Olamide Zaccheaus had himself an efficient day against the Washington Commanders. He has a bunch of them thus far this season, which is why he's so valuable to the Falcons passing game.
The fourth-year veteran finished with five receptions for 91 yards, averaging 18.2 yards a catch, while playing playing a vital role in what could've been the game-winning drive for the Falcons late in the fourth quarter.
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In the last three minutes and 44 seconds, quarterback Marcus Mariota connected Zaccheaus on a 12-yard catch that resulted in a 45-yard completion, which set the offense up in Washington's territory.
"I just found a soft spot," he said. "Marcus made a play in the pocket to keep the play alive and then he found me and I was just trying to get as many yards as I could."
Each of his five catches on the day resulted in first downs helping Atlanta move the chains consistently. With the Falcons not having one of its offensive weapons in Kyle Pitts, Zaccheaus stepped up when it mattered most.
"It's tough. It's tough without Kyle, right?" Mariota said. "He's just an unbelievable player and I thought multiple guys stepped up into that role. You have to when you're replacing a guy like Kyle, whether it's (Zaccheaus), whether it's (MyCole Pruitt), and (Anthony Firkser). I thought our guys came out and filled that role nicely. Unfortunately we just didn't make enough plays."
Along with Zaccheaus' offensive production, Pruitt scored his second touchdown of the season and delivered Atlanta its first touchdown against the Commanders in the second quarter.
The receiving corps as a whole accumulated a total of 174 yards through the air, with tight ends Firsker, Hesse, and Pruitt all getting touches.
Yet, Zaccheaus' impact for this Falcons offense shined against the Commanders and continues to show well throughout the season. According to the Nerdy Birds report, he ranked second in the NFL in yards per target, averaging 12.1 yards while also ranking sixth in the league with a 76 first down percentage heading into Sunday's game.
Now, entering Week 13, Zaccheaus leads the Falcons' receiving corps with 30 receptions for 465 yards, two touchdowns while averaging 15.5 yards a catch.
Creating separation and finding soft spots within defenses has been key for the Virginia product this year.
"I think for me, it's just understanding what they're in and understanding the concepts," he said. "Just understanding where people might be when you catch the ball and just kind of taking a picture of where you catch the ball and assessing after that."
Zaccheaus' offensive production will continue to be relied upon as the season progresses, especially with Kyle Pitts on injured reserve the next three games at least.
