The Falcons have now fallen to 3-10 on the year and are headed towards the worst finish in franchise history. Despite the dreadful record, the Falcons have shown some heart in the past three games.
In the Thursday night game against New Orleans, the Falcons showed hunger for a win which is something I hadn't seen from them since the week 7 win over Tampa Bay. Although Atlanta lost the game, the Falcons proved that they can play well against good teams despite all of the injuries that have come their way. For those wondering why Atlanta lost; poor tackling and lack of offensive production in the 2nd half.
After losing to New Orleans, the Falcons played their most impressive game of the year against the Buffalo Bills. After going down 14-0 early, the Falcons realized that they were about to get blown out in yet another game. That here-we-go-again attitude went away when Steven Jackson ran for a 27-yard touchdown late in the 1st quarter. I believe that run gave the team a spark that they turned into a flame en route to a win in overtime 34-31.
To be brutally honest, the aforementioned run was the slowest 27-yard run I've ever seen from a professional running back.
That "flame" the Falcons had in Toronto, against the Bills, died at the start of the 2nd half against Green Bay the following week. After getting a pick-6 to end the 1st half with a 21-10 lead, the team failed to stop the Packers from scoring and failed to score on the offensive side in the 2nd half. The Falcons that people have seen all season returned. Atlanta ended up losing the game 22-21.
Despite losing 2/3 games I've mentioned, the Falcons showed some bright spots. Rookie wide receiver, Darius Johnson, showed everyone that he has some great hands and great speed against New Orleans and Buffalo with 8 catches for 83 yards. The Defensive line showed that they can get to the quarterback with 5 sacks against Green Bay. Linebacker, Paul Worrilow, has continued to impress and is slowly becoming a fan favorite. He reached a total of 30 tackles in the 3 games mentioned here. Safety, Zeke Motta, stepped in for Thomas Decoud against Green Bay and showed that he has plenty of potential. He's the type of player of goes with his gut; and his gut instincts are pretty spot-on. I think, with more experience, Zeke can be a great safety that will force opponents to do extra film study.
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