The Atlanta Falcons are entering Week 16 with quite a pickle in the secondary. Mike Hughes won't play against the Cardinals due to a sprained ankle suffered in the Week 15 win over the Bucs, while star cornerback A.J. Terrell is fresh off his worst game of the year in Mike Evans' first game back from injury.
The Arizona offense will already provide a difficult matchup for Jeff Ulbrich's defense, but missing Hughes will make things even more difficult. After he left the game in Atlanta's 29-28 comeback win in Tampa Bay, the cornerback situation was a nightmare, as Cobee Bryant struggled in replacing him.
With the former first-round pick sidelined once again, Bryant is expected to receive an expanded role on Sunday. He struggled last week, but part of that could have been due to the growing pains of facing off with Mike Evans in his first real taste of NFL action, but this weekend will be more telling.
Cobee Bryant will be the Falcons' dark horse with Mike Hughes sidelined
Thursday marked just the 24-year-old's fourth NFL appearance, but is expected to draw his first start on Sunday afternoon. The Arizona offense has frequently run through tight end Trey McBride, but Michael Wilson has been one of the hottest receivers in football across the last few weeks.
Since Marvin Harrison Jr. has been hurt, the third-year wideout from Stanford has dazzled, but there's a chance he returns to the lineup for the first time since Week 13. And if "Maserati Marv" makes his return, Bryant will most likely be covering Wilson now that Dee Alford has taken over in the nickel.
Terrell's struggles in coverage are alarming enough, but seeing how the undrafted free agent fared against another bigger-bodied receiver last week isn't the most promising. But it also presents him with a clear opportunity to cement himself as a long-term piece of the puzzle for the Atlanta defense.
Hopes were high for the Kansas product after a strong preseason, but he's made a minimal impact thus far. According to Pro Football Focus, his 28.7 PFF grade was the third-worst among all qualified corners, while Terrell and D.J. Reed were the only corners who received worse coverage grades.
Kirk Cousins enjoyed his of his best start of the year in Tampa Bay, and the offense should be in for a big day against a vulnerable Arizona defense. However, it's Atlanta defense, and in turn Bryant's performance, that'll help dictate the outcome of this one.