The Falcoholic
A letdown from ol’ reliable.
The Falcons finally dropped a divisional game, losing to the Saints in a contest that was at times laughably frustrating and other times downright maddening. Between missed downfield throws, bonehead penalties along the line, and Younghoe Koo turning in the worst game of his career, it was difficult to find anything to tip your hat to in this one.
Read on for Hat tips & head-scratchers from Week 10.
Another week, another hat tip to running back Bijan Robinson. After flirting with what appeared to be a timeshare early in the season, Robinson’s recent performances have cemented him — as expected — as Atlanta’s No. 1 back. He’s out-snapped fellow back Tyler Allgeier in the last three weeks, and his performance on Sunday was a showcase as to why. He was shifty, elusive, and powerful — at one point receiving contact at the line of scrimmage and then dragging safety Tyrann Mathieu into the end zone for the score.
Robinson was responsible for 144 all-purpose yards and Atlanta’s two touchdowns on the day. He will continue to be a focal point and difference-maker for this team down the stretch.
Is it time to get concerned about Younghoe Koo? While it may be a product of his updated mechanics, it’s clear that something is amiss with Atlanta’s once-reliable kicker. He missed three field goal attempts on Sunday, one courtesy of a tip, bringing his season stats to 17-24. His field goal percentage sits at 70.4%, second-worst of his career after his rookie year in Los Angeles. Koo has put the team on his back in many a moment, but his performance on Sunday is a microcosm for what has been a pretty forgettable season.
It was a rough outing for Atlanta’s offensive line in pass-pro sets. The unit surrendered three sacks on the afternoon, the most consequential of which came when the Falcons were angling to get into field goal range to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Chase Young blasted right by left tackle Jake Matthews and forced the strip sack. Matthews was able to recover the football, but Atlanta lost 20 yards on the play and would be forced into scramble drill mode to try and win the game.
New Orleans wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling ate Atlanta for lunch in the first half. He kicked things off with a 40-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, a play where the Falcons had three defenders in the area and all of them failed to make a play.
He followed that up on the Saints’ next possession, securing a two-yard pass from Derek Carr for the touchdown. With the Saints missing top target Chris Olave, MVS stepped up — and nobody in Atlanta’s secondary appeared up to the challenge. Valdes-Scantling finished the game with 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
