Three Key Players for the Atlanta Falcons in Week Seven

All in all, it was a very successful trip across the pond for the Atlanta Falcons in Week Five as they came away with a win. Coming off after a bye week, the Falcons travel to Miami to face the Dolphins in week seven. The question is which three players are key to a second consecutive win? Here are three key players who should play a vital role in achieving that.

Matt Ryan

Although having Ryan as a key player is a no-brainer, it is the most obvious of the players on the roster. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback had 342 yards in the air with a pair of touchdown passes. It was Ryan’s 30th game with 300 or more passing yards. It is the most since 2017. With this in mind, expect Matty Ice to have another great game versus a Miami defense that allows the fourth-most passing yards per game at nearly 293 yards.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 10: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on after during the NFL London 2021 match between New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 10, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

To point out, Matt Ryan has played against Miami just three times in his career. He has five touchdowns to two interceptions with 708 yards passing. In reality, Ryan should have a field day in Hard Rock Stadium.

Cordarrelle Patterson

By and large, Patterson is one of the three key Atlanta Falcons players given his ability to be a threat in the flat and within the trenches. In truth, his speed is still something to behold, even in year nine. Patterson’s average time behind the line of scrimmage is 2.74 seconds and tied with Derrick Henry in that stat. That is not a bad company to be in.

Oct 10, 2021; London, England, United Kingdom; Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84) reacts after an NFL International Series game against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Falcons defeated the Jets 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

He is second on the team in receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns with four. Moreover, Patterson is fifth in the league in all-purpose yards. Seeing that he is a Swiss army knife for this offense, the football will be in his hands, one way or the other.

Dean Pees

Obviously, Dean Pees is not a player on the field. Nonetheless, Pees is a major player on this Atlanta Falcons defense off it. Given that he is the defensive coordinator, this game presents the ideal opportunity for his unit to improve. On the positive side, they are a top 15 defensive unit in yards allowed per game. On the negative side, they allow the second-most points per game (29.6). Miami’s offense is 30th in the league as well as allowing the sixth-most sacks with 16.

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – JULY 30: Head Coach Arthur Smith and Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees of the Atlanta Falcons watch from the sideline during training camp at IBM Performance Field on July 30, 2021 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) /

However, the Atlanta Falcons have the third-fewest sacks with eight. If there was ever a game to blitz more than 24.2% of the time, this would be the game. To that end, a great game defensively would do wonders for the Falcons moving forward.

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