Tag: Dee Alford

Justin Jefferson scored the easiest TD after the Falcons’ Dee Alford completely panicked and fell

Panicking when seeing an open Justin Jefferson is the worst-case scenario.

Justin Jefferson is a perennial First-Team All-Pro receiver. He’s arguably the best downfield threat in the NFL since Randy Moss. So it’s easier said than done to keep your cool when covering a dynamic playmaker like him.

Nonetheless, the Atlanta Falcons’ Dee Alford learned an important lesson on Sunday.

With the Minnesota Vikings trying to extend a 14-13 lead in the late third quarter, Jefferson found himself beyond wide open on a broken coverage. It came to the point where he was raising his hand, calling for the ball while running roughly 30 yards downfield.

In most cases, if Sam Darnold is able to get enough time, Jefferson will probably score a touchdown in these kinds of sequences. That’s just the reality of how the superstar receiver he is. Still, Alford had the worst possible reaction to the broken coverage. That’s because as he saw Jefferson streak open, Alford didn’t do everything in his power to stop him.

Instead, Alford panicked and turned around to cover a phantom receiver, and he fell over and took himself out of the play as Jefferson literally waited for the ball to arrive with no pressure. In terms of “easy” touchdowns, this might be one of the biggest lay-ups in Jefferson’s already illustrious career:

A note to all defensive backs covering Jefferson in the future: if he’s open, he’s getting the ball. You need not worry about other receivers who aren’t even in the vicinity.

Falcons CB Dee Alford ruled out for game vs. Buccaneers

Falcons CB Dee Alford has been ruled out against the Buccaneers due to a head injury

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford has been ruled out for the remainder of Thursday night’s contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going down with a head injury midway through the first quarter. He was evaluated for a concussion before being ruled out by the medical staff in the second quarter.

Alford has struggled in the game so far but leads the stat sheet for the Falcons with three total tackles (two solo) in the first quarter. He entered the game with 26 combined tackles (20 solo), one sack and two passes defended over four games played.

Without Alford, the Falcons will be forced to lean on Antonio Hamilton and Clark Phillips III.

 

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The Atlanta Falcons came so close to pulling off an incredible Kick 6 in Chicago

So, so close!

It’s been far too long since the last time we had a proper Kick 6 but, wow, did the Atlanta Falcons come close on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

With the second quarter coming to a close at a snowy Soldier Field, the Bears found themselves at the Atlanta 37-yard line and decided to give kicker Cairo Santos a chance at a long field goal under the circumstances.

Atlanta wisely decided to put returner Dee Alford back in the end zone just in case — which it probably thought to do after missing two field goals of their own already. The kick went up, the clock hit zero and the ball fell right into Alford’s hands who started to slice all the way up field.

This was so excruciatingly close to one of the coolest plays of the season. Alford made it all the way back to the 15-yard line before Bears tight end Robert Tonyan made a touchdown-saving tackle.

But go back to the 13-second mark of that clip and listen to the collective groan from Soldier Field as Alford cuts back and finds a bunch of blockers ahead of him. They knew exactly what was coming.

Props to Tonyan for chasing down Alford and stopping a score, but he also robbed us of one the most electric plays in football. Instead it’s just a 96-yard return for naught.

Fans wanted Alford to finish this off so bad.

Derek Carr’s response to pick-six vs. Falcons couldn’t be worse

Rather than practice any accountability for a bad decision on his pick-six against the Falcons, Derek Carr complimented his opponent for making a great play:

Nobody likes to be critical of themselves, but that comes with the territory of being a franchise quarterback in the NFL. As the face of an organization with more responsibility for the performance of the offense than anyone else in the building, it falls on the quarterback to take credit in wins and face criticism in losses.

So it’s concerning to see Derek Carr dodge the issue when discussing his worst play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The New Orleans Saints quarterback threw an interception to Falcons safety Jessie Bates III in the red zone that Bates returned 92 yards for a defensive score, giving Atlanta an early lead which they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the afternoon.

And rather than accept any accountability for making a bad decision and putting the ball in harm’s way, all Carr had to share after the game was praise for his opponent.

“He was playing single high and he left his responsibility. You don’t expect him to do that,” Carr said. “You don’t plan on that, for that route. I thought (Rashid) Shaheed made a good decision. But Bates is a good player and he made a great play. Very few times have I told someone good job on a bad play, but that was one where I told him, ‘You beat me. You made a great play.’ It is what it is. It sucks to have that happen. But same thing, (passing game coordinator Ronald Curry) on the sideline, he says ‘Bro made a great play. Keep playing, you’re playing great, get going.'”

Carr has not met the expectations the Saints set for him. He’s making mistakes that you’d expect from a rookie quarterback, not someone in his 154th start in the NFL. He isn’t playing like the NFL’s 13th highest-paid quarterback (which he is). He threw more touchdown passes to Falcons players than his Saints teammates in Atlanta on Sunday.

On this play, Carr took the snap out of the shotgun and dropped back to pass, locking onto Shaheed right away and throwing the ball a little behind him. Bates correctly read Carr’s intentions and jumped the route for an easy catch with 92 yards of open field ahead of him. It was a great play that showed the safety’s high football IQ, but that’s not the story here. Carr failed to progress through the coverage and find his receivers. Chris Olave had a step on A.J. Terrell in the end zone over the middle of the field. Keith Kirkwood was open running against Dee Alford at the top of the formation. Carr had options.

