Tag: Atlanta Falcons news

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Falcons?

Find out who experts are picking between the Chargers and Falcons.

The Los Angeles Chargers are 1-point road favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13 of the 2024 regular season. The over/under is 47.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 47 points.

My score prediction for the game is a 27-21 win for the Chargers, with a total of 48 points. So, if I were putting money based on my prediction, I’d bet the over.

As for game picks, analysts give a slight nod to Los Angeles.

Expert Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today) Falcons
Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Falcons
Mike Clay (ESPN) Chargers
Matt Bowen (ESPN) Chargers
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Chargers
Bill Bender (Sporting News) Chargers
NFL.com Staff Chargers (4-1)
Bleacher Report Falcons

Sunday’s game will begin at 10:00 a.m. PT and be televised on CBS.

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 13 opponent: Falcons

Here are some important things to know about the Falcons ahead of the Week 13 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are on the road to face the Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 10:00 a.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 13 bout, here are a few key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

How things are going…

The Falcons are 6-5 on the season. They’re in first place in the NFC South.

Prolific passing offense

The Falcons made an offseason move to acquire quarterback Kirk Cousins, which has seemed to pay dividends. Atlanta ranks No. 5 in passing offense, averaging 243.6 yards per game. They’re eighth in yards per play (7.8). Cousins’ top targets, Darnell Mooney and Drake London, have over 700 receiving yards.

Beware of Bijan

Running back Bijan Robinson is another skill player the Chargers need to account for at all times. Robinson is good on the ground and can catch the ball. He has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.

Not so good on the other side of the ball

The Falcons have struggled on defense this season. They’re allowing 24.9 points per game, which ranks 25th. Atlanta is 19th against the run and 26th against the pass. The Falcons have ten sacks through 11 games, the fewest in the league.

Look out for…

Robinson. The Chargers struggled to stop the run last week against the Ravens, and they will have a tall task against Robinson, who has proven to be electric on the ground.

Ex-Justin Simmons teammate says safety is finalizing deal with Falcons

Su’a Cravens, who played for the Broncos in 2018, claims safety Justin Simmons is finalizing a deal with the Falcons.

Story update: Justin Simmons agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. See our original post below.

If a report from a former teammate can be trusted, free agent safety Justin Simmons has found a new home in the NFL.

Su’a Cravens, a former safety who played for the Denver Broncos in 2018, tweeted on Thursday that Simmons is “finalizing a deal” with the Atlanta Falcons. Another former teammate, cornerback Chris Harris, quote-tweeted the Cravens post. It’s unclear if Harris was confirming the report or merely reacting to the news.

Simmons, 30, was released by the Broncos earlier this year in a move that saved the team $14.5 million in salary cap space. Denver has since replaced Simmons with free agent addition Brandon Jones.

Simmons visited the New Orleans Saints last week and the Falcons this week. He is arguably the most notable free agent still available. If the Cravens report is accurate, the veteran finally has a new team after five months on the open market. Denver will host Atlanta in Week 11.

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Falcons fans have seen enough of head coach Arthur Smith

Falcons fans have seen enough of head coach Arthur Smith, with many calling for him to be fired at the bye week

NFL fans will put up with almost anything as long as their team is winning, but passion and patience don’t exactly go hand in hand. Once you begin to lose games, you begin to lose fans.

This is what Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is experiencing after the team’s third consecutive loss in Week 10. Smith’s job appears to be safe for the moment, but fans are ready to see Atlanta make a change at the bye week.

On Monday, Smith declined to name a starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. The Falcons head coach was asked about his response to those calling for his job.

Chargers claim safety Jaylinn Hawkins, place Raheem Layne on injured reserve

The Chargers shored up the safety room.

In wake of Raheem Layne’s season-ending injury, the Chargers claimed Jaylinn Hawkins off waivers from the Falcons.

To make room for Hawkins, Los Angeles placed Layne on the injured reserve list.

Hawkins, a 2020 fourth-round pick, had 124 tackles, four interceptions, nine passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery across 48 games with 22 starts, most of them coming last season (16).

Hawkins spent his collegiate career at California, where he posted 158 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, ten interceptions, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

Hawkins can play the deep part of the field, come down in the box and line up in the slot.

