The Atlanta Falcons were plenty busy during the NFL trade deadline, as they traded away both Jessie Bates III and Ryan Neuzil. They sent Bates to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, while Neuzil headed to Baltimore for Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth.
It was a mini-sale of impending free agents from Ian Cunningham in his first trade deadline as Atlanta's GM, and frankly it went as well as expected. The haul for Bates was sensational, and given neither of these players were expected to be back, at least they got something in return for them.
While the Falcons made some moves at the trade deadline, so did their Week 10 opponent: the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were buyers on the market in order to capitalize on their Super Bowl window, so they acquired fourth-year WR Josh Downs away from the Indianapolis Colts.
The Chiefs reportedly sent fourth and fifth-round picks in 2027 to Indianapolis for Downs (who requested a trade from the Colts in October) and a 2027 seventh-round pick shortly before the deadline passed, and this is a worthwhile investment though he'll be a free agent after the season.
So now they have another quality weapon for Patrick Mahomes to rely on, which is bound to be frustrating for a team that's already going to have its hands full slowing down the Chiefs.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, Josh Downs makes the Chiefs' offense that much scarier
Jeff Ulbrich's defense has been its most vulnerable of late, after the Bucs decimated them using the run game in Week 8 and the Bengals diced up the secondary through the air in Madrid in Week 9--yet the Chiefs can beat them in every way. However, Kenneth Walker's absence does change things.
The Dirty Birds already have to have their hands full with these KC weapons. Rashee Rice is elite after the catch, Xavier Worthy is a speedster who holds the 40-yard dash record at the combine, and Travis Kelce is still one of the better tight ends in football--and now there's more to add to the equation.
And now, Downs gives the Chiefs the exact kind of receiver they need. He won't wow you with his size or speed, but he's a reliable presence from the slot. He's a good separator who knows how to get open, and isn't too far removed from an 800-yard campaign in just 14 games with the Colts in 2024.
So when Mahomes needs to find somebody to move the chains, he now has another wideout he can trust. This secondary hasn't exactly been locking defenders down in coverage of late, so a guy who ranks fifth in the NFL in Average Separation Score is bound to make an impact on the two-time MVP--especially now that their offense is designed less around the deep game and more shorter passes.
Typically, the Chiefs like to give new players time to get up to speed, so while he may not make the biggest impression this weekend, the Dirty Birds cannot afford to overlook him amid the rest of the Chiefs' talent, since he's still someone who's looking to prove he can contribute for a contender.
While Josh Downs may not feel like the most high-profile pickup, the Falcons' defense already has enough to worry about from a high-powered Kansas City offense that ranks second in total yards per game (only behind the Buffalo Bills) this season. So Week 10 could be a true bloodbath on Sunday.
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