3 players who will determine the fate of the Falcons down the stretch

3. Jessie Bates has to continue making plays

If there is one thing an opposing offense doesn't want to see, it is an angry Jessie Bates. We have frequently seen Bates become tired of the poor play around him and become a game-wrecker.

We saw it against Tampa Bay with his incredible interception and we saw it against Denver when he made two great plays on the ball on third down and the questionable overturn on fourth down—those are just two examples.

These one or two plays are often the difference in games. The Falcons don't have an elite defense so they must rely on their best players to make plays on the ball. Raheem Morris' team can return to winning football if Bates continues making plays.