Grady Jarrett knows exactly what Chicago is walking into on Sunday.
The former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle is heading back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time as a member of the Chicago Bears, and he’s not sugarcoating the assignment. The man he and the Bears have to slow down is Bijan Robinson, and Jarrett made it clear this week that stopping him will take far more than one defender making a play.
“It’s going to take everybody doing what we need to do,” Jarrett said this week about slowing down Robinson. “Attacking the line of scrimmage.
Not playing passively. Not playing selfishly.
It takes a whole unit to attempt to slow down a special play like Bijan.
“God-given ability to see, to burst, to separate, contact balance; this is a really special player, special person. He knows he's the bloodline of that organization. We've got a heck of a challenge ahead of us.”
Chicago’s run defense has been good enough to survive most weeks, but Robinson and the Falcons are a different level of test. The Bears are 23rd in EPA against the run, according to Sumer Sports, and they’ve only given up one 100-yard rusher all season. That came in Week 2, when the Vikings’ Aaron Jones ran for 105.
Still, Chicago has done a solid job of controlling games by jumping ahead early and taking teams out of their run plans. Saquon Barkley finished with 82 yards for the Eagles, but he got only 15 carries as the Bears built a 20-7 lead in the third quarter. The Jets’ Braelon Allen had just 14 carries after New York fell behind by two scores early in the third.
That’s the path Chicago has leaned on, and it lines up with the challenge in front of it again: keep the Falcons’ offense off the field and make Robinson’s workload harder to find.
One familiar face in the middle of that effort is defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. Dexter signed a lucrative contract extension with the Falcons after being traded to Atlanta from Chicago, and Jarrett already knows him well from their time together with the Bears.
“I talked to Gervon when he signed his extension,” admitted Jarrett. “I was super happy for him, happy for his family, loved my time here with him, and excited for him.
Another young player that's gonna continue to get better. Got a fresh start in Atlanta, so I couldn't be happier for him.”
Jarrett will see plenty of people he knows when he gets back to Atlanta, but once the game starts, the sentiment changes quickly.
“I know those people down there, great people, so I’m excited for him, but as far as talking every day, we’re both getting ready for an opponent every week, so we ain’t breaking bread, talking every day,” Jarrett said with a grin.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. EST at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and after the final whistle, Jarrett said there will be time to catch up.
“Like I said, I love him as a man, as former teammate, and as for his future, I'm excited for him. He's doing what he's doing. He's looked like he's having fun doing his thing and, personally, I'm happy for him,” Jarrett said.
In Other News...
Falcons Pass Rush Suddenly Feels Thin As Bralen Trice Reenters Picture
The Falcons made a notable shuffle on defense ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Bears, signing edge rusher Bralen Trice to the active roster and bringing safety Jammie Robinson back to the practice squad. Atlanta also elevated Robinson and defensive end Drake Jackson for the game, another sign the staff is trying to keep enough bodies available as it pieces together the weeks defensive plan.
Trice has already appeared in three games this season and has shown some pass-rush potential, which makes his move to the 53-man roster worth watching beyond just the transaction wire. With Robinson and Jackson supplying extra depth, the Falcons are clearly leaning on every available option to shore up a defense that needs more pressure off the edge and more flexibility across the front. [Read more 🡒]
Former Falcons Punter Dies At 35 After Long Cancer Battle
Kasey Redferns death at 35 has sent another wave of sadness through the NFL community, including the Falcons circle that saw him briefly in a regular-season role. The former punter, who played for seven teams from 2014 through 2019 and also appeared for Detroit, was remembered for a career that kept him moving from stop to stop while he fought a serious illness away from the field.
Redfern died on Oct. 13 after a three-year battle with brain cancer and central nervous system lymphoma, leaving behind his wife, Lauryl, and their two sons. For Atlanta, his name is a reminder of how quickly a player can pass through the building and still leave a lasting mark when the news years later is about far more than football. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Have Waited Too Long On Cameron Thomas
Cameron Thomas was supposed to be one of the low-risk additions the Falcons made in March, a one-year flier to help fortify the edge. Instead, he has become one of the most productive pieces of their pass rush at a time when injuries and suspensions have left the front looking thinner than planned, turning a modest signing into an increasingly important part of the defense.
Through five games, Thomas has already forced his way into the conversation as a player the Falcons may need to secure before his value climbs any higher. Atlanta still has cap space to work with, and the longer this kind of production continues, the more sense it makes to think beyond the short-term deal and into what it might cost to keep him from testing the market with momentum on his side. [Read more 🡒]