Falcons Week 2 Pro Football Focus grades
The Atlanta Falcons will face off against another team with extra time to prepare in Week 3 when they take on the New York Giants. After two weeks of football, here’s a look at the Falcons’ highest and lowest Pro Football Focus grades.
Offense
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Highest (Week 2) | Lowest (Week 2) | ||||
Pos | Player | Grade | Pos | Player | Grade |
RG | 83.7 | HB | 56.8 | ||
TE | Lee Smith | 72.1 | TE | 55.6 | |
RT | 69.9 | QB | 50.0 | ||
WR | Christian Blake | 69.8 | LG | 28.5 | |
TE | 68.4 | FB | Keith Smith | 27.3 | |
When looking at the grades from Week 2, the first thing that pops out is Cordarrelle Patterson getting one of the lowest marks on the team. While he was effective in multiple areas, Patterson's lone pass-blocking attempt is what brings his overall down considerably. Right tackle Kaleb McGary struggled a bit in pass protection but he excelled as a run blocker, earning a run-blocking grade of 74.4. Additionally, Kyle Pitts would have climbed higher if not for his 54.0 overall mark as a run blocker on 13 attempts. Rookie Jalen Mayfield still finds himself on the bottom due to his pass protection. While his 31.8 mark is a great improvement from a week ago, he still allowed three pressures, building on his eight allowed in Week 1. Here's a look at the best and worst overall grades from this season thus far.
Highest (Season) | Lowest (Season) | ||||
Pos | Player (Total Snaps) | Grade | Pos | Player (Total Snaps) | Grade |
RG | Chris Lindstrom (141) | 78.3 | TE | Parker Hesse (10) | 55.4 |
C | Drew Dalman (9) | 69.4 | TE | Hayden Hurst (73) | 54.2 |
WR | Christian Blake (18) | 68.1 | QB | Josh Rosen (8) | 50.4 |
HB | Mike Davis (99) | 66.9 | FB | Keith Smith (38) | 43.5 |
HB | Cordarrelle Patterson (48) | 66.3 | LG | Jalen Mayfield (136) | 26.0 |
Notables: TE Kyle Pitts (7th - 64.6), QB Matt Ryan (8th - 63.9), WR Calvin Ridley (9th - 62.6)
Defense
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Highest (Week 2) | Lowest (Week 2) | ||||
Pos | Player | Grade | Pos | Player | Grade |
LOLB | Dante Fowler Jr. | 72.1 | S | 54.1 | |
DT | 71.7 | CB | 53.1 | ||
DT | Ta'Quon Graham | 69.3 | ROLB | 39.8 | |
DE | 67.9 | ED | 30.5 | ||
S | 67.0 | LB | 27.5 | ||
Falcons linebacker Dante Fowler comes away as the team's highest-graded defender from Week 2. He was able to generate pressure on three attempts with a sack, forced fumble, one QB hit, one QB hurry, and two defensive stops. It's not often we see a day like this from Fowler, but these days are definitely welcome. However, there are four noticeable players that need to be addressed. After only seeing four defensive snaps in Week 1, Mykal Walker only saw five in Week 2. You have to wonder why the second-year linebacker isn't seeing the field after a solid rookie season. Rookie Richie Grant isn't seeing the field much either. With issues at safety, as highlighted by Erik Harris' poor grade, the fact that Grant didn't see any playing time against the Bucs is concerning. Additionally, the Falcons need to find a better option than Steve Means coming off the edge. As I stated prior to the season starting, Means' strength has never been that of a starting pass rusher. Especially when the player on the opposite side is Dante Fowler.
Highest (Season) | Lowest (Season) | ||||
Pos | Player (Total Snaps) | Grade | Pos | Player (Total Snaps) | Grade |
DE | Jonathan Bullard (59) | 72.2 | ROLB | Steven Means (106) | 48.9 |
CB | TJ Green (29) | 71.1 | LB | Mykal Walker (9) | 34.9 |
DL | Ta'Quon Graham (13) | 69.3 | ED | Brandon Copeland (2) | 30.5 |
S | Jaylinn Hawkins (31) | 68.0 | S | Richie Grant (6) | 29.4 |
LOLB | Dante Fowler Jr. (92) | 67.0 | DL | John Cominsky (2) | 24.8 |
Notables: DT Grady Jarrett (6th - 63.4), CB AJ Terrell (8th - 62.6), MLB Deion Jones (16th - 55.1)
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