FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Saturday Six Pack is back on its regularly scheduled day after adjusting last week to account for the Falcons' Monday Night Football appearance.
The Falcons are back in prime time again this week as they host the Kansas City Chiefs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and man, is this game a big one. It's the first time the back-to-back Super Bowl champions are on the road in 2024. Both teams are coming off a one-point margin of victory from the week prior. The Falcons will be inducting owner Arthur Blank into the Ring of Honor. The list goes on...
So, let's dive into some of the biggest storylines and things you need to know as Week 3's kickoff looms.
Health update
Despite still being without inside linebacker Nate Landman — who landed on injured reserve pre-game Monday — the Falcons actually have a clean bill of health even on a short week. By Friday, players like Tyler Allgeier (hip), Antonio Hamilton Sr. (groin) and James Smith-Williams (hip) were all full participants in practice after being limited earlier in the week.
In fact, there were no Falcons players assigned a game designation, meaning all will be available for the active game-day roster Sunday.
For the Chiefs, the big news coming out of their week was starting running back Isiah Pacheco landing on injured reserve after fracturing his fibula in Kansas City's Sunday win over the Bengals. To account for his absence, the Chiefs signed former running back Kareem Hunt to the practice squad. Hunt was the Chiefs' primary running back 2017-18. During that time he was named to a Pro Bowl and rushed for over 2,100 yards in two seasons. He was released by the Chiefs in December 2018 after video surfaced of Hunt in an altercation with a woman.
However, speaking with reporters Friday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Hunt will not be elevated to the active roster off the practice squad for Sunday's game in Atlanta. Meaning the lone running back the Chiefs will have available is Samaje Perine, who has been with the team for less than a month after he was cut by the Denver Broncos at the end of August. Rookie fullback Carson Steele is also an option in the run game for the Chiefs with veteran back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football illness and not eligible to return until Week 5.
A big day for KP?
As I wrote in Friday's Mailbox, though Kyle Pitts has only been targeted seven times and has six catches for less than 50 total yards, that doesn't mean he can't — or won't — be a factor in Sunday's game. I say this because of what I wrote below:
"Through their first two games this season, the Chiefs have given up 25 receptions for 276 yards to tight ends. Averaged out, that's 12.5 receptions and 138 yards per game.
"This note was pointed out in a recent article I found from a Kansas City Chiefs blog. In the blog, the writer noted out, too, that 'it hasn't exactly been Hall of Fame caliber tight ends that have hurt KC so far.' It's been Baltimore's No. 2 tight end Isaiah Likely (nine catches for 111 yards vs. the Chiefs) and Cincinnati's journeyman Mike Gesicki (seven catches for 91 yards vs. Kansas City). Nothing against those guys at all, but they do not scream elite-pass-catchers the way Pitts does, even with the lack of overall production from Pitts in 2022 (due to injury) and 2023 (due to quarterback issues)."
This has the makings of being a big game for Pitts, one it would be nice to see on a big stage.
AMB to the ROH
Falcons owner Arthur Blank is being inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor at halftime of Sunday night's contest. In celebration of the event, Levy is partnering with the Falcons for a special initiative that pays homage to Blank's vision and approach to providing Mercedes-Benz Stadium guests with fair and affordable prices at concession stands.
During the game, fans can get two hot dogs and two bags of chips per person, per visit at more than 40 concession stands and portables locations around the stadium, through the end of the third quarter. Additionally, all fans will receive a souvenir cup upon entry that may be filled throughout the game at any free-standing Coca-Cola machine at no charge.
So, basically, come hungry.
Run game opening up the offense
After only accumulating 89 rushing yards in their Week 1 loss to the Steelers, the Falcons' run game came alive in the first half against the Eagles, surpassing the 100-yards rushing mark before halftime. The unit led by Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier finished the night with 151 rushing yards. Robinson averaged a whopping 6.9 yards per carry, while Allgeier wasn't too far behind with a 5.9 average. It was a performance that helped the Falcons stay in-step with the Eagles long enough for Kirk Cousins and the pass game to heat up in the final minutes of the game.
After the game, Robinson said that performance looked more like what everyone expected from this unit in 2024.
"That's how our offense is. That's the real offense right there," the second-year running back said. "Obviously, we got to get in our groove and get in our rhythm from the beginning. But when we're clicking like that, we're hard to stop. Obviously, with the run being so great tonight and building up that pass throughout the game, it was really fun to be out there with those guys and finish it off like that."
A big part of that run-game success materialized because of how many yards Robinson and Allgeier were getting before contact. This speaks to the push the offensive line was getting off the ball as well as the downfield blocking of players like Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud. You can see exactly what I mean by this in this week's notebook, which analyzes the run game in depth.
Seeing this offensive trend continue will be important Sunday night. If the Falcons can establish the run early while also taking advantage of a Chiefs secondary that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the league this year, it could be a good opportunity to put points on the board for this offense.
Justin Simmons vs. Patrick Mahomes
An interesting wrinkle in Sunday's game is this matchup particularly.
This week, Terrin Waack laid out the impact of Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce on every single game they play in. And make no mistake about it: They are Hall of Fame caliber players who are going to get their yards. The goal isn't necessarily to stop them. Many have tried and failed to do so. So, rather, the goal should be to contain them, keeping a gain from becoming explosive. Making each yard difficult to acquire.
The good news for the Falcons is that they now have someone on the opposite side of the ball who has significant experience facing this dynamic duo. That person is Simmons at safety.
Throughout his time with the Denver Broncos, Simmons has faced the Chiefs 15 times. In those games, he has notched six interceptions and 10 passes defended. He knows a thing or two about facing this Kansas City offense and that should be exceptionally helpful to an Atlanta defensive unit that collectively hasn't faced the Chiefs nearly as much.
"We have to step up to the challenge," Simmons said Wednesday. "End of story. You either rise to the occasion, or you fall."
Player of the Game prediction: Darnell Mooney
OK hear me out on this.
Could I have chosen Pitts because of the reasons I listed above? Sure. Could I have picked Simmons for his experience level, too? Also sure. But... here I am, picking Mooney. And the reason is simple: There are not a lot of weaknesses on this Chiefs team, but so far at least, they have struggled stopping the pass.
As I stated earlier, the unit has allowed the second-most passing yards in the league through two games. That's 531 total passing yards given up with a 6.9 yards per catch average. Someone I think this could benefit from this is Mooney.
On Monday, we saw a glimpse into the vertical threat Mooney could be. He had a 41-yard touchdown catch-and-run in the second half. Then, Cousins hit him twice for 20-plus yards in that final game-winning drive. There is big-play potential with Mooney, and I think we are just scratching the surface of what Mooney and Cousins could be together. If the Chiefs are worried about London and redeeming their record against tight ends with Pitts, then perhaps that leaves a crease for Mooney to win some one-on-ones. This is the reason I'm predicting Mooney as the Player of the Game for Sunday night's game.
(And as a humble brag I will say I feel like I am 2-for-2 on these predictions so far. I picked Robinson for Week 1 vs. the Steelers and he was the lone bright spot of that offensive performance with 100 yards from scrimmage in the home opener. Then, I picked Cousins for Week 2 vs. the Eagles. We all saw what Cousins did in that final 1:39. I don't need to remind you here. So, I am patting myself on the back and no one can stop me.)
