With A.J. Terrell on injured reserve, the Falcons are running thin at cornerback, and the bigger problem is that the spot opposite him has become a weekly headache. Atlanta has no real depth to lean on, but the issue goes beyond that: even the starters have been hard to trust.
Terrell had been struggling before the groin injury, yet Mike Hughes has become the more glaring concern. Hughes is healthy, but his play has been so shaky that Atlanta might almost be better off if he were on IR instead. The Week 3 win over the Packers only amplified that reality.
This is where the current regime’s decisions start to matter. Terry Fontenot was the one who signed Hughes to a three-year extension before last season, and Ian Cunningham is now stuck dealing with the fallout. Cunningham hasn’t made much of an investment in Hughes beyond leaving him in the lineup, but if he wants to separate himself from Fontenot, the next step is obvious: start phasing Hughes out.
Atlanta’s 35-14 win at Lambeau Field on Thursday did not come because of Hughes. He was beaten repeatedly in coverage, and the game underscored just how exposed the Falcons can be when offenses go after him.
Pro Football Focus backed up the eye test with ugly numbers. Hughes finished with a 38.9 defensive grade and a 34.3 coverage grade, both last on the team in a game where Atlanta didn’t have many obvious weak links.
He did pile up seven solo tackles, but the real damage came when the ball was in the air. Hughes was targeted six times and gave up five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Most of that came against Packers receiver Matthew Golden, who caught a 45-yard pass and a 15-yard touchdown from Jordan Love in garbage time with Hughes as the primary defender.
Golden had a career night, and Hughes was the corner he picked apart. That performance only makes Fontenot’s extension look worse, and if Hughes doesn’t turn things around quickly, Atlanta may have no choice but to play younger options ahead of him and potentially use the out in his contract this offseason.
For now, the better path may be to move with C.J. Henderson and Avieon Terrell on the boundary and Billy Bowman Jr. at nickel until A.J.
Terrell returns. Hughes has given Atlanta too many reasons not to trust him, and the longer he stays on the field in this state, the more the rest of the secondary risks getting dragged down with him.
In Other News...
Falcons Defense Could Seize Control In Division Showdown
Monday night brings a familiar kind of pressure for the Falcons, only with more at stake than usual: a trip to New Orleans with first place in the NFC South on the line. Atlantas defense has built its identity around stopping the run, and that strength now meets a Saints offense that may have to lean even harder on its ground game with Travis Etienne expected to sit because of a hamstring injury.
For the Falcons, that is exactly the sort of matchup that can tilt a division race. New Orleans still has Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson available in the backfield, but Kamara has not been as effective as he once was as a runner, which puts even more weight on a group that already ranks among the leagues toughest against the run. If Atlanta can control that area again, the rest of the night starts to look a lot simpler. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Judon Gets Another Shot To Prove Raheem Morris Right
Matt Judon is getting another crack at the kind of opportunity that can change a veterans season, this time with the San Francisco 49ers. The four-time Pro Bowler is signing to the practice squad and could be elevated to the active roster, giving a thin edge-rush group some much-needed depth while Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are out.
For Falcons followers, the more familiar part of the story is the connection back to Raheem Morris, who once coached Judon in Atlanta before taking over as the 49ers defensive coordinator. Morris has long valued disruptive pressure off the edge, and Judon now has a chance to show he still fits that mold in a different locker room, under circumstances that could put him back in the rotation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookies Are Already Changing Atlantas Depth Chart
Through the first three weeks, Atlantas rookie class has already started to leave a mark on the depth chart, with Avieon Terrell, Zachariah Branch, Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. all showing why the Falcons were eager to get them on the field. Their roles and playing time have been trending in a way that suggests this group is not just filling out the roster, but pushing for real opportunities as the season develops.
The early returns have been encouraging enough to change the conversation around where these rookies fit, and in some cases, how quickly they can rise. Snap counts and on-field impact are still evolving, which is exactly what makes this such an interesting subplot for Atlanta - the Falcons appear to have found a class that could keep reshaping its pecking order as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]