Dirty Birds Dispatch: Falcons can’t play down to Cardinals’ level
Hope you all have your shopping done.
The clock is ticking, just like it is on this once-promising football season for the Falcons.
Next up, the lowly Arizona Cardinals.
DON’T OVERLOOK THEM
This will be the 34th regular-season matchup.
The Cardinals lead the series 17-16.
The Cardinals also won the only playoff matchup, a 30-24 victory over rookie Matt Ryan and the Falcons on Jan. 3, 2009 on their way to the Super Bowl.
The last Falcons win in Arizona was a 34-14 victory at Sun Devil Stadium on Sept. 30, 2001.
Chris Chandler completed 20 of 28 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns in the game. He finished with a passer rating of 139.9.
Maurice Smith, the former North Carolina A&T standout, rushed 21 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker Keith Brooking led the defense with 11 tackles.
Smith had a brief NFL career, but he was inducted in the North Carolina A&T Hall of Fame in 2018. He helped to lead the Aggies to the 1999 Black College National Championship.
WHERE TO WATCH (AND LISTEN)
The Cardinals have the third-highest negative point differential (minus-86) and the Falcons have the fifth-highest (minus-60).
The Saints (minus-106) are “tops” in the league followed by the Giants (minus-96), followed by the Cardinals, Commanders (minus-84) and the Falcons.
The NFC South is the lone division where all four teams have a negative point differential with the Bucs at minus-27 and the Panthers at minus-53.
So, this battle of league bottom feeders will kick off at 4:05 p.m.
📺 On TV: Fox
- Play by play: Jason Benetti
- Analyst: Brady Quinn
- Sideline: Sarah Kustok
📻 On local radio: 92.9 FM The Game
- Play-by-play: Wes Durham
- Analyst: David Archer
THREE KEY MATCHUPS
Here are the three key matchups to watch when the Falcons play the Cardinals:
1️⃣ Falcons CB A.J. Terrell vs. Cardinals WR Michael Wilson: Terrell is coming off a tough game where he was called for five penalties. He may have been over compensating for an ankle injury. Wilson is having a strong season. He’s caught 66 of 105 targets (62.9%) for 766 yards and four touchdowns. Wilson, who is 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, was drafted in the third round (94th overall) out of Stanford in 2023. He’s become the top target with Marvin Harrison Jr. out with a heel injury.
2️⃣ Falcons S Xavier Watts vs. Cardinals TE Trey McBride: Watts is having a strong rookie season. He is third on team with 73 tackles. He has three interceptions and seven pass breakups. In the last meeting against the Falcons back in 2023, McBride had his way from then free safety Richie Grant. He caught eight passes for 131 yards in the 25-23 victory. He’s gotten much better since that meeting.
3️⃣ Falcons RT Elijah Wilkinson vs. Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat: Wilkinson still has several friends of the Cardinals from his days with the team. He’s turned in a solid season. The Cardinals move Sweat along the defensive line. He got his 10th sack of the season rushing over right guard against the Bucs. He stayed at right end with the Eagles last season, but is moving around looking for mismatches, which is why Wilkinson can expect to see Sweat at times.
EYEING THE ALL-TIME ROOKIE SACK RECORD
James Pearce needs 3.5 sacks to tie the franchise record for most sacks by a rookie. He has eight sacks and Claude Humphrey had 11.5 in 1968.
John Zook had 9.5 in 1969. Zook was a fourth-round pick by the Rams and was traded to the Eagles who then traded him to Falcons.
Don Smith had nine sacks in 1979. He was a first-round pick (17th overall) out of Miami.
The NFL did not make sacks an official stat until 1982. The older player sack totals were compiled after film study and are listed by profootballreference.com.
“I just try to get better every day,” Pearce said.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
A quick look at what some Falcons players had to say this week.
RYAN NEUZIL, CENTER
- On the fumble recovery: “It’s always something in the (offensive) line room. You always want to be around the ball. Stuff always happens in games. You want to always make sure you’re around the ball maybe to take an extra hit off the ball carrier or just be there in case something happens. We were just doing our job.”
- On what triggered in his brain to dive in there: “It’s kind of engraved into all of us to finish the play. Just kind of going through that almost every play. That just happened to be that play that something happened. I was just fortunate enough to be around the ball and be able to come up with it.”
