FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons (3-2) will wrap up their three-game stretch against the NFC South on Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers. With a win, the Falcons will have an early advantage against every team in the division.
Through their first five games the Falcons have provided plenty of reasons for fans to feel good about this team, but there are also some areas to correct. That's what our editorial team of Will McFadden, Terrin Waack and Amna Subhan are here to discuss today.
Our question of the week is simple: What is one pleasant surprise and one troubling trend from Atlanta's first five games?
McFADDEN: My pleasant surprise through the start of the season applies to Atlanta's secondary more broadly and cornerback Mike Hughes more specifically. The Falcons have allowed 8.6 yards per reception, the best mark in the league, per TruMedia, and they are No. 2 with an average of 4.2 yards after the catch allowed.
When Atlanta began training camp with Hughes and Clark Phillips III in a competition for the No. 2 cornerback spot, there was a contingent of fans who were dubious. However, Hughes held off a great camp from Phillips, and we're seeing why. He's been physical with the right balance of aggressiveness to excel in Jimmy Lake's defensive scheme. Hughes has 27 tackles with three tackles for a loss and two pass breakups so far this year.
I'd like to see more from Atlanta's pass rush moving forward. The Falcons rank 31st with a pressure rate of 14.4 percent, according to Pro Football Reference, They have navigated some difficult late-game situations really well on defense for a unit that hasn't consistently pressured the quarterback, but that will need to change as offenses continue to find their rhythm. This week presents a great opportunity for the pass rush to get going.
WAACK: One troubling trend is the offensive penalties. I wrote an in-depth analysis on the issue prior to the Falcons' Week 5 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the problem persisted despite Atlanta posting a wild 550 total yards of offense. The Falcons had six penalties that directly affected the offense's forward progress. Five of them came on first down, setting up second-and-10 situations. The other came on second down, also resulting in a second-and-10. This is not a trend the Falcons want to maintain.
With that being said, one pleasant surprise is the offense's recent ability to overcome these setbacks. Those six penalties occurred on four different drives. One turned into a touchdown. The other three led to field goals, though one attempt was blocked. So, the penalties didn't cost them as much in Week 5 as they had in the past four games.
Because my pleasant surprise really transpired in one game alone, here's a more general possible positive the Falcons can cling to: If the offense was able to operate the way it did in Week 5 even with all the penalties, imagine what it could do with a clean performance? That's one unsolicited potential to keep in mind for the next five-plus games.
SUBHAN: The Falcons' defensive front has been a little troubling through five games. Atlanta has given up the fourth-most rushing yards in the league so far with 742 yards, 148.4 per game. That's far too many.
They also rank quite low in pressure stats. The Falcons are bottom-five in almost every pass rush category and dead-last in sacks produced. Granted they started the first three weeks against certified dual-threat quarterbacks of varying styles, but in the last outing Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield found plenty of space to run. He had 42 yards on the ground, his most in a game since 2020.
However, all is not lost. The Falcons are 3-2 after all and have formed a bend-don't-break resolve on defense.
While the Falcons defense has faced the second-most rush attempts, they're tied for the fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns allowed. And while they have the highest percentage in drives resulting in a score, they're in the top half of the league in red-zone defense and overall touchdowns allowed.
Take the last game as an example. Late in the game, the Falcons' defense gave their offense not one but two opportunities to stay alive in the final minutes of regulation. First, deep into their own territory and down 30-27, safety Jessie Bates III forced a fumble to prevent the Buccaneers from scoring any points on a drive that reached the red zone. When Atlanta's offense couldn't do much with the gift, the defense again came up with a stop to later force overtime.
That's something to build on a quarter of the way through the season.
