DeCoud, Johnson stand up for Falcons' ‘D'

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thomas DeCoud and Thomas Johnson share more than a name.

Enlarge photo

Elissa Eubanks, eeubanks@ajc.com Thomas DeCoud celebrates his second interception Sunday of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

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DeCoud, the Falcons' free safety, and Johnson, their nose tackle, played integral roles in the Falcons' 21-14 thwarting of the Chicago Bears Sunday night.

DeCoud contributed two game-tilting interceptions and Johnson was at the heart of the Falcons' run-stopping efforts. They helped send the Bears out of Atlanta unsatisfied for a second consecutive season.

While credited with only two tackles, Johnson's performance stood out. He consistently stymied the interior of the Bears offensive line, creating bottlenecks in running lanes and freeing up linebackers Curtis Lofton and Mike Peterson to make a total of 15 stops.

Going into the game ranking 26^th in the league in rushing yards, the Bears had wanted to establish the running game against the Falcons. It didn't happen. Matt Forte, who ran for 1,238 yards last season, ran 15 times for 23 yards with a long of five yards. It was the lowest output of his career.

Johnson himself got in on the action with a tackle for a loss of Forte, a play that helped force a third-quarter three-and-out and return the ball to the Falcons after a Matt Ryan interception.

Johnson was on the field for the Falcons' goal-line stand later in the third quarter, helping stuff Forte on second down that led to Forte's lost fumble on third down. The stand preserved the Falcons' 14-7 lead for the time being.

It was pretty good night's work for a player who was out of the league for the past two seasons.

DeCoud, a first-year starter in his second season out of California, delivered two critical first-half plays. On their opening possession, the Bears had driven 50 yards in 12 plays, converting three third downs, to reach the Falcons' 12-yard line. On 3rd and 9, quarterback Jay Cutler tried to hit wide receiver Devin Hester on a crossing route.

Pressured by defensive end Kroy Biermann, Cutler didn't take into account DeCoud, who came up from zone coverage and jumped the route, picking off the pass at the 9-yard line to end the threat.

With 10:28 remaining in the second quarter, DeCoud hauled in a Cutler overthrow at the Falcons' 30 and took it back 15 yards. It gave the Falcons their best field position of the game to that point, which they used quickly. Within three plays, they were in the end zone and had tied the game at 7.