What We Saw: Week 1

The What We Saw team recaps everything you missed from this week's action

Ben Brown
What We Saw A Year Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Lions @ Chiefs
Panthers @ Falcons
Texans @ Ravens
Bengals @ Browns
Jaguars @ Colts
Buccaneers @ Vikings
Titans @ Saints
49ers @ Steelers
Cardinals @ Commanders
Packers @ Bears
Raiders @ Broncos
Dolphins @ Chargers
Eagles @ Patriots
Rams @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Giants
Bills @ Jets

Panthers @ Falcons

Final Score: Falcons 24, Panthers 10

Writer: Michael James (@MikeoftheFF on Twitter)

 

It’s Bijan!  It’s Bryce!  It’s Frank Reich’s debut with Carolina opening up our slate of Sunday games at Atlanta to kick off week 1!  Football is back!  Cordarrelle Patterson and DJ Chark are out, but Brian Burns is in for this game.  Both quarterbacks fumbled the ball on their opening drive.  Both teams would get one solid drive of the first half to head into the locker room with a 7-7 score at half-time.  It remained a competitive game up to the end of the third quarter when the Falcons turned a Miles Sanders fumble into seven points and never looked back, with the Falcons taking part of first place in the NFC South with some highlights and head-scratchers.

Three Up

  • Tyler Allgeier – You didn’t think Arthur Smith was going to not use a running back committee, did you?  Two touchdowns
  • Bijan Robinson – The rookie’s debut came with a fantastic performance in the passing game, including a touchdown
  • Jessie Bates III – This one goes out to my IDP league players, 10 total tackles, 2 passes defended, 2 interceptions

Three Down

  • Drake London – I need someone to do me a solid and create a “Have you seen this man?” poster.  Ridder definitely did not see him, zero catches
  • Kyle Pitts – One of his two catches was an absolute highlight reel snag, but the fact remains he only had two catches
  • Bryce Young’s First NFL TD ball – Hayden Hurst crossed the plane for 6 points and then proceeded to yeet the potential future trophy 5 rows deep into the stands

 

Carolina Panthers

 

 

Quarterback

 

Bryce Young: 20/38 146 Yards, TD 2 INT | 3 Carries 17 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)

 

Started strong with quick drop dart throws over the field.  On the 11-play drive, he went 3 for 3 and 28 yards.  He also had a fumble but recovered it.  However, on the next drive, he threw his first interception of the day and seemed to hesitate on subsequent drives, getting the ball out to receivers late.  He would settle down two drives later to sustain a 7-minute drive that would end in his first (and only) touchdown of the game.

I’m not sure how to describe it, his passes looked good in how he set and released it, but too many passes were behind the receiver or overthrown going downfield.  You could tell he had a lot of hesitation when the pocket would break down as he was looking to throw first before keeping and rushing.  When he finally did decide to tuck and run, he converted the first down with a 16-yard scramble in the third quarter.  He spread the ball, with 15 targets among 6 receivers in the first half and 4 receivers with 5+ targets to end the game.  I was honestly surprised he didn’t try to run more.

Notes

  • He looked shaky after the first interception, but the drive after settled down and commanded a drive that went down the field for 75 yards, hooking up with Hurst multiple times including the touchdown

Missed Opportunities

  • First pass where he had to wait in the pocket for the play to develop, throws an interception over the middle on second and long.
  • While the first interception was the result of a jumped route, his second one was just a throw that never should have been made.  The same safety was already closer to the target than the receiver was on release and resulted in an easy turnover for the Falcons
  • Took until 4th quarter to finally dial up a long shot downfield
  • 0/7 on deep passes

 

 

Running Back

 

This was a tight 60/40 committee for three quarters up until the Falcons turned a fumble recovery into 7 points, then Sanders took over the majority of the work and Hubbard was barely seen again. This resulted in an 18/9 carry split and a 6/2 target split, both favoring Sanders.  If I’m being completely honest, Hubbard looked like the more efficient back but saw less play down the stretch for reasons perhaps Coach Reich will elaborate on later.

 

Miles Sanders: 18 Carries, 72 Yards | 6 Targets 4 Receptions, 26 Yards | 1 Fumble (Lost)

 

Notes

  • To his credit, Sanders had 9 combined rushes and targets after turning the ball over and was the main back in the last two drives when the Panthers needed to play from behind
  • Got the team’s only x and goal carry
  • 4 YPC average
  • 6 targets in the passing game, 4 catches

Missed Opportunities

  • After a great 10-yard burst, fumbled the ball over to the Falcons upon being tackled
  • Only one touch on third down for the entire game (3rd and 1, converted for first down)

 

Chuba Hubbard: 9 Carries, 60 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards

 

Notes

  • Showed fantastic burst speed
  • Had a larger YPC (6.7) average of the two backs
  • Was the back for their 4th and 1 pile push (failed)
  • Was in on third and long, even had a 7-yard catch on third and 10

Missed Opportunities

  • Stuffed hard on the opening drive 4th&1 in the red zone

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

DJ Chark (out) did not play

 

Hayden Hurst: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards, TD

 

Caught the first touchdown pass of Bryce Young’s career, only to launch it into the stands after

Notes

  • 3 of Hurst’s 7 targets came on one drive including the touchdown
  • Lead the team in targets

Missed Opportunities

  • Young’s first interception was a jumped route intended for Hurst
  • Only two targets in the second half

 

