The Falcons are staring at a tough assignment on Sunday, and the biggest headache in front of them is Brock Purdy.
Atlanta hosts the 6-0 49ers, a team that has looked like the NFC’s most dangerous group so far, and Purdy has been a huge reason why. The conversation about whether he’s truly elite has already shifted, because if the season ended today, he’d probably walk away with MVP honors.
From Mr. Irrelevant to MVP frontrunner is a wild rise, and Purdy has backed it up with production. He’s tied with Kirk Cousins and Trevor Lawrence for the NFL lead with 14 passing touchdowns, owns the highest career passer rating in league history, and has helped drive San Francisco to the top of the NFL in EPA success rate by protecting the ball and still hitting explosive plays.
What makes him so difficult to deal with is that he isn’t just riding the wave of a loaded roster anymore. Yes, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle make life easier, but Purdy has become the engine of the offense. He processes quickly, buys time when the play breaks down, and still delivers accurate throws on the move.
That puts Jeff Ulbrich’s defense in a tough spot. Atlanta badly needs a bounce-back game after the Ravens and Bears chipped away at them over the last two weeks, and this would be the kind of statement win that could derail Purdy’s MVP push and spoil Raheem Morris’ return to Atlanta. But wanting that result and getting it are two very different things.
The Falcons should be a little healthier on defense for this one. A.J.
Terrell is in line to come off IR, C.J. Henderson said he expects to play Sunday, and Kendal Daniels has been practicing in full after being stretchered off the field just days ago.
Still, the challenge may be bigger than the health report suggests. SumerSports says Purdy is one of the league’s best quarterbacks at avoiding sacks when pressured, getting brought down on just 8.2% of pressured dropbacks. Among qualified passers with at least 100 dropbacks, only Dak Prescott is sacked less often under pressure.
That’s a bad fit for a Falcons pass rush featuring Za'Darius Smith, Cameron Thomas, and Gervon Dexter Sr., a group that ranks near the top of the league in both pressures and pressure rate. Atlanta can create heat, but it may not be enough to finish the job if Purdy keeps slipping free and firing strikes.
The quarterback’s off-script ability is part of the problem too. Kevin Stefanski even said Purdy might be the best off-schedule quarterback in football right now. The Falcons know they’re dealing with a player who gets more dangerous when the play breaks down, but he’s just as dangerous when the pocket stays clean and the structure holds.
That leaves Atlanta with a brutal balancing act in coverage. The secondary will have to hold up against a depleted San Francisco wide receiver room, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. McCaffrey and Kittle are still central to the attack, and trying to load up on McCaffrey while also keeping a linebacker or safety on Kittle makes it difficult to cover both.
And even if the Falcons line up everything correctly, Kyle Shanahan’s offense still has a way of turning games into bad math for defenses. San Francisco has already scored 30-plus points in three of its six games, and that speaks to how consistently the system keeps defenses guessing.
Purdy has taken a clear step into the league’s top tier this season. The MVP chatter may have sounded ambitious at first, but he’s made it real, and Atlanta is the next defense asked to deal with it.
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Falcons Face A Familiar Problem In Raheem Morris Atlanta Return
Raheem Morris is coming back to Atlanta in a different role than the one Falcons fans remember. After two seasons as the teams head coach, he was let go in January and quickly landed with the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator, where his group has been one of the NFLs more efficient units. The return sets up a reunion that feels bigger than a routine coaching matchup, especially for a Falcons team that knows Morris well and will spend all week preparing for a defense shaped by his hand.
Players have already acknowledged the familiarity that comes with seeing Morris on the other sideline, and theres no mystery about why this game carries extra weight. Atlanta will get a close look at how one of its own former coaches has translated his approach into success elsewhere, while Morris gets a chance to walk back into the building with a defense that has carried its share of respect around the league. For the Falcons, its a reminder of how quickly old ties can turn into a fresh problem. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Be Running Out Of Patience With This Receiver
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Zachariah Branch is the name to watch next. The third-round rookie is still sitting behind Zaccheaus on the depth chart, but the Falcons have seen enough flashes to keep the conversation alive about a bigger role for him. If Atlanta is going to find more juice in the passing game, the next adjustment at receiver may have to come sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Tommy Rees Knows Whats Fueling The Falcons Early Offensive Holes
The Falcons recent sluggish offensive starts have put the spotlight on Tommy Rees, and the first-year coordinator isnt trying to push that attention anywhere else. As Atlanta gets ready to face the 49ers, Rees said the early failed drives and slow openings are on him, a candid admission that the offense has not been getting into rhythm quickly enough.
Rees said the fix starts with getting the ground game going early and keeping the attack balanced, which should help create cleaner chances for Michael Penix Jr. and the rest of the unit. For Atlanta, the formula is simple enough in theory, but it has to show up from the first series if the Falcons want to avoid another slow beginning. [Read more 🡒]