The Falcons’ trip to Madrid comes with a simple, brutal assignment: figure out how to slow down Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
That’s easier said than done for an Atlanta defense that has already had plenty of trouble against the pass. Entering Week 8, the Falcons were allowing opposing quarterbacks to average roughly 271 passing yards per game, and now they have to line up against the NFL’s most dangerous receiving tandem. It’s quite the shift after Atlanta didn’t allow a single completion against the Bucs last week.
Chase and Higgins just reminded everyone why they’re such a problem in Cincinnati’s overtime win over the Titans in Week 8. Chase went for 11 catches and 141 yards, while Higgins piled up 10 receptions, 155 yards and two touchdowns. Together, they give Joe Burrow the kind of easy answers that can make an offense look unstoppable.
For Atlanta, that makes this Week 9 matchup about more than just surviving overseas. The Falcons are trying to climb back into the NFC playoff picture, and limiting those two receivers may be the biggest factor in whether they can pull off the upset.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski knows exactly what’s coming.
“Having two wide receiver playmakers like they have, I don’t know if anybody in the league has guys like that,” Stefanski said.
That’s the bind Atlanta faces. If the Falcons lean too hard toward Chase, Higgins can punish them.
If they shade extra help toward Higgins, Chase has room to work. Chase can damage a defense underneath and turn routine throws into chunk gains.
Higgins brings size and the ability to win contested catches on the outside. That’s a rough matchup for a secondary that has already been under pressure.
Atlanta can’t afford to let Chase keep turning short catches into 30-yard gains, and it can’t let Higgins keep winning downfield. The best-case scenario is forcing Cincinnati into longer drives and making the Bengals earn every yard. Against an offense this productive, that’s the kind of margin the Falcons need.
The concern doesn’t stop with the corners. Mike Hughes has had a rough year in coverage, and Atlanta has also been dealing with injuries in the defensive backfield, including a shoulder issue that previously sent A.J.
Terrell to injured reserve. Up front, the Falcons are short-handed too, with defensive end Samson Ebukam placed on IR because of a hamstring injury.
That leaves Atlanta trying to create pressure without giving up coverage help, and that’s a tough balancing act even before factoring in Chase and Higgins. Presumably, A.J.
Terrell gets Chase while C.J. Henderson gets Higgins, but one or both of those matchups could be a losing battle.
The Falcons don’t need perfection. They just need to avoid the kind of explosive plays that let Cincinnati score fast and put Atlanta on its heels. If Chase and Higgins come anywhere close to what they did against Tennessee, the Falcons could spend a lot of the afternoon chasing the game.
For a team trying to get its season moving in the right direction, that’s the last place it wants to be.
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Joe Burrow and the Bengals arrive with momentum after a huge performance, while Atlanta is trying to put last weeks turnover-filled outing behind it and avoid letting one rough stretch define the first half of the season. With several other contenders and trade chatter swirling around the league, this is the kind of game that can sharpen the picture for both teams fast, and the Falcons need a cleaner showing if they want to keep their place in the NFC race. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Gets One Immediate Chance To Silence Falcons Doubts
Michael Penix Jr. got a harsh introduction to the kind of defensive game-planning that can speed up a young quarterbacks learning curve. Against Tampa Bay, Todd Bowles defense kept pressure on him and mixed in zone looks that disrupted his timing and decision-making, turning a difficult afternoon into one the Falcons would rather leave behind as quickly as possible.
Now comes a different kind of test, and potentially a cleaner chance for Penix to reset the conversation around his play. Cincinnati does not present the same blitz-heavy challenge Tampa Bay did, and the matchup should give Atlanta a better read on how Penix handles a defense built more around man coverage than constant pressure, which is the sort of look that can tell a lot about where his comfort level really is. [Read more 🡒]