Devonta Freeman stars in Falcons report card after ugly win over Titans
The Atlanta Falcons got the win, but it was far from inspiring. Beating a Marcus Mariota-less Titans team 10-7 isn’t much to write home about, however the Falcons got the win and that’s all that counts. It was ugly, and here’s how the report card looks.
Quarterback: C
By Matt Ryan‘s high standards, he’s been off lately. Ryan was unable to sustain drives and just made some bad throws at times. He went 22-of-38 for 251 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. It doesn’t help when your receivers make so many drops, though. Ryan’s play is not something to worry about, but it’s got to be fixed.
Running backs: A-
How lucky are the Falcons to have Devonta Freeman right now? He continued his excellent form with 25 carries for 116 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, but the Falcons surprisingly didn’t hand him the football with two opportunities at the Titans 1-yard line. Instead they opted for fullback Patrick DiMarco, who failed to punch it in.
Rookie Tevin Coleman didn’t see much action again. Freeman is the best player on offense at the moment and his play has been a rare positive in recent weeks.
Wide receivers: D
A healthy Julio Jones is tough to deal with, and he hauled in nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. But somebody needs to step up alongside him.
Roddy White made three receptions for 48 yards and Leonard Hankerson‘s day ended early with a hamstring injury, but there is a serious lack of consistency at the No. 2 receiver spot. The receivers had five drops, which is unacceptable.
Oct 25, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) lands out of bounds after diving for the attempted touchdown catch during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Tight ends: C
A typical performance from the Falcons tight ends. Jacob Tamme caught three catches for 36 yards, but didn’t have his best game blocking. Nothing to get too excited about.
Offensive line: B
For the first time since Week 16 last season, the offensive line didn’t allow a sack. Admittedly, the offense needs to actually be on the field for that to happen, but it’s an encouraging fact nonetheless. Having Mike Person back in at center helped, and it was a good day for the offensive line.
Defensive line: C
Jonathan Babineaux played well, but where oh where is the pass rush? O’Brien Schofield made the lone sack of the day, but the pressure was virtually non-existent for much of the game. Up against a struggling Titans offensive line, backup quarterback Zach Mettenberger was allowed too much time.
Linebackers: C
Justin Durant‘s return from injury is big for the Atlanta defense, and the former Cowboy led the team in tackles with eight. The pass rush from the linebackers left plenty to be desired. Paul Worrilow did make a key interception to end the half.
Secondary: B
As per usual, opposing quarterbacks shy away from Desmond Trufant. Robenson Therezie made the game-clinching interception late in the game to save overtime, or worse, a Titans go-ahead touchdown.
Special teams: D
Matt Bryant has already missed as many field goals (three) as he did in each of his past two seasons. His miss from 47 yards could have been costly, as it meant the Falcons’ lead stayed at just three points. He’s hit a slump and needs to get out of it.
Next: What we learned from win over Titans