Editor’s note: This is the seventh of an eight-part, position-by-position series analyzing the Falcons’ 2023 season. Today: The defensive backs
FLOWERY BRANCH — With the addition of safety Jessie Bates III through free agency, the Falcons’ secondary was vastly improved this season.
“Coach (Ryan) Nielsen, coach (Arthur) Smith and general manager Terry (Fontenot), all those guys, they brought me here for a reason,” said Bates, who signed a lucrative deal, $64.02 million over four years. “It’s my job to make sure I do the right things. That comes with the leadership. Leading by example. Leading with your voice. Being the same guy every single day. It’s been a challenge for me.”
Bates was dynamic on the field as the Falcons’ pass defense improved from 25th in the NFL to eighth. The Falcons gave up 231.9 yards per game in 2022 and that was cut to 202.9 with Bates patrolling the field.
“Every day I go to work, every day over the offseason, I’ll remind myself to be a better leader,” Bates said. “A better teammate to get us over the hump. To get us on that winning streak that Atlanta, Georgia, deserves.”
One of the highlights of the season was Bates’ 92-yard interception return against the Saints that fueled a 24-15 win on Nov. 26.
Bates, formerly of Wake Forest and the Bengals, finished with a career-high six interceptions and was named to the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro selection.
Bates took his job seriously.
“(To have) a really good team, I think you (must) have leaders that step up and do some of the work that is not seen and don’t care about not getting credit for it or anything like that,” Bates said.
Bates tried to lead a late-season charge, but the things started to fall apart after the 29-10 win over the Colts on Christmas Eve. The Falcons needed to close with two wins to win the NFC South, but ended being outscored 85-34 in losses to the Bears and Saints.
“The name of the game is to win football games,” Bates said. “It’s cool and it’s fun when you make plays. At the end of the day, I play this game to be a winner. Not just individually as a winner, but being able to win football games, play in meaningful games and create bonds that last a lifetime.”
The Falcons were hoping that Bates would pair well with Richie Grant and form a dynamic tandem on the defense. Grant struggled, especially covering tight ends, and ended up being moved back to nickel/dime back.
Quarterbacks had a 126.6 passer rating when throwing at Grant, while Bates had a 67.1 rating, according to Pro Football Reference’s advanced statistics.
Rookie DeMarcco Hellams, a seventh-round pick from Alabama, ended up starting the final four games of the season.
The Falcons had hoped to pair A.J. Terrell with Jeff Okudah at cornerback. Okudah got a solid shot by the Falcons, but the defensive coaches moved away from Okudah for rookie Clark Phillips III late in the season.
Okudah, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Lions, appears headed for free agency.
Dee Alford started as the nickel back. Mike Hughes finished the season at the spot and played well.
The Falcons were pleased with Terrell’s play. He had a 93.2 passer rating when thrown at and gave up four touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.
“Good cover corner,” former Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray said. “Understand what he’s doing. We’ve matched him up on a lot of the top receivers this year. How can he hang? What are you doing with those guys? That’s the biggest thing.”
Terrell didn’t have any interceptions.
“If you get matched up on the best receivers, the ball’s going to come your way a lot, so you’ve got to be prepared for it mentally,” Gray said. “He is in that class. I think he’s ready to take that next step.”
The Falcons picked up Terrell’s $12.34 million fifth-year option for next season and could offer a long-term deal like they did Chris Lindstrom last season.
Phillips, who was drafted in the fourth round out of Utah, came on strong down the stretch. He started the final five games. Quarterbacks had an 88.3 passer rating when throwing at Phillips.
The Falcons believe that Phillips has an huge upside.
“Well, the consistency of every single play,” said Nielsen, when asked what Phillips needed to improve on. “The consistency of being in the right spot every time, technique and things. Just doing what you’re doing at your best every single time. That will be it, and that’s easy to do for him because he’s a really good athlete.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters: CB A.J. Terrell, FS Jessie Bates III, SS DeMarcco Hellams, CB Clark Phillips III.
Backups: CBs – Mike Hughes, Jeff Okudah (unrestricted free agent) and Tre Flowers. (UFA), S – Richie Grant and Micah Abernathy.
Falcons’ position-by-position analysis:
Part 3: Wide receivers/tight ends
Part 7: Defensive backs
Part 8: Special teams
The Bow Tie Chronicles
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