Weekend Reflections: Falcons rookies make big impact in Minnesota

I predicted the Falcons would end their playoff drought this season. Among the top reasons for my optimism is the belief that more of Terry Fontenot’s draft picks will start paying dividends.

That’s already happening only two games into the season.

Walker and Pearce were part of the ferocious pass rush that rattled first-year Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Walker had a sack and Pearce a half-sack as the Falcons recorded six as a team. Per Football Reference, that’s the most since they had six against the Colts on Dec. 24, 2023.

Rookie defensive backs Watts and Bowman each picked off one pass from McCarthy. Dee Alford is the last Falcons rookie to record an interception. That was way back on Oct. 2, 2022, against the Browns.

Everybody knows the Falcons desperately needed to improve their pass rush. That’s why Fontenot used the No. 15 overall pick on ex-Georgia star Walker before trading up to select Pearce at No. 26.

The big question was whether Falcons coaches could help the rookies become early contributors. That’s not easy to do for pass rushers, but Walker and Pearce are producing already.

The Falcons also needed to create more turnover chances this season. So, Fontenot drafted two ball hawks, Watts and Bowman. Like Walker and Pearce, they were groomed for big roles early: Watts starts at safety and Bowman at nickel back.

Circumstances make it possible to downplay the performance of the rookies. Injuries along the offensive line contributed to Minnesota’s problems with pass blocking. McCarthy was making his second career start and looked like it. Not many of his throws were confident.

But I’m going to give the Falcons rookies credit for doing their part to make the Vikings look bad. The Falcons last held an opponent to six points or fewer Nov. 29, 2020 (against the Raiders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium).

You probably have to go back to the Super Bowl season of 2016 to find the last dominant defensive performance for the Falcons that included multiple rookies making big plays. That was the debut year for Keanu Neal, Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell.

Fontenot’s draft record was spotty over his first four drafts as GM. The hits near the top (Robinson and Drake London) were undercut by the selection of tight end Kyle Pitts at No. 4 in 2021 and the lack of finds in later rounds. I think Fontenot’s draft record will look a lot better after this year with Michael Penix Jr. as the starting QB and the four rookies improving the defense.

Two other players selected in earlier drafts by Fontenot also made impactful plays against the Vikings. Zach Harrison (third round, 2023) had 1½ sacks and a forced fumble. Brandon Dorlus (fourth round, 2024) had 1½ sacks. Heck, even Pitts is starting to look like he can be a reliable option in this offense, if not the star the Falcons expected when Fontenot drafted him.

It’s still early. But I’m already feeling good about my prediction that Fontenot’s draft picks will help the Falcons make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Gunner Stockton had his Tennessee breakout game

By now, the people on Rocky Top must be tired of seeing Georgia quarterbacks find their stride just in time to beat Tennessee. Stetson Bennett did it in 2021; Carson Beck did it in 2023; and Gunner Stockton did it Saturday.

Stockton passed for 304 yards and two touchdowns (no interceptions) and ran for a touchdown during the Bulldogs’ 44-41 overtime victory.

“He’s so tough,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He takes shot after shot. I thought he did a great job with … his run game. It saved us on a couple third downs. In the red (zone) area, he made a couple runs.

“That plus-one run game can be big for us if he can protect himself. I thought he grew up tonight.”

When Smart said those words, I could hear the echoes of Georgia’s past two trips to Knoxville.

After Georgia beat the Volunteers 41-17 with Bennett passing for 213 yards with a touchdown (no interceptions) and running for 58 yards (excluding sack yardage) and a touchdown, Smart said this:

“His feet were a big difference in this game, his athleticism. The play he made on the touchdown run was special.”

Smart after Georgia beat the Vols 38-10 with Beck passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns (no interceptions):

“Still remember when Stetson came up here two years ago and was running around like a crazy man and making plays. … But he grew up by going on the road. That’s what we had to see Carson do.”

The pattern is clear. The past three Georgia quarterbacks went to Tennessee and delivered breakout performances that quieted their critics.

Bennett went to Tennessee facing doubts about whether he even should be starting over JT Daniels (I already knew the answer was yes). For Beck, the question was whether he could win big like Bennett (no, but he was 24-2 in games he started and finished). For Stockton, skeptics wondered whether his hesitation to zip passes downfield against Marshall and Austin Peay was about inexperience or lack of ability.

Stockton made it clear Saturday that he has what it takes to lead Georgia to the College Football Playoff.

Buster Faulkner’s strange fourth-down play calls

The bottom line is Georgia Tech’s offense played well enough to beat Clemson on Saturday. The unit’s numbers weren’t too bad considering the strength of Clemson’s defense: 5.1 yards per play and 2.7 points per drive (kneel-down excluded).

But it could have been an even better day if not for coordinator Buster Faulkner’s weird play-calls on two fourth downs.

Tech’s opening drive stalled with a fourth-and-2 play 3 yards from the end zone. I had no issue with Faulkner calling a pass play. Running is Tech’s staple, but Clemson’s defense line is disruptive. It made sense for Tech to spread out the Tigers and seek space on the outside.

The problem was the predictability of the pass play Faulkner picked.

I figured some misdirection was coming when the Jackets lined up with quarterback Haynes King in the backfield and Jamal Haynes outside in a bunch formation. Instead, King did the obvious thing and passed to Haynes with blockers in front of him.

Clemson safety Ricardo Jones was among the many people who saw that play coming. He tackled Haynes for a loss.

The Jackets went for it again on fourth-and-1 at Clemson’s 40-yard line in the third quarter. Clemson had come back from a 13-0 deficit to take the lead. Tech’s defense was playing well, but the offense had gone three-and-out on the previous two possessions. Here was a chance to get into scoring range.

Another strange call by Faulkner scuttled that opportunity.

King is the guy you want to make decisions in that situation. So, it made no sense that Faulkner tried a play that didn’t involve King. The QB lined up wide before moving to the shotgun snap position. The tight end motioned behind center and took the snap. Clemson recovered the fumbled exchange.

The Jackets got away with both fourth-down failures. Clemson lost a fumble after the first one and went three-and-out after the second. Tech won the game with a 10-play, 38-yard drive that ended with Aidan Birr’s 55-yard field goal.

The game might not have been that close if Faulkner had made better calls on the fourth downs.

My Weekend Predictions were 5-5 after Sunday

My picks for the local teams weren’t good. I won with Tech and the points but predicted a close Clemson victory. I had underdog Tennessee beating Georgia and the favored Vikings topping the Falcons. The Vols and Tigers almost pulled it off. The Vikings didn’t come close.

I’ll start the season 3-0 if the Buccaneers (+2½) cover the spread at Houston on Monday night. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield has been good for two-plus seasons now, but it’s still hard for me to trust him. I don’t know why that is.