The Atlanta Falcons had no shortage of winners against the Los Angeles Rams. Bijan Robinson's historic season and Raheem Morris' job security instantly jump to the top of the list, but the list doesn't even come remotely close to ending there because of how many players actually stepped up.
However, Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III are certainly two players who deserve their flowers. The safety duo combined for 12 tackles, four pass breakups, and all three interceptions of Matthew Stafford, including Bates' 34-yard pick six in the second quarter, which led Morris to praise the pair.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on safety Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts: "Two game-ball winners today."
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) December 30, 2025
Morris admitted to the media after the win that both Bates and Watts earned postgame game balls, which is justified. Bijan almost certainly landed another for breaking the Falcons' single-season scrimmage yards record, while the final game balls hopefully went to Zane Gonzalez and Morris himself.
Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates more than earned their game balls in Falcons' Week 17 win
After the Falcons blew their 21-0 lead, the reason they still managed to prevail was because of a night to remember from their rookie safety. The Notre Dame standout picked off Stafford twice in the win (and nearly ran it back but he stepped out of bounds), which was just as crucial as Bates' pick-six.
Watts entered the week leading all rookies with three interceptions, but is now up to five on the year, which now has him tied for second in the NFL in picks. The third-round rookie also added five total tackles and three pass breakups, so he was all over the field for an Atlanta secondary that impressed.
The 24-year-old was a key piece of the James Pearce Jr. trade that has aged gracefully for the Falcons as of late, and is only making it age better. It's still unknown how he fell ton the 96th pick in the 2025 Draft, as the two-time All-American has made an instant impact alongside Bates on the backend.
As for Bates, his seven tackles were tied second on the team but his touchdown put the exclamation point on his big game. The 28-year-old has struggled at points this season, but has still come through with three interceptions on the year, but his pick-six will be the one Falcons fans remember best.
The Falcons' captain has been mentoring Watts throughout his rookie season, and now they are patrolling the secondary like pros together. And knowing that this is the safety tandem of the future has made for an incredibly promising future in Atlanta.