Tag: Falcons

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins catches Cowboys off guard, throws TD pass

WATCH: Falcons QB Kirk Cousins catches Cowboys off guard, throws TD pass to Darnell Mooney

The Falcons took advantage of a confused Cowboys defense and converted on a fourth-down attempt in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who ran the remaining length to the end zone uncontested.

This touchdown extended Atlanta’s advantage to 14-3 midway through the second quarter. Mooney has recorded four catches for 72 receiving yards and a touchdown thus far in the first half. Watch Mooney’s touchdown reception below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account.

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Falcons defense stuffs the Cowboys offense on fourth down

Falcons stuff the Cowboys defense on fourth down, force turnover on downs

The Atlanta Falcons lost their offensive momentum after Kirk Cousins lost a fumble in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. However, the defense stood tall again as they forced another turnover, this time, by way of a fourth-down stop.

Now the offense has the ball at midfield and can pick up where the previous drive left off. Watch the fourth-down stop, as shared by the Falcons’ Twitter account below.

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Falcons CB A.J. Terrell intercepts Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

WATCH: Falcons CB A.J. Terrell intercepts Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, who has been under a lot of scrutiny the last several weeks, came up with a big play in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Terrell intercepted quarterback Baker Mayfield to end a Buccaneers drive. However, the offense fumbled the football out the back of the end zone and gave the Bucs an extra two points and the ball back.

Watch Terrell’s interception, as shared by the team’s Twitter account below:

 

Kirk Cousins connects with Bijan Robinson for his 4th touchdown

Falcons Kirk Cousins finds Bijan Robinson for 4th TD vs. Bucs

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is having another big day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the back of a failed fake punt by the Bucs, the Falcons offense took advantage of the opportunity and added to their lead.

This time, it was a Cousins-to-Robinson connection. It was the the Falcons QB’s fourth touchdown on the afternoon. He’s now thrown for over 255 yards with less than ten minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta currently holds a 31-19 advantage over Tampa Bay. Watch Robinson walk into the end zone, as shared by the Falcons Twitter account below:

 

LOOK: Falcons stuff Buccaneers on fake-punt attempt

WATCH: Falcons WR KhaDarel Hodge sniffs out Bucs’ fake-punt attempt

The Falcons defense seemed to flip a switch at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. After a rocky first, half, this unit has come up with some crucial stops in the third quarter.

Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, the same player who ran away from the Bucs defense in overtime to seal the win in Week 5, made the clutch tackle late in the third.

Watch the special teams unit stuff the Bucs, as shared by the Falcons Twitter account.

 

Jessie Bates forces Falcons’ second turnover vs. Buccaneers

WATCH: Jessie Bates forces Falcons’ second turnover vs. the Buccaneers

The Falcons defense hasn’t had its best day, but safety Jessie Bates came to the rescue once again in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. After forcing and recovering a fumble in the first half, Bates came away with an interception on an attempted flea-flicker by the Bucs.

Watch as Bates high-points the football and gives the ball back to the Falcons offense, as shared by the team’s Twitter account below:

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Matthew Judon gives himself harsh grade after 7 games with Falcons

Falcons edge rusher Matthew Judon grades his performance over the first seven games…

The Atlanta Falcons have been far from perfect through the first seven weeks of the 2024 NFL season, but it’s tough to complain with the team sitting atop the NFC South with a 4-3 record.

While the offensive and defensive units have played well at times, the pass rush has been a glaring weakness thus far. The Falcons are ranked dead last in the league with six total sacks this season.

Sacks aren’t everything, but considering 27 teams have at least twice as many as Atlanta, it’s clearly a problem. The Falcons did little to address the edge position over the offseason, letting 2023 sack leaders Bud Dupree and Calais Campbell sign elsewhere.

After third-round pick Bralen Trice was placed on the injured reserve list, the team swung a trade for outside linebacker Matthew Judon. The former Patriot has been one of the most productive edge rushers in the NFL over the last three seasons.

While Judon is tied for the team lead with 1.5 sacks, he’s not happy with how he’s played during his first seven games in Atlanta. Judon was asked to grade his performance so far and did not hold back.

“I’d say a D,” Judon told The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “I’ve just got to play better, more production, better numbers, better pressure rate, get the quarterback down more. That’s what I came here for.”