Maybe a designed pass to Shaheed on a Texas route, sending him to the end zone, was the point of the play. When given an opportunity to explain himself and what the idea was, and most importantly, where he went wrong, Carr instead chose to deflect criticism away and talk up his opponent for getting the better of him. There’s nothing wrong with offering a hat-tip to someone in that situation. But Carr’s reluctance to own up to his mistake on a game-changing play is telling. He’s got to play better than this, and if he isn’t willing to admit as much publicly, it’s worth wondering whether he’s being told that privately.

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Falcons CB Dee Alford fined for unnecessary roughness

Falcons CB Dee Alford has been fined by the NFL for unnecessary roughness during last week’s loss to the Vikings

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford has been fined by the NFL for an unnecessary roughness violation he committed during the team’s Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported on Saturday.

Alford’s hit on Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn, which can be seen below, earned the cornerback a fine of $4,853.

The Falcons have received a handful of fines for unsportsmanlike conduct this season, but as we pointed out earlier this week, these fines don’t always tell the whole story.

Fullback Keith Smith was reportedly fined $87,000, however, it was never reported that Smith won his appeal and the NFL overturned the fine.

Atlanta ruled out Alford for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals due to an ankle injury. Without their starting nickel corner, the Falcons will look to veteran Mike Hughes and rookie Clark Phillips III.

Head coach Arthur Smith said the team had confidence in Phillips to step up in Alford’s absence.

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Falcons CB Dee Alford questionable to return vs. Vikings

Falcons CB Dee Alford (ankle) is questionable to return vs. the Vikings

The Falcons have suffered another injury against the Vikings. This time, it was nickel cornerback Dee Alford who went down due to an ankle injury. Alford is officially questionable to return to Sunday’s game, per team reporter Terrin Waack.

Atlanta currently trails, 24-21, with 10 minutes remaining against Minnesota.

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WATCH: Falcons CB Dee Alford mic’d up for Week 7

WATCH: Falcons CB Dee Alford was mic’d up for the team’s Week 7 win over the Buccaneers

The Atlanta Falcons’ Week 7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers propelled them into first place in the NFC South, but it wouldn’t have been possible without a stellar effort from the defense.

The Falcons were able to overcome three lost fumbles in the red zone because the defense got big stops down the stretch. Atlanta’s secondary continues to play well and cornerback Dee Alford has been an important part of the unit’s progress this season.

Alford was mic’d up for Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. Check it out, as shared by the team’s YouTube channel below.

The Falcons will look to keep the momentum going in Week 8 when they face the Tennessee Titans on the road. The Titans are coming off a bye week but may not have their starting quarterback.

Check out Atlanta’s Week 8 depth chart and updated 53-man roster. The team’s first injury report will come out following practice on Wednesday.

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Falcons CB Dee Alford being evaluated for concussion

#Falcons CB Dee Alford has exited the game and is being evaluated for a concussion

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford has exited the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a head injury. According to team reporter Tori McElhaney, Alford is on the sidelines being evaluated for a concussion and his return is questionable.

The Falcons are down by 10 points going into the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Check back for updates and analysis following Sunday’s game.

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Dee Alford’s 4th-quarter INT seals Falcons’ Week 4 win

Highlights: Dee Alford picks off Jacoby Brissett to secure Falcons’ Week 4 win over the Browns

The Atlanta Falcons have now won two straight games following their 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 4. Sunday’s win was anything but easy, though.

The Browns were in position to steal the game late in the fourth quarter, when Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett came up with a momentum-shifting sack. Cornerback Dee Alford did the rest, intercepting Browns QB Jacoby Brissett to secure the win.

Watch Alford’s game-winning interception below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account.

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Dee Alford is playing his way onto the Falcons’ 53-man roster

Falcons CB Dee Alford views himself as a playmaker and credits his basketball background for his ability to high-point the football.

In 2021, Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell established himself as one of the best in the NFL at his position. However, the former first-round pick was often the lone bright spot in the Falcons defensive secondary.

Atlanta finally got Terrell some help over the offseason, signing veteran Casey Hayward to replace Fabian Moreau. The team also brought back Isaiah Oliver, who figures to start at nickel, and signed former Canadian Football League player Dee Alford.

We don’t know how many defensive backs the team will keep on the 53-man roster, but Alford has certainly been making his case in training camp thus far. He followed up some good practice performances with an outstanding debut in Atlanta’s preseason opener, coming away with an acrobatic interception in the 27-23 win over Detroit.

Alford views himself as a playmaker and credits his basketball background for his ability to high-point the football.

“I’m a playmaker,” stated Alford to the Falcons team reporters. “I played basketball all my life. So I see ball, I get ball. I just try to high point it. I want to be the first one to get my hands on it. That’s what I do every time I step on the field, I try to find ways to impact the game and help out my team.”

Against the Lions, Alford recorded six tackles and one interception. He was targeted a total of nine times, but only allowed a reception on five occasions for just 33 yards in total. When targeted, the opposing quarterback posted an average passer rating of 24.1.

Outside of his preseason performance, Alford has been making splashes and showing improvement each and every day in camp.

ESPN’s Michael Rothstein even mentioned in his daily practice observations that Alford has been on quite a run lately.

“Every practice lately, Alford has shown up”, wrote Rothstein.”With Cornell Armstrong on injured reserve, it’s possible he might play his way onto the roster.”

While Alford appears to be thriving at the moment, he will need to keep up his high level of play for a few more weeks if he wants to solidify his roster spot.

Atlanta released four players on Tuesday, and placed Armstrong on the injured reserve list. Check out our 85-man roster tracker and latest 53-man roster projection.

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