5 Winners (and 3 losers) in Atlanta Falcons stressful win vs. Tampa Bay
By Nick Halden
Winner: Jessie Bates
It is Jessie Bates against the world for the Atlanta Falcons defense. What other hope is there for a unit that cannot stop the run or rush the passer? Jessie Bates finding a way to change the game is the one thing you can count on from the unit and it happened twice in Tampa. The first time was an early game-changing punch that jarred the ball loose and gave the Falcons a chance to grab an early touchdown.
Not only did Bates punch the ball out but got back on the ball to give the Falcons a chance to score. When the game was again tilting in Tampa's direction Bates dropped back and picked off Baker Mayfield. Leaping up and pulling down a contested catch to give the team back another chance to grab control of the game.
What Bates has meant to this team cannot be understated. For the offense, Kirk Cousins has been the most important piece and impactful addition. There isn't any argument Jessie Bates has had close to the same impact for the Atlanta defense. How many wins do you take off the board the past two seasons without Jessie Bates?