6 Defining Atlanta Falcons storylines heading into team's 2024 bye week
By Arkesh Ray
Questionable Secondary
The Atlanta Falcons did not add anything to their secondary this off-season outside of Justin Simmons. Unfortunately, Simmons is showing why he was still not signed going into August.
Over the last four weeks, Justin Simmons has been targeted 13 times. Nine of those targets have gone for completions. Those nine completions have resulted in 184 yards and a touchdown, the touchdown coming at the hands of Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Simmons was touted as a ball-hawk coming into the season and he has just one interception all year.
Similarly, Dee Alford has not been very good this year. Against Dallas, he was targeted 13 times and gave up eight receptions. If a corner is targeted 13 times in one game that is not a very good sign to say the least. He has played 10 games this season and has been targeted seven or more times in six of those games. Last season he struggled with missing tackles (that Josh Dobbs broken sack comes to mind) this year he already has four more missed tackles than he did last season and his missed tackle% has jumped from 14.3% to 17.7%.
Clark Phillips was bad against the Saints. He was targeted five times and gave up four catches for 91 yards. However, in his other 10 games combined, he's only given up 92 yards total. He's had three games where he gave up 0 yards, albeit in limited snaps. The issue with Clark is that he is undersized, but if the secondary is fully healthy, he can be a great nickel corner going forward.
Mike Hughes has been a pleasant surprise and has been a solid corner all season long. He has only given up 91 yards in his last three games combined.
Aj Terrell has been Aj Terrell. Last Sunday he got mossed by Courtland Sutton for a 20+ yard gain, but outside of that he only gave up four yards. That is the story of his career. He will lock up wide receivers for most of the day, then give up a big gain. He's been quietly good, giving up under 30 yards in six of 11 games, and under 50 in nine of 11. He also has two interceptions, both in critical moments of the game.
Jessie Bates has been elite. He's proven that he is the best safety in the NFL. The two times the ball went near him on Sunday, he made plays, punching the ball out both times. He has three games this season where he has given up 0 yards, six where he has given up less than 10, and has only given up one touchdown on the season. The fact he is doing all this with no help from his pass-rush makes it even more impressive.
Fully healthy, this secondary is good enough to get the Atlanta Falcons a playoff berth. However, projecting into 2025 the Falcons will need to look for a safety in the draft because Justin Simmons should not get resigned. Also, cornerback depth is razor thin, so corners should also be a priority.