Atlanta Falcons: 3 Things We Learned After Week 2
By Colton Spaur
2. Atlanta’s praised depth getting tested early
All offseason, Atlanta was constantly praised as one of, if not the most deep team in the NFL. The offense is loaded with weapons and the defense is filled with young talent at nearly every position.
Two weeks into the season and these claims are quickly being tested. Atlanta has been plagued by injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Pro bowl talent Keanu Neal has been lost for the season, and star middle linebacker Deion Jones is going to miss some serious time. Takk McKinley, Derrick Shelby and Takk McKinley all suffered injuries on Sunday, but none appear to be serious.
Starting left guard Andy Levitre was lost for the season after injuring his triceps on Sunday. Also on offense, Devonta Freeman missed Sunday’s game and is expected to miss a few more additional weeks.
All of these injuries are opening the door for younger, inexperienced players to prove themselves worthy of more snaps. Damante Kazee has impressed in the preseason and so far in the regular season, but was ejected from Sunday’s game in the first quarter after hitting a sliding Cam Newton helmet-to-helmet. As much as the ejection hurt Atlanta, is was called for.
Duke Riley, who has had his fair share of struggles, has taken over the middle linebacker position in the wake of losing Jones. Riley missed a couple of tackles on Sunday, and allowed a lot of receiving yards over the middle. Specifically, Riley left DJ Moore open over the middle, missed a tackle, and allowed Moore to score a 51-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Mistakes like this could cost the Falcons wins as the season progresses.
Rookie linebacker Foye Oluokun has seen an increase in snaps with Riley sliding over to middle linebacker. The inexperience at linebacker will be something to watch as the season progresses, as opposing teams may exploit this. Keep your eyes on the plan that Dan Quinn has for covering star back Alvin Kamara this week, as Deion Jones would normally get the assignment. This will be a tall task for the young linebackers to handle.