The Atlanta Falcons have struggled to defend the pass this season, and things aren't getting any easier heading into their Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain…
After allowing opposing quarterbacks to average roughly 271 passing yards per game entering Week 8, Atlanta now has to deal with one of the NFL's most dangerous receiving duos in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Talk about a transition after not allowing a single completion against the Bucs last week.
Chase is coming off of an 11-catch, 141-yard performance in Cincinnati's overtime win over the Titans in Week 8, while Higgins caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. There's a reason they're considered the best WR duo in the NFL, and the reason the Bengals boast the NFL's best passing offense--these two guys make it easy on Joe Burrow to light teams up.
With Atlanta trying to climb back into the NFC playoff picture, slowing down those two receivers might be the biggest factor in whether the Falcons can pull off an upset.
Falcons will have a tough time against the Bengals' elite WR duo in Week 9
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski isn't overlooking the challenge his defense faces against Cincinnati.
"Having two wide receiver playmakers like they have, I don't know if anybody in the league has guys like that," Stefanski said.
The problem for Atlanta is that focusing too much attention on either receiver leaves the other with opportunities to exploit favorable matchups.
Chase can hurt defenses underneath and turn short completions into big gains, while Higgins' size and ability to win contested catches make him a nightmare on the outside. The Atlanta Falcons' struggling secondary has its work cut out for them against the Bengals elite WRs.
Atlanta can't afford to let Ja'Marr Chase turn routine catches into 30 yard gains or allow Tee Higgins to consistently win downfield. Making Cincinnati work for its yards and forcing longer drives would at least give the Falcons a better chance of getting off the field.
And considering how productive the Bengals' offense has been, Atlanta will need every stop it can get.
Atlanta's secondary has plenty to prove in a tough test overseas
The Atlanta Falcons' defensive struggles make this matchup particularly concerning.
Cornerback Mike Hughes has had a rough season in coverage. Atlanta has also dealt with injuries in its defensive backfield this season, including a shoulder issue that previously sent A.J. Terrell to injured reserve.
And the Falcons aren't exactly getting much help up front either as defensive end Samson Ebukam was placed on IR due to a hamstring injury. Atlanta needs to generate pressure without constantly sacrificing coverage help, which becomes even more difficult when the pass rush is missing guys.
Sure the Falcons don't necessarily need to shut down both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins completely. That's an unrealistic expectation against two of the league's better receivers. Presumably, A.J. Terrell gets Chase while C.J. Henderson gets Higgins. One (or both) those may be a losing battle.
They need to prevent the kind of explosive plays that allow Cincy to score quickly and put opposing offenses in difficult situations. Because if Chase and Higgins produce anything close to what they did against Tennessee, the Falcons could find themselves playing from behind for much of the game.
And for an Atlanta team trying to turn its season around, that's a situation it can hardly afford.
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