Coming off a tough loss last week, the Falcons now get a chance to regroup before the final six games of the season.
The Falcons (6-4) have finally gotten to their bye week, and when they next take the field against the Arizona Cardinals, on Nov. 27, they are guaranteed to have at least a one-game lead in the NFC South. With only one game remaining against a team that currently is above .500, the Falcons will have a good opportunity to solidify their playoff standing and compete for one of the conference’s top two spots when they return to to action.
Running back Devonta Freeman said this late bye week will contribute to helping players get their minds in the right spots for the playoff push.
“It gives us that opportunity to get fresh,” Freeman said. “We get a chance to get fresh and unwind a lot and come back and we can start fresh. We’ll be hungry again.”
Getting “hungry again” could be important for the Falcons, with such a weak schedule waiting for the team on the other side of the bye week. Last year the Falcons had their bye around this same point in the season, but went 2-5 the rest of the way to finish the season at 8-8. Three of those five losses came against teams that failed to make the playoffs.
One of the problems they had in the final seven games last season was a dip in production from the running backs. Freeman, who made the Pro Bowl last season, did not have a strong finish to what was otherwise a stellar sophomore campaign.
Freeman had 721 rushing yards before the bye last season, but gained 340 yards and lost two fumbles after the week off, and he was forced to miss a game with a concussion. Freeman didn’t just become less of a factor as a rusher though, he also slowed in the receiving game. After having at least 30 receiving yards seven times in the first nine games, Freeman reached that mark only two times in his final six contests.
Through 10 games this season, Freeman has 669 yards on the ground, a slight dip from the previous season. But the drop in his numbers is less about a drop in his performance, and more about the emergence of second-year man Tevin Coleman, who was splitting time in the backfield with Freeman before getting hurt.
Coleman, who suffered a hamstring injury Oct. 23 against San Diego, should return after the bye, along with cornerback Desmond Trufant. The return of these key contributors would certainly provide a big boost for the Falcons, and for Freeman, it may mean he will have even more time then the bye week to get "fresh."
Since Coleman has been sidelined, Freeman has played at least 43 snaps each week, including a season-high 49 in the San Diego matchup. When Coleman was healthy, Freeman played 40 snaps in one game. The return of Coleman should prevent Freeman from wearing down at the end of the season like he did last year, which means the Falcons should have a much better output from their backfield than they did at the close of 2015.
Freeman averaged 3.98 yards per carry since the Chargers’ game, and averaged 5 yards per carry when he was splitting time with Coleman. For a guy who saw his yards per carry fall from 4.40 during the first nine games of last year to 2.4 in his final six, getting the chance to have a decreased workload could allow him to provide a bigger impact when he is on the field.
This week however, Freeman does not need to be concerned with how many plays he is on the field or how many yards he gets on each carry. Instead, Freeman said he is going to take this time to relax and enjoy himself.
“Just chilling,” Freeman said of his plans during this week. “Being with my family, that’s it.”