With Alohi Gilman still dealing with a heel injury, Hawkins could see the field as early as this weekend against the Chiefs.

Atlanta Falcons waive former Georgia Bulldogs DL

The Atlanta Falcons have waived former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman John Atkins.

The Atlanta Falcons have waived former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman John Atkins.

Atlanta waived several players following their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. The Falcons have to cut one more player to reach the NFL’s roster requirement by Tuesday.

Atkins played in 36 career games for the Georgia Bulldogs. He compiled 81 total tackles over his career in Athens, but he never recorded a sack. Atkins is more of a run-stopper than a pass rusher. Now, he will search for another NFL opportunity.

Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle John Atkins is looking for a new NFL home. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Atkins has 22 career tackles during his NFL career. He previosuly played with the Detroit Lions in 2018-2019. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive tackle went undrafted in 2018.

Atkins signed with the New England Patriots following the draft, but was cut before the regular season. Atkins signed with the Lions, with whom he had an opportunity to play in a few games as a rookie.

Atkins opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Detroit Lions cut Atkins on June 2.

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Atlanta Falcons preseason: Three-game schedule kicks off vs. Titans

On August 13, the Falcons will host the Tennessee Titans and wide receiver Julio Jones from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons are a week into training camp and their first preseason game is already fast approaching. On August 13, the Falcons will host the Tennessee Titans and wide receiver Julio Jones from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, assuming Kanye West has vacated the premises by then.

Here’s a look at the Falcons’ three-game preseason schedule, which kicks off next Friday.

Falcons expected to sign WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Falcons are hosting veteran returner Cordarrelle Patterson for a visit and he’s expected to sign with Atlanta

The Falcons have seen more than a handful of players leave for other teams since the start of free agency, including wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Powell, who signed with the Buffalo Bills. Atlanta may have found Powell’s replacement, though.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Falcons are hosting veteran returner Cordarrelle Patterson for a visit and the two sides are expected to reach a deal.

Patterson, a first-round pick in 2013, has played for four NFL teams and spent last season with the Chicago Bears. While he’s never been much of a threat as a true receiver, Patterson has been named to four All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowls for his outstanding kick-return ability.

Over his eight seasons, the former Tennessee speedster has returned 239 kickoffs for 7,118 yards and eight touchdowns. As a receiver, Patterson has 216 catches for 2,087 yards and 10 touchdown receptions.

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Report: Vikings express ‘early interest’ in free agent Falcons S Keanu Neal

Could Atlanta Falcons free agent safety Keanu Neal sign with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason?

S Anthony Harris is arguably the best player in the Vikings’ 2021 free agency class.

Harris had a 2019 where he tallied six interceptions in the regular season and one in the playoffs. That year, he earned a PFF grade of 90.5.

In 2020, Harris regressed. He had no interceptions and a PFF grade of 66.2. However, based on his body of work, Harris should still command a decent price in free agency.

So it makes sense that Minnesota is reportedly looking for other safeties in free agency. Per multiple reports, the Vikings have expressed interest in Falcons S Keanu Neal, who is a free agent this offseason. Although, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press added the caveat that it is “early interest” at this time.

Neal had one interception and a PFF grade of 68.2 in 2020. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he had one interception and a PFF grade of 78.1. He suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2018 and 2019.

So Neal has been good in the past and the Vikings probably don’t need a stellar safety paired with someone as good as S Harrison Smith. That said, this move would likely be a downgrade from the Smith-Harris pairing back deep.

Falcons complete interview with Brad Holmes for GM vacancy

The Atlanta Falcons continue to interview candidates for their vacancies at head coach and general manager.

The Atlanta Falcons continue to interview candidates for their vacancies at head coach and general manager. On Monday, the team spoke to Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh virtually.

Then on Tuesday afternoon, as reported by the Falcons Twitter account, the team completed another virtual interview with Brad Holmes, the Los Angeles Rams director of college scouting.

Holmes has spent nearly two decades with the Rams organization, working his way up to college scouting director in 2013 and helping the team draft a ton of talented players. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff are just some of the names acquired during Holmes’ tenure.

Stay tuned for more interview updates throughout the week.

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