1. The no-spin zone: Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell faced Pittsburgh rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett when Terrell was a sophomore at Clemson.
The Tigers, on their way to an undefeated season and a national championship, pummeled Pickett and the Pitt Panthers 42-10 on Dec. 1, 2018, in the ACC Championship game in Charlotte, N.C.
Terrell finished with four tackles and had an interception that he returned 31 yards. Pickett completed 4 of 16 passes for 8 yards in the blowout.
The Falcons (5-7) are set to face Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“He’s a competitor,” Terrell said. “He’s is going to try to make a play.”
Pickett went on to develop into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and was selected by the Steelers in the first round (20th overall) in the 2022 NFL draft.
“Good, talented quarterback,” Terrell said. “You just got to be detailed, keep him in the pocket and make him throw the ball.”
Terrell returned to the lineup Nov. 20 against the Bears after his hamstring injury caused him to miss three games and most of a fourth.
“Glad to be out there,” Terrell said. “I know my presence means a lot for the defense. Just being out there and being able to compete, down in and down out. Just be out there. Be a vocal leader. (My) presence out there means a lot for everybody.”
As Washington started to lean on the run game Sunday, Terrell and the secondary still were on alert.
“On the back end, there is no play (to take) off,” Terrell said. “You have to anticipate pass all the time. Just being on 10 toes the whole time, staying focused and locked in on the details. Make sure you don’t get lackadaisical out there and give up a play. Playing pass-first and then react to the run in the back end.”
Terrell did some TV scouting of the Steelers this week on “Monday Night Football.”
“I watch to see who my opponents are,” Terrell said. “Try to get a jump on that. Not pile my head up too much. I want to see who my matchups are. See things like that just to pick up on leading up to practice.”
The Falcons are a half-game back of the Buccaneers in the NFC South.
“We’re right in the hunt, where we need to be,” Terrell said. “We just have to make that push for it.”
2. Moving on from tough loss: Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom knows the team has to move on from the tough loss to the Commanders.
“You have to put it to bed,” Lindstrom said of the 19-13 loss. “Learn from mistakes. Take what you did well. We know it’s a huge week for us coming up. It’s crazy to say, but we’re already here at the home stretch of the season. So, we’re really trying to focus.”
Coach Arthur Smith was proud of the offensive line and how the offense ran the ball against Washington’s stout defensive front.
“It was definitely a physical game,” Lindstrom said. “They are a great front. I think that’s well known across the league that they are one of the best defenses. It was a great challenge for us. It was an exciting challenge to get out and get after them. Those guys did a great job, too, but it was a physical game.”
3. Picking up Marcus Mariota: Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota will need to rebound from the last-minute interception against the Commanders.
“We love Marcus, and he was a huge reason why we were even in the game,” Lindstrom said. “That play is not on him at all. It just happened. He’s a great player. He made a great play. The ball tipped up in the air, and that’s sometimes how it goes. You just have to credit them, the defense, for making a play in a huge situation.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC
4. Jonathan Allen on Mariota: Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen gave Mariota a compliment after putting a hit on him in the game. The exchange was caught by NFL Films.
“I love the way you play, baby,” Allen said.
5. Pro Bowl voting: Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo is in the top 10 in the latest Pro Bowl voting through Nov. 28.
Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson leads the Pro Bowl voting by the fans.
6. Atlanta and Georgia top NFL producers: In a story titled “How to make it to the NFL – A data study” by OHBets, Atlanta and Georgia are prominently mentioned.
“California, Texas, Florida and Georgia are by far the biggest producers of NFL players. Those 4 states account for 35% of all current players (677).”
It’s a testament to the youth and high school coaches that Georgia is on the list with the three most populous states.
“Atlanta, the 37th most populated city in the US, has produced the second most players in today’s NFL, with 28 players being born in Atlanta,” according to the article.
“University of Alabama is the biggest (producer) of players to today’s NFL, with 68 players being Alabama alumni.”
7. Series record: This will be the 18th meeting. The Steelers lead the series 14-2-1. Jim Mora and Bill Cowher were the coaches the last time the Falcons beat the Steelers.
The Steelers have won the past three meetings. The Falcons won 41-38 in overtime on Oct. 22, 2006, to improve to 4-2. Morten Andersen made a 32-yard field goal in overtime.
8. Tale of the tape: Here’s how the Falcons and Steelers match up statistically:
2022 season rankings
Steelers / Falcons
17.6 (28) Pts/Game 22.7 (14)
313.2 (28) Tot Off. 315.3 (27)
113.5 (21) Net Rush Yds/Game 160.0 (4)
199.5 (25) Net Pass Yds/Game 155.3 (31)
30:37 (10) Poss Avg. 29:03 (25)
23.7 (24) Opp Pts/Game 24.4 (25)
367.7 (25) Opp Tot Off. 383.1 (28)
104.0 (6) Opp Rush Yds/Game 127.5 (21)
263.7 (30) Opp Pass Yds/Game 255.6 (28)
+3 (8) Turnover Differential -1 (22)
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
9. Depth chart: Here’s a look at the Falcons’ depth chart:
OFFENSE
QB – Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder
RB – Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier, Caleb Huntley, Avery Williams
FB – Keith Smith
WR – Drake London, Damiere Byrd
TE – Parker Hesse, Anthony Firkser, MyCole Pruitt, Feleipe Franks
LT – Jake Matthews
LG – Chuma Edoga, Colby Gossett
C – Drew Dalman
RG – Chris Lindstrom, Ryan Neuzil
RT – Kaleb McGary, Germain Ifedi
WR – Olamide Zaccheaus, KhaDarel Hodge
DEFENSE
OLB – Lorenzo Carter, DeAngelo Malone
DE – Grady Jarrett, Timothy Horne
NT – Abdullah Anderson, Jalen Dalton
DE – Matt Dickerson, Jaleel Johnson
OLB – Ade Ogundeji, Arnold Ebiketie
ILB – Rashaan Evans, Nick Kwiatkoski
ILB – Mykal Walker, Troy Andersen, Nate Landman
CB – A.J. Terrell, Isaiah Oliver, Mike Ford, Rashad Fenton
FS – Jaylinn Hawkins, Jovante Moffatt
SS – Richie Grant, Erik Harris
CB – Darren Hall, Dee Alford, Cornell Armstrong
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Younghoe Koo
P/H – Bradley Pinion
LS – Liam McCullough
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