Falcons safety Jaylinn Hawkins thought he was just going to the end zone to celebrate A.J. Terrell’s touchdown.
But when Terrell tried to stick the ball over the goal line, he dropped it.
Hawkins recovered the ball and scored a touchdown in the process to help the Falcons set the tone in the 28-14 win over the 49ers on Sunday.
“I was like, ‘Bro, that’s your touchdown,’” Hawkins said. “You know what I’m saying, like that was your turn. I mean, at the end of the day, I always got my dog’s back, so it’s all good.”
On third-and-1, Falcons linebacker Rashaan Evans walloped 49ers running back Jeff Wilson, who fumbled. Terrell scooped up the ball and headed for the end zone.
Hawkins started running, too. Once he saw the ball, he instinctually fell on it. The touchdown put the Falcons up 14-0.
Hawkins finished with four tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.
On Hawkins’ interception, cornerback Darren Hall tipped the ball up in the air.
The Falcons were up 28-14 early in the fourth quarter when Hawkins made his interception. It was a big part of the second-half shutout of the 49ers.
“Man, shoutout to D Hall for reading the quarterback’s eyes the whole time,” Hawkins said. “He was looking over there. I broke high, went to the corner and ended up going low, seeing Darren out there got a hand on the ball. Went out there, used my ball skills, and made a play on the ball.”
Hawkins picked up 14 yards on the return before being pushed out of bounds by running back Tevin Coleman, who played with the Falcons from 2015 to 2018. He’s in his second stint with the 49ers.
It was the Falcons’ second interception. Isaiah Oliver had an interception in the second quarter to thwart a San Francisco scoring threat right before halftime.
Hawkins, who is in his first season as a full-time starter, likes how the defense is coming together.
“Man, everybody just works hard; that’s the thing about our team,” Hawkins said. “Like everybody goes to practice, we (are) out there and are executing. We work to get better no matter who it is.”
That helped later in the game after Terrell (hamstring/thigh), Casey Hayward (right arm) and Oliver (undisclosed) all suffered injuries.
The Falcons had Dee Alford at right corner, Hall at left corner and Mike Ford at nickel back at times in the fourth quarter.
“We are all close as a union, that’s the cool thing,” Hawkins said. “That’s the thing I love about our group is we all jam together, hang out together outside of football, always in the group chats making jokes and stuff like that.”
Oliver and Terrell said they are fine. Oliver returned to the game.
“It’s good, it’s good,” Terrell said of his hamstring/thigh.
Terrell could have returned.
“Just going with my gut, just being able to play it safe a little bit,” Terrell said.
But the reserves held up.
“So, we all got each other’s back, and that’s the main thing,” Hawkins said. “No matter who it is out there on the field, we’re all going to play for one another.”
The turnovers were helpful, but Terrell will get some ballhandling work with the running backs.
“We’ll work with A.J.,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “I told them the DBs are going to work with (running backs coach) Mike Pitre on the ball security drill – going in with one hand. In all seriousness, that was a huge play.”
Terrell was angling for the pylon.
“He was able to get the edge, but if Jaylinn is not finishing that play, that could have been a touchback the other way,” Smith said. “In all seriousness, we have to work on that. Great play, but we can do that better, and we need to, because that could have cost us. But by going to the ball, Hawk finishing, we were able to get the touchdown.”
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The Bow Tie Chronicles
Atlanta Falcons 2022 schedule
Sept. 11: Saints 27, Falcons 26
Sept. 18: Rams 31, Falcons 27
Sept. 25 Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Oct. 2 Falcons 23, Browns 20
Oct. 9 Buccaneers 21, Falcons 15
Oct. 16 Falcons 28, 49ers 14
Oct. 23 at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Oct. 30 vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Carolina, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.
Nov. 27 at Washington, 1 p.m.
Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Dec. 18 at New Orleans, TBD
Dec. 24 at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Jan. 1 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Jan. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, TBD
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