Atlanta Falcons: 3 players who must step up in Week 1 vs Carolina Panthers

Atlanta Falcons v Carolina Panthers
Atlanta Falcons v Carolina Panthers / Grant Halverson/GettyImages
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Drew Dalman
Atlanta Falcons v Baltimore Ravens / Rob Carr/GettyImages

1. Drew Dalman, and Matthew Bergeron, need to win their matchups vs Derrick Brown

This isn’t one player, sorry I cheated. However, the way Smith runs outside zone (his preferred form of run play), they basically could be one person with how much they will work together. Not sure if you all are aware of a very large human being by the name of Derrick Brown, but he’s approaching his prime, all while in our division.

The former Auburn Tiger posted career highs in PFF Grade (84.4, 7th in the NFL), tackles, (41), and QB hurries (29) in 2022. Dalman mostly, and Bergeron, will need to be on their A game’s against Brown, as he can single-handedly disrupt both the run game and pass.

With Ejiro Evero bringing his 3-4 system, Brown will be lined up over Dalman a large amount throughout the game, but he will also line up in an inside shade over Bergeron, so both will need to play excellently to help Atlanta win.