Terrace Marshall Jr.: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards

 

Notes

  • Six targets, leading all WRs for the team

Missed Opportunities

  • Young’s first deep shot attempt in the fourth quarter was for Marshall but was overthrown
  • Only caught 2 of the 6 targets
  • Was the intended target for Young’s second interception

 

Jonathan Mingo: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards

 

Notes

  • 5 targets

Missed Opportunities

  • Young took another deep shot from the middle of his own end zone for Mingo, also overthrown

 

Laviska Shenault Jr.: 2 Carries, 5 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards

 

Notes

  • 2 rushing attempts
  • caught both of his targets

 

Adam Thielen: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards

 

Thielen only garnered two targets on the day, likely because the Falcons pressured Bryce Young for much of the day and he struggled to get the ball out to the perimeter. Young preferred to get the ball out quicker and in the direction of Hurst and Marshall, so Thielen took a back seat. Not to mention the ankle injury he was nursing heading into this game. I wonder if Young just had limited vision and not a lot of time to survey the field. Either way, Thielen’s debut with the Panthers was a quiet one.

Notes

  • Caught every target

Missed Opportunities

  • Only targeted twice

 

 

Atlanta Falcons

 

 

Quarterback

 

Desmond Ridder: 15/18, 115 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, -1 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)

 

First play of the game, Ridder completes the pass and he’s 1 for 1 Let’s go!  Never mind, it was batted into the air and he caught his own pass for a 6-yard loss.

Speaking of pressure and no time to throw, Ridder had zero time in the pocket and looked like he was about to lay into his lineman.  He would go into halftime with 4 sacks!  As a result, half of his passes were thrown to his running backs.  Derrick Brown and Brian Burns decided they were going to live in the back field, resulting in a hard time for the Falcons passing game to get anything going down the field.

Notes

  • Completed 15 of his 18 passes

Missed Opportunities

  • I’m going to list Burns not holding out as a missed opportunity for Ridder, this guy was all over the pass rush
  • Took until 5 minutes remaining in the gameto throw the team’s first (and only) deep ball of the game.  It was magnificent, but still just one.
  • Zero rushes (-1 for kneel)

 

 

Running Back

 

This was a committee approach for the entire game.  While Robinson got the start, it was a 60/40 carry split favoring Allgeier.  In the passing game, Robinson was more active.  The only time there was a clear back was near the goal line, as Allgeier got all 4 goal-to-go carries (converting two of them for touchdowns)  There were even sets where they both are in the backfield, most often Robinson is sent in motion when this happens though.  This is a definite rush first and often offense.

 

Bijan Robinson: 10 Carries, 56 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 27 Yards, TD

 

Notes

  • First rush of his NFL career goes for an 8-yard gain.
  • In on third down pass-blocking situations
  • Motions out wide and catches a 1-step out sideline pass and uses a disgusting juke to shake the tackler and run in for an 11-yard touchdown.
  • Had 3 touches in a row on that drive with the final one being the TD out flat pass that he ran in
  • Is sent in motion to line up as a receiver a lot
  • 6 touches for the game on third down
  • Touched the ball on 16 of his 31 snaps played

Missed Opportunities

  • Wouldn’t call this a ‘miss’ but had a 15-yard breakaway but fumbled it.  Play was nullified by penalty.
  • After that touchdown catch, Allgeier would see the game’s remaining red zone work

 

Tyler Allgeier: 15 Carries, 75 Yards, 2 TD | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards

 

Notes

  • Would seem his pre-season share demise has been vastly overstated
  • Led the team in goal line carries
  • Starts the second drive and takes the first two snaps for 41 total rushing yards

Missed Opportunities

  • Only two touches on third down
  • 2 for 4 on red zone rushing attempts

 

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Jaycee Horn left the game with an injury right before halftime.  Still, it befuddled the announcers as to why it took until 5 minutes left in the game to finally attack his replacement.  My guess would be Ridder was running for his life and you don’t really have to when you have two running backs both averaging over 5 YPC

 

Drake London: 1 Target

 

Notes

  • The lack of information on this will enrage you but he was only really talked about in the first half of the broadcast.  My best guess is Ridder didn’t have time to find him with the Panthers’ destructive pass rush, and frankly at no point was the passing game tested (or lack thereof punished even)
  • Only one game last season with less than 3 targets in the 17 games he played

Missed Opportunities

  • Wasn’t able to catch his only target in the first half
  • Forgot to take off his invisibility cloak in the second half
  • Ouch

 

Kyle Pitts: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 44 Yards

 

Notes

  • 66% catch rate, one non-catch was over his reach
  • This man takes double coverage 34 yards all the way, gets interfered with on the play, and still manages to haul in the catch.  A true jump-out-of-your-seat performance on that play

Missed Opportunities

  • Only 3 targets
  • 34 of his 44 yards came on one play
  • First catch, 26-yard reception taken away by penalty

 

Mack Hollins: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 31 Yards

 

Notes

  • Only receiver to get more than 1 target

 

Series Navigation
Introduction
Lions @ Chiefs
Panthers @ Falcons
Texans @ Ravens
Bengals @ Browns
Jaguars @ Colts
Buccaneers @ Vikings
Titans @ Saints
49ers @ Steelers
Cardinals @ Commanders
Packers @ Bears
Raiders @ Broncos
Dolphins @ Chargers
Eagles @ Patriots
Rams @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Giants
Bills @ Jets

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