It’s definitely a drop in production for Judon, who racked up 32 sacks in 38 career games with the Patriots. The team’s pass-rushing problems are something head coach Raheem Morris is aware of.

“You gotta finish the plays off, right?” asked Morris. “You wanna have more, and we’ve got to play individually better, but we are rushing as a group better. Like the hurries, the pressures, the things of that nature, they’re going up. They’re on the uptick, but the only way you can end that question is if you go finish off sacks.”

The Falcons will look to get their pass rush on track this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday’s NFC South showdown kicks off at 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium.

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Two former Falcons defenders advance in Hall of Fame voting

Two former Falcons players advance in Hall of Fame voting…

On Wednesday, NFL Hall of Fame voters narrowed the Class of 2025 down to 25 finalists. This list includes former Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham and linebacker Cornelius Bennett.

Abraham spent his first six years in the NFL with the New York Jets (2000-05) before being traded to Atlanta. During his seven seasons with the Falcons, Abraham earned one Pro Bowl selection and was twice selected to the All-Pro team. He recorded 68.5 of 133.5 career sacks in Atlanta.

Bennett is also eyeing a Hall of Fame bid in 2025. However, his three seasons with the Falcons were merely a blip in his 14-year NFL career. Bennett was still productive, though, racking up over 90 tackles twice in his three-year stint with Atlanta.

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 1987 draft thrived during his first nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills (1987-1995), making five Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team.

While it’s unclear how far these two former Falcons will make it in the selection process, they would bring Atlanta’s Hall of Fame total up to 11 players.

Abraham and Bennett will look to join Morten Andersen, Bobby Beathard, Eric Dickerson, Chris Doleman, Brett Favre, Tony Gonzalez, Claude Humphrey, Tommy McDonald, and Deion Sanders in Canton.

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NFC South Standings: Falcons reclaim 1st place entering Week 8

NFC South Standings: Falcons reclaim 1st place entering Week 8 matchup vs. Buccaneers

As we approach the halfway point in the 2024 season, the NFC South has become a two-team race between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons led the division for two weeks before Sunday’s 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Buccaneers then took over first place, but it didn’t last long. On Monday night, Tampa Bay lost to the Baltimore Ravens to fall to 4-3 on the season. Atlanta now moves back into the top spot due to its division record and a head-to-head win over the Buccaneers.

The two NFC South rivals will face off this Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Let’s look at the updated division standings entering Week 8.

Team W L Pct. PF PA
Atlanta Falcons 4 3 .571 163 169
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 3 .571 209 182
New Orleans Saints 2 5 .286 177 180
Carolina Panthers 1 6 .143 110 243

The New Orleans Saints continued to spiral in Week 7. With quarterback Derek Carr injured, was forced to start rookie Spencer Rattler in Thursday’s 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos. The Saints have lost five straight games since their 2-0 start and will play the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend.

The Carolina Panthers were defeated by the Washington Commanders, 40-7, for their fourth consecutive loss. Despite the team’s struggles, head coach Dave Canales is sticking with veteran Andy Dalton at quarterback. In Week 8, the Panthers will face the Broncos.

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NFC South standings: Falcons drop to second place

Updated NFC South standings following the Falcons’ Week 7 loss to the Seahawks…

The Atlanta Falcons‘ three-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday as they lost, 34-14, to the Seattle Seahawks. After a two-week run atop the NFC South, the team has dropped to second place in the division.

However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have to play against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night football. If the Buccaneers are unable to get the win, the Falcons will move back into a first-place tie atop the NFC South ahead of next weekend’s divisional showdown in Tampa Bay.

Check out the updated NFC South standings below:

Team W L Pct. PF PA
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 2 .667 178 141
Atlanta Falcons 4 3 .571 163 169
New Orleans Saints 2 5 .286 177 180
Carolina Panthers 1 6 .143 110 243

The Carolina Panthers also suffered a blowout loss in Week 7. Former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn led the Commanders to a 40-7 win over Carolina despite rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leaving the game due to injury.

Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels and passed for 208 yards and two touchdowns for Washington. If Daniels is forced to miss extra time, Atlanta could face both Mariota and Quinn in Week 17.

The New Orleans Saints were thoroughly defeated by the Denver Broncos on Thursday night to drop to 2-5 on the season.

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