Atlanta Falcons: 3 Takeaways from Week One
Three thoughts about the Atlanta Falcons narrow 23-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 1 of the 2017 NFL Season
Week one of the 2017 regular season is all done and dusted for the Atlanta Falcons. The reigning NFC Champions travelled to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears and managed to eek out a 23-17 victory. It may not have been the prettiest showing of Falcons football, but it got the job done and they now sit at 1-0.
There is a lot to discuss following the game, both good and bad, but here are my three things to takeaway. Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts and opinions.
Speed Kills
Throughout training camp and the preseason, there has been a lot of talk surrounding the coveted speed of the Falcons’ defense. Indeed, owner Arthur Blank has gone on record to say that he believes they are the fastest defense in the NFL.
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It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon that we truly got to see it on display though. On the first defensive series for the Falcons, cornerback Brian Poole and safety Keanu Neal broke quickly on an apparently wide open tight end Zach Miller on third down. The quick closing speed prevented any yards after the catch and stopped the drive dead.
This was a theme for the day for the secondary as they did a good job preventing the Bears’ receivers from turning short catches into big plays.
The Falcons now need to work on controlling and harnessing this speed. There were a number of occasions when they were just too fast for their own good. Over-pursuit from almost the entire defense led to a 46-yard run by rookie Tarik Cohen. Equally, rookie linebacker Duke Riley missed a crucial tackle in the backfield on a key drive in the fourth quarter.
He flew to the ball carrier but failed to breakdown and wrap up. This mistake extended a Bears drive which ultimately ended in a touchdown. Yes, the young Falcon’s defense showed promise but there is still a lot of work to do before we see consistent success.