Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots
Final Score: Patriots 24, Falcons 23
Writer: Griffey Geiss (@ggeiss_mlb and @ggeiss_PL on Twitter)
This was a game that should’ve been over a while ago, but the Falcons managed to find a way to fight all the way down to the wire. Their defensive pressure was key — even after losing key pass rusher Leonard Floyd early — disturbing the typical precise and poised Drake Maye. He fumbled twice, turning the ball over once that led to a score before halftime, and later threw an interception on a miscommunication going deep. The Falcons sacked Maye six times, plus hit him a few more occasions and were constantly causing havoc in the backfield. As for the rest of the game, by far the matchup of this week was between Drake London and Christian Gonzalez. It was a healthy battle with both winning electric battles at times — a London TD, Gonzo breaking up multiple passes including third and fourth-down conversion attempts — but when the Patriots were unfortunate enough to have London line up against someone else, the Falcons made them pay big time. He was exceptional. In the end, this game came down to a missed extra point by ex-Patriots preseason kicker John Parker Romo.
Three Up
- Drake London — Had himself the best game of his young career against a really tough matchup.
- Demario Douglas — Career high in yards (100) and caught Drake Maye‘s longest career completion.
- TreVeyon Henderson — Season high in carries due to Rhamondre Stevenson‘s absence.
Three Down
- Kayshon Boutte — Left due to injury, snapping his streak of three consecutive games with a TD.
- Darnell Mooney — Recorded his fourth game (of six total) with 20 or fewer receiving yards.
- Drake Maye — He wasn’t bad by any means, but I (along with others) left expecting a bit more, at least in the efficiency department.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Michael Penix Jr.: 22/37, 221 yards, 3 TDs | 2 carries, 19 yards
Michael Penix Jr. had his ups-and-downs, but overall looked good against a fairly talented Patriots defense. Three passing touchdowns in a single game marks a career high for Penix, and his 103.5 passer rating is the second-best mark he’s posted all season. He led his team down the field when they needed it, but some unfortunate mistakes, like an avoidable intentional grounding, left a sour taste in my mouth. Penix did not stop fighting, even when it seemed like the game was wrapped up and over near the half. His connection with Drake London, borderline force-feeding him (like they needed him to), was impressive. I’m intrigued in what the Falcons have in Penix … fine tune the command a bit, add quality second weapon, they may have something.
Missed Opportunities
- Poor ball placement a few times, one notably to London.
- Intentional grounding could’ve resulted in a Bijan Robinson reception had Penix turned the other way.
Running Back
Bijan Robinson: 12 carries, 46 yards | 10 targets, 8 receptions, 50 yards
Bijan Robinson was contained in the running game, continuing the trend of elite run defense by the Patriots, who haven’t allowed a running back to go for 50 yards in a game all year. He was, however, uber-effective in the passing game. The Falcons pretty much gave up on running the ball (the scoreboard and unsuccessful attempts both played a part), and instead starting utilizing their guys, trying to get the ball into their hands in the open field by any means. Motion, different looks, messing with route trees, all of the above. It worked well.
Tyler Allgeier: 2 carries, 6 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Drake London: 14 Targets, 9 Receptions, 118 Yards, 3 TDs
The trifecta! A hat trick! Drake London was so much fun to watch. He came into the game with a terribly tough matchup against star corner Christian Gonzalez, but that didn’t seem to faze him or the Falcons’ play-calling. Gonzo was killing it early, even causing the broadcasters to wonder why Atlanta kept going London’s way, but soon that would change. For some odd reason, the Patriots went off of Gonzo versus London and that’s where he feasted, hauling in passes all over the field on different routes and making one of the biggest fantasy impacts of the entire year. His size was the key, outjumping defenders to secure the ball on multiple plays.
Kyle Pitts: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 38 Yards
Kyle Pitts was a solid second option this week. Like London, his size was a factor when beating out some of the smaller defensive backs and linebackers to secure passes. Pitts may not be the generational pass-catching tight end talent analysts claimed he was coming out of the draft, but he’s starting to find his way in a new role with the Falcons.
Darnell Mooney: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
Darnell Mooney was a really intriguing deep league target heading into the year, thanks to his above-average snap count and hefty amount of early-to-midseason targets last season. This year? It’s been unideal to say the least. He’s played in six games, four of which have yielded 20 or less receiving yards. He has just one game with at least six targets and zero with more than four catches. The nice way of saying it is, his production is very replaceable.
David Sills V: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Drake Maye: 19/29, 259 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 2 Fumbles (1 LOST) | 8 Carries, 20 Yards
Like I mentioned above in the Three Down category, Drake Maye wasn’t all that bad. He just wasn’t his usual, exceptional self. His first half was brilliant for the most part, throwing for nearly 200 yards, allowing the Patriots to end the half with 21 points. Then it briefly went south, with a strip sack that nearly resulted in a scoop-and-score before halftime. He dropped the ball (literally) coming out of the half, though he did recover. Finally, he threw a really poor interception on a deep ball after what appeared to be a miscommunication regarding the route.
Maye wasn’t nearly as efficient as he usually was, but he got the job done. He’s passed for at least 200 yards in every game he’s played this season. He remains a top-five QB for good reason.
Missed Opportunities
- Overthrew Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas.
- Drop by Stefon Diggs.
Running Back
TreVeyon Henderson: 14 Carries, 55 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 32 Yards
TreVeyon Henderson was good in the starting role with veteran Rhamondre Stevenson out this week nursing a toe injury. When in space, Henderson is so dangerous. He was forced to touch the ball in more close-quarters spots than usual, but he still made the most of his opportunity. It hurt he couldn’t cap off this performance with a touchdown.
Terrell Jennings: 11 Carries, 35 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Terrell Jennings, the practice squad back, continues to quietly impress in his small but notable usage these past few weeks.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DeMario Douglas: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 100 yards, TD
By far the best we’ve seen DeMario Douglas this year, and possibly the best game of his young career. He recorded a career-high 100 receiving yards, including a 58-yard reception which happened to be Maye’s career-long play. Douglas was making guys miss left and right in the open field and even outworked some bigger defensive backs, aggressively receiving the football and fighting for extra yards. He’s been trending up lately and this was the cherry on top.
With Kayshon Boutte‘s injury being something to monitor, perhaps Douglas is worth a peek on the waiver wire. It’s good to see him back after a brutal start to the year.
Hunter Henry: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 51 Yards
Another solid day for the captain. Hunter Henry made several massive catches, converting multiple first downs including the one that put the game away. He may not be able to recreate his Week 3 production (11-8-90 with two TDs) anytime soon, but Maye certainly looks his way often and in big moments.
Stefon Diggs: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 38 Yards, TD
Stefon Diggs‘ first seven weeks in a Patriots uniform yielded no touchdowns. The next two weeks? Back-to-back games hitting paydirt