Behind Enemy Lines: Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles
By Matt Karoly
Question #4: Because of injuries throughout the season, the Falcons have been forced to empty their bench at times to get under-the-radar players such as Kemal Ishmael, Brian Poole, Taylor Gabriel, and Austin Hooper playing time. Are there any low key players from the Eagles we should watch out for?
Joe Kalafut: Bryce Treggs’s name comes to mind immediately. He was the player who replaced the recently released Josh Huff on the roster. His speed definitely flashes on tape and he is a guy to watch out for as someone who can get over the top of the Falcons defense. Jordan Hicks would be the under-the-radar player on defense to watch out for. Although not there yet, he is someone who is on the verge of stardom in this league. His interception of Eli Manning in the fourth quarter last week would support that claim.
My take: I might have added WR Josh Huff to this list, given his ability to pop off a big return on special teams. However, Huff was released from the team last week after being arrested for gun and marijuana charges. With that said, I would include RB Wendell Smallwood on my list. Smallwood, a fifth round rookie out of West Virginia, owns one of Philadelphia’s two return touchdowns on the season. While he doesn’t have many carries on offense, he has surprisingly seen more action than Ryan Mathews over the past month. Look for that to possibly continue against the Falcons.
On the defensive side of the ball, Rodney McLeod is a player I’m going to keep a close eye on. McLeod may not necessarily be an under-the-radar player by definition, but I don’t feel like he gets talked about enough around league circles. He quietly signed a $35 million dollar deal in the offseason to be the Eagle’s new centerfielder at free safety. So far, he has lived up to the billing and currently leads the team with three interceptions. McLeod could play a pivotal role in keeping Julio Jones from stretching the field vertically. Matt Ryan will have to make sure he doesn’t stare down his targets with McLeod patrolling the deep half of the field.