The Falcoholic
Younghoe Koo is back on track, but others...are not.
The Atlanta Falcons lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The team got smoked on both sides of the ball and put up little resistance as the Denver Broncos stampeded to victory.
Still, some players bounced back from the previous week, even though many others spiraled. Here’s the Week 11 3 up and 3 down:
The Falcons kicker bounced back after an all-time low in Week 10, going 2-2 on the day. Koo nailed a 41 and 51-yard field goal, and we saw him make a slight adjustment to his stance. While he still has a more straight-on approach than the standard, Koo went back to his 2023 starting point, which is just slightly further to the left than his 2024 stance. The first kick wasn’t the prettiest, but the 51-yarder was money and looked like the kicks Falcons fans have become accustomed to seeing.
While Koo’s leg wasn’t a factor at the end of the day, it’s good that he got a confidence boost heading into the bye week. The last thing the Falcons needed was another homework assignment during their time off. The Falcons will need Koo’s reliability, especially as the team’s win-loss margins begin to tighten.
Kareem has been a pleasant surprise since his debut. The edge defender has been elevated from the practice squad two weeks in a row and has looked like one of the better pass rushers on the team in both games. Kareem was able to pick up a handful of pressures and was fundamentally sound against the run.
He does need to improve his contain responsibilities, but the Falcons may have found another solid player on their practice squad. With the injuries and his good play, I expect the snap counts to increase after the bye week.
The young defender continues to produce when given the opportunity. Zach Harrison was PFF’s highest-graded Falcon by a country mile this weekend with a 93.2. Harrison was stout against the run and made a sensational tackle for loss at one point. The former Buckeye continues to display his versatility as he lined up all over the interior, but the defender flashed in his 1T snaps this week.
Unfortunately, Harrison would leave the game at the top of the fourth quarter due to injury, ending his promising day. It doesn’t sound like the player will miss significant time, and the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m not sure what else it would take to get him snaps, but if Jimmy Lake still isn’t impressed with what he’s seen, then the Falcons have an internal scouting problem.
The Falcons missed Charlie Woerner all afternoon, and his replacement amplified the absence. Atlanta’s number three tight end on the depth chart has been a liability since his debut against Pittsburgh. The Falcons wanted to utilize him in the...