- On his season as a first-time starter: “I’d say it’s not really much of an individual sport. It’s all team based. So, it’s definitely a lot of things we can all improve on including myself. Just hopefully something to build on for the future.”
CHRIS LINDSTROM, GUARD
- On Neuzil’s fumble recovery: "I think, honestly, it’s just the habits that we try to run to the ball every play. We have a competition where we track finish points. So that’s finishing a guy on your block like you would normally. Then finishing by running to the ball to help a guy up. Then you never know when your number is called. It’s thousands of reps over years, and (he) got his opportunity. They had the ball, he a dove in there and he outworked them for it, quickly and clearly recovered it. So, I’m just really proud of him."
- More on finishing: “So, we just do it each game and there’s a champion of the week. We have a running tally all season. So, it’s something that we take a lot of pride in. And so Neuzil was a phenomenal example of the habits and culture we try and build in our room.”
DEE ALFORD, CORNERBACK (MORE ON HIM HERE)
- On his vertical jump: “I don’t know. I never did a combine. I really don’t know that. I’m just one of those guys in the moment. I try to do whatever I can.”
- On getting the game ball: “I’m going to hang it up in my ball case. I’ve been collecting for my hole career.
- On the interception: “It was just one of those moments that you dream about. Especially on prime time football. When your opportunity comes and you were able to make that play. It’s a great feeling.”
- On Kyle Pitts: “It’s great to see Kyle Pitts just doing his thing and having fun. He’s one of the best tight ends in the league and he was able to display that (against the Bucs). Once he’s on, we’ve got a great offense. Everything is easier for the defense knowing that we just have to get off the field and get the offense the ball.”
XAVIER WATTS, SAFETY
- On the penalties: “You can’t control what the refs are seeing or what they are doing. You got to keep playing. You can try to play as best you can, but you can’t control what the refs are seeing.”
- On Dee Alford’s pick: “He got up real high. I was right behind him. That was a crazy play. A great, instinctual play. Made a big play that changed momentum of the game.”
A.J. TERRELL, CORNERBACK
- On the penalties: “Just got to reset. Just each play, just going out there, knowing, still in the game. Calls and stuff weren’t going our way. Just keep fighting.”
- More on the penalties: “No need to talk to them. Just understand what type of game it is and just keep playing. That’s all that takes place.”
MAILBAG TIME
📬 Reader Phil Smith: Hi DLed: I never understood why the Falcons started rookie Penix. What were they thinking??? He is no Michael Vick, that’s for sure. And, he is no Kirk Cousins, either.
I remember when Cousins begged Blank to trade him … and Blank made him sit the bench and watch that rookie loose game after game.
The way Cousins is playing could have lead them to the playoffs.
My response: Hello Phil,
They thought Penix was ready and is the future. I thought he was pretty good at Indiana and Washington. Want to reserve judgment after 20 starts (Gil Brandt rule).
Cousins was looking pretty washed up last year when he led the league in interceptions after playing hurt.
He’s 2-3 as a starter this season. If he’d won those three games (Seahawks, Dolphins and Jets) they’d be in the playoff picture.
Maybe they should have at least had Cousins and Penix compete for the job.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Here’s a closer statistical look at the Falcons-Cardinals matchup, with league rankings in parentheses.
FALCONS — CARDINALS
20.1 (26) — Points/Game — 21.6 (21)
340.4 (14) — Total Yards/Game — 333.4 (17)
122.7 (12) — Rush Yards/Game — 95.0 (26)
217.7 (16) — Pass Yards/Game — 238.4 (7)
29:18 (20) — Time of Possession — 30:52 (10)
24.4 (22) — Opponent Points/Game — 27.7 (27)
323.6 (15) — Opponent Total Yards/Game — 351.1 (26)
127.9 (25) — Opponent Rush Yards/Game — 124.5 (21)
195.6 (9) — Opponent Pass Yards/Game — 226.6 (21)
+2 (10) — Turnover Margin — -1 (15)
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of the Dirty Bird Dispatch. Questions? Suggestions? Contact us at dledbetter@ajc.com. Follow @DorlandoAJC on X, too.
See you next week.
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.
