The Atlanta Falcons thought they had a serious problem when A.J. Terrell went down with a groin injury. C.J. Henderson is making sure they don't have one.
Terrell landed on injured reserve after leaving Atlanta's Week 2 loss to the Carolina Panthers, forcing the Falcons to find another answer at outside cornerback. And they turned to the former first-round pick, who impressed during training camp and may be finally be on the verge of the career turnaround he's waited for.
Henderson moved into the starting lineup for Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, where he impressed, so they kept him there for Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints where he responded with 10 tackles, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Atlanta's 45-24 dub.
That came after Henderson's breakout game against the Green Bay Packers where he recorded eight solo tackles and three passes defended in Atlanta's 35-14 victory. Suddenly, the Falcons have something they probably didn't expect when Terrell got hurt: Confidence in the CB behind him.
The Falcons may have found more than a temporary replacement in C.J. Henderson
Jeff Ulbrich's comments about Henderson before the Saints game were telling.
The Falcons defensive coordinator called Henderson a "tremendous luxury" and said, "In my opinion, he is a 'one.'" Ulbrich also said Henderson is a player who would start for a lot of teams.
That is a significant endorsement for a player who entered the season as a secondary option.
"When CJ takes the field, I'm like 'Please target him. Go at him. Good luck,'" Ulbrich said.
The 28-year-old backed up that confidence against New Orleans.
The Saints kept testing him. Shough targeted Henderson 14 times, according to the Falcons, yet Henderson finished the game with 10 tackles and a pass breakup while also creating the turnover that helped Atlanta take control. Head coach Kevin Stefanski specifically praised Henderson's technique on the forced fumble and pointed to the play as an example of winning football on the road.
After AJ Terrell's injury, the Atlanta Falcons simply moved C.J. Henderson into the starting lineup. The Week 4 depth chart made that change official, with Henderson listed as the starter and Malcolm DeWalt IV behind him.
That has proven to be an important bit of roster stability. Terrell remains the Falcons' established CB1 and his eventual return will matter. Atlanta shouldn't pretend losing him doesn't hurt.
But Henderson's performance in coverage is changing the equation while Terrell is out--but he could push for that CB2 spot on the outside with Mike Hughes struggling. The only true challenger he'll face is rookie Avieon Terrell, but with the way he's playing and the way Ulbrich is talking about him, it'll be hard to move off of him... at least for now.
Now the Florida product still has to sustain it. Four games aren't enough to erase the inconsistency that has followed him throughout his career. But that's exactly what makes his recent stretch so important.
For a team trying to build a more reliable defense under Jeff Ulbrich, C.J. Henderson's surprise breakout could become one of the most valuable developments of the season.
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