The Atlanta Falcons got their Week 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers with a defensive jolt from a rookie who looked anything but overwhelmed. Kendal Daniels, filling in for Divine Deablo, came through with two fourth-quarter turnovers, and the biggest one ended the game: an interception of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
It was an even more striking showing considering what Daniels had already been through. Last week, he was carted off the field and taken to the hospital with a neck injury that looked terrifying in the moment. Instead of missing the game, the former Oklahoma standout came back Sunday and delivered a gutsy performance when the Falcons needed it most.
Afterward, Daniels talked about the extra work it took to step into Deablo’s role and handle the responsibilities that came with wearing the green dot.
"Mentally, had to prepare different, you know," said Daniels. "Divine being out, just had to take the extra steps, study a little bit more, look over my play call, listen to 'Brich in this loud stadium, but it all played out. My team helped me, they trusted me with the green dot, so I'm just thankful."
A fourth-round pick, Daniels earned a starting job out of training camp and has kept getting better each week. Sunday was easily his best game so far, but he was quick to spread the credit around.
"It took everybody," said Daniels. "Special teams, offense, defense, you know, we're just leaning on each other. You know, I might have made the pick, but the offense went out there and scored so many points, special teams got them pinned down there
Daniels also made clear how much the moment meant to him personally.
"I'm just thankful that I got drafted to this team."
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The toughest part of the comeback, though, was not just getting back into a uniform and back into the middle of the defense. Daniels had to work through the reality of an injury that naturally lingers in a players mind, even after the doctors clear him, and his return carried the extra weight of doing it in a high-profile win against one of the NFLs hottest teams. For Atlanta, the encouraging part is not only that Daniels was available again, but that he looked like a central piece of the defense the moment he stepped back in. [Read more 🡒]
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The result is a roster that looks more complete than it has in a while, with the quarterback play giving the whole operation a different feel and the new defenders helping raise the floor on that side of the ball. ZaDarius Smith, in particular, has been a major part of that transition after arriving late in the offseason, and the broader question for Atlanta now is whether this early momentum can turn into something lasting once the schedule tightens and the real pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]