because they face both favorable and unfavorable matchups.
Bijan Robinson
The Falcons hope Bijan
Robinson can be just like Santa Claus, delivering his gift for explosive plays. He faces an old teammate in linebacker Nate Landman, whose success in L.A. this season has overshadowed some struggles in Atlanta during his previous stint here. Robinson and the Falcons hope to expose Landman’s coverage limitations, as the San Francisco 49ers did twice already this season.
According to PFF, Landman allowed the most yards in coverage for the Rams defense in both games, for a combined 160, with 70 going specifically to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Like McCaffrey, Robinson is one of the best pass-catching running backs in the NFL and has a chance to go to town against Landman and this Rams defense. If so, it can be the season of giving for the Falcons offense.
Jake Matthews
Left tackle Jake Matthews won’t like who emerges from his chimney on this Christmas Eve, since he’ll face one of the toughest matchups against Rams defensive end Jared Verse. Verse predominantly lines up against the opposing team’s left tackle and brings impressive power as a bull rusher, a type of rusher that Matthews has struggled against throughout his career.
Verse is not alone in stalking opposing quarterbacks, as he leads a very “fearsome foursome” in terms of the Rams’ defensive front that could wreak havoc against Kirk Cousins and his limited mobility. If Verse and Co. get the better of Matthews and the rest of the Falcons’ offensive line, it could be a horror-filled night for Cousins, reminiscent of Krampus punishing naughty children.
AJ Terrell
Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell also has a tough draw against Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is coming off a magical 225-yard performance last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Terrell has struggled recently despite an impressive season overall. But he’ll need to have one of his best games to keep Nacua in check. Especially since Nacua is constantly moved around the formation like an elf on a shelf, making him difficult to shadow with a single cornerback. Yet, whenever Nacua lines up outside, expect the Falcons to line up Terrell against him as much as possible, hunting him like any elf’s arch nemesis, a hungry golden retriever.
James Pearce
Falcons rookie edge rusher James Pearce can go down in history if he takes down Rams quarterback Matt Stafford at least once on Monday night. That is because he’ll tie Jevon Kearse’s record of eight consecutive games with a sack for a rookie, set back in 1999. Should Pearce accomplish this against the Rams, he’ll still have a chance to break Kearse’s record with a game left.
Pearce’s chance at a historic sack run is one of the handful of highlights in this disappointing season. Thus, Pearce is forging a path ahead of the ascending Falcons pass rush much as Rudolph surged ahead of Santa’s sleigh on a foggy Christmas Eve.
Brandon Dorlus
Perhaps the “Dasher” to Pearce’s Rudolph is Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, who has pranced his way to impressive sack production this year. Dorlus has danced his way to 7.5 sacks, matching Grady Jarrett’s career high set back in 2019. Should Dorlus get another sack against the Rams, he’ll comet ahead of Rod Coleman for the most for any Falcons interior rush since 2005. Dorlus should be seeing Cupid, given a favorable matchup against right guard Justin Dedich, who is stepping in for injured starter Kevin Dotson.
Dedich has proven a tempting but unreachable vixen to opposing pass rushers since he hasn’t allowed a sack all year, according to PFF, but has allowed 13 combined pressures in five fill-in starts. So while Pearce may be guiding this unit through the fog, others like Dorlus are also doing their share of pulling in a magical, impossible task, whether we’re talking about how Santa travels across the entire globe in a single evening, or the Falcons hitting 50 sacks this season.
Can you name more Atlanta Falcons that fill you with holiday spirit?
