Falcons’ report card: Revamped pass rush, shaky kicker let down team
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. tried to carry his team to victory, but the weak pass rush and shaky kicker wouldn’t allow for that.
Penix scored what should have the game-winning touchdown with 2:17 to play, but the revamped defense let the Bucs score in 1:18 seconds. When it was time to close out the game, new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s unit offered up little resistance and had a bone-headed roughing the pass penalty by defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro.
“I can’t say enough positive things about him,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of Penix. “Him going out there and not turning the football over. Getting us to the right reads. The right protections. Throwing the ball in the right areas. Making the right plays at the right times.”
The Falcons used the 15th pick to draft Jalon Walker in the first round. They traded back into the first round to draft James Pearce. They also spent $10 million on Leonard Floyd in free agency. Combined they had no sacks and one quarterback hit (Pearce).
“I’ve got to go look at those two in particular,” Morris said of Walker and Pearce. “We did move the guy off the spot. He was able to scramble out and break a couple of tackles. We have to go figure out if we can get him down on the ground.”
Here’s a look at the Falcons’ report card from the season opener:
Quarterback
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. did all he could to will his team to victory. He went 27-of-42 for 298 yards and a touchdown, with a passer rating of 93.2. He rushed six times for 21 yards and the 4-yard touchdown that should have been the game-winner. He led an 18-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that took 8:46 off the clock and regained a 20-17 lead with 2:17 to play. It wasn’t his fault that the defense couldn’t close out the W. Grade: A
Running backs
Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier were shut down in the rushing attack. Robinson had that electric 50-yard touchdown reception on the third play of the game. Robinson rushed 12 times for 24 yards and Allgeier rushed 10 times for 24 yards. The Falcons don’t appear to have a power rushing attack. They attempted runs in short yardage situations from the shotgun. When they finally went under center, they ran a play outside that went for a 3-yard loss. Grade: C-minus
Wide receivers/tight ends
Drake London had a rough day before leaving with a shoulder injury. He caught only eight of 15 targets and finished with 55 yards receiving. Kyle Pitts has seven catches for 59 yards. Casey Washington, who started for Darnell Mooney had three catches for 33 yards. Ray-Ray McCloud came up big in the final drive with a 24-yard catch to help the Falcons get into position to tie the game. He finished with three catches for 51 yards. Grade: C
Offensive line
The offensive line could not get the running game going. Robinson and Allgeier were held to 48 yards on 22 carries for a subpar 2.1 yards per game. The pass protection was decent as Penix was sacked just once and hit four times. The Falcons rushed for 130.5 yards per game last season, which ranked 10th in the league. There’s no question that they missed right tackle Kaleb McGary in this game. Elijah Wilkinson, McGary’s replacement, had two false starts. Grade: D-minus
Defensive line
The revamped pass rush didn’t produce. They had one sack, two quarterback hits and repeatedly lost track of Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. Billy Bowman and Divine Deablo were credited with a half of a sack. Bowman, Deablo and James Pearce had quarterback hits. Grade: D-minus
Linebackers
Kaden Elliss had a dropped interception. Deablo had a nice pass breakup in coverage. Outside linebacker Floyd did not show up in the stat book. Walker had two tackles and Pearce had one quarterback hit. Linebackers: C-minus
Secondary
Cornerback Mike Hughes had rough day in coverage against rookie Emeka Egbuka. He gave up two touchdown grabs. The great Mike Evans was held to five catches for 51 yards. Rookie safety Xavier Watts had a strong game. He had six tackles and two pass breakups. He should have had at least one interception and maybe two. Jessie Bates III also finished with six tackles. Grade: B.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
