The Falcoholic
The Atlanta Falcons may be without top cornerback A.J. Terrell for an undetermined number of games due to a hamstring injury. In the meantime, the team will have to lean on its improved pass rush to make up the difference and prove that this improved defense is anything but a mirage.
Losing Terrell is a significant blow. Had you asked me before the season to name three players the Falcons could least afford to lose for any considerable amount of time, Terrell would’ve undoubtedly been among them, given how untested the Falcons’ secondary appeared outside Terrell and safety Jessie Bates. However, those concerns have been partially mitigated thanks to the early returns on rookies Billy Bowman and Xavier Watts, who have been very promising.
Yet the only proven option besides Terrell at cornerback is veteran Mike Hughes, who is the best of the failed, former early-round draft picks that the Falcons have cycled through opposite Terrell at cornerback over the years. As a former first-round pick, Hughes joins Darqueze Dennard, Jeff Okudah, Kevin King, and C.J. Henderson as corners who have found their way to Atlanta since the team drafted Terrell in 2020. Some of these players were added for depth, but others were meant to secure the No. 2 cornerback spot. Hughes is the only one to last more than a year, as he is beginning his third season with the Falcons.
Thanks to serviceable play and reliable tackling, Hughes has maintained a grip on a roster spot. But he still struggles against premium competition, evidenced by the two touchdowns given up to Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka in the Falcons’ Week 1 loss. While it is early, Egbuka appears to be on the path to becoming a very effective weapon in the NFL for many years to come.
The Falcons’ upcoming opponent, the Carolina Panthers, might also have an on-the-rise rookie receiver in Tetairoa McMillan. Also in Week 4, the Falcons face the Washington Commanders, who feature Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin at wide receiver, albeit knowing that both are off to slower-than-expected starts.
Hughes, while serviceable, has not performed at a level that merits confidence in his ability to lock down this caliber of receiver. Unfortunately, the Falcons don’t have better options to bring off the bench, despite corners of the fanbase that are still enthusiastically stockpiling futures for Clark Phillips, Cobee Bryant, and Natrone Brooks. Instead, the Falcons will hope that rookies Bowman and Watts can rise to the challenges that come with Terrell’s absence, along with Bates continuing to be a play-making fixture in the secondary.
The real solution to the Falcons’ secondary concerns rests on their pass rush continuing to get home. The Falcons have tallied seven sacks through two games, which currently ranks tied for fifth place in the NFL. According to Next Gen Stats, they’ve pressured opposing quarterbacks on 46 percent of their...
