A.J. Terrell has been a cornerstone of the Falcons' secondary for years - a true No. 1 corner who could shadow top receivers and hold his own.
But over the past two weeks, something’s shifted. The sixth-year vet, once a lockdown specialist, has suddenly found himself on the wrong end of some big plays.
And in back-to-back games, it’s been glaring.
In Week 14, Terrell was tasked with covering Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and it didn’t go well. The Seahawks’ receiver got the better of him, hauling in two touchdowns and racking up 81 yards - the most Terrell has allowed in a single game all season.
That performance alone raised eyebrows. But then came Week 15, and things only got worse.
Matched up against Mike Evans - who was returning from a broken clavicle and hadn’t played in seven weeks - Terrell struggled again. Targeted five times, he gave up four catches for 56 yards.
Evans, meanwhile, exploded for 132 yards on six catches, torching both Terrell and rookie Cobee Bryant in a primetime matchup. Evans looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.
Terrell, on the other hand, looked like he was playing catch-up all night.
To be fair, Terrell handled Evans well in their Week 1 meeting. But this time around, Atlanta’s secondary was stretched thin.
An injury to Mike Hughes forced defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to shuffle assignments, moving Terrell around the formation to cover both Evans and first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka. That flexibility is part of what makes Terrell valuable - but it also exposed him when the matchups tilted out of his favor.
Despite the defensive struggles, the Falcons pulled off a dramatic comeback win after a Buccaneers collapse. But make no mistake: Terrell wasn’t the hero of that story. In fact, his performance raised serious concerns.
Coverage issues aside, Terrell’s penalties were a major problem. The Falcons were flagged a franchise-record 19 times in the game, and Terrell was responsible for five of them - more than any other player on the field.
Tampa Bay only accepted two of those infractions, but the damage was done. Three defensive holding calls, one illegal contact, and one pass interference - all on a player who’s supposed to be the steady hand in the secondary.
That lack of discipline, paired with the coverage lapses, made this arguably the worst game of Terrell’s career. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted a 29.0 overall grade and a 27.8 coverage grade - both season lows. And that’s saying something, considering he had already hit a low point the week before with a 31.0 overall grade and 40.7 in coverage against Seattle.
It’s a steep decline for a player who entered Week 14 without having allowed a single touchdown all season. Now, he’s given up multiple scores in two weeks and has become a liability in key moments. Injuries and shifting roles can explain some of the struggles, but they don’t erase the fact that the Falcons’ secondary - once a strength - has regressed.
The good news for Atlanta? The offense finally showed signs of life.
But it came in a game where their top defensive back was getting beat, flagged, and frustrated. If the Falcons want to stay in the playoff hunt, they’ll need Terrell to bounce back - and fast.
Because right now, their best corner is playing his worst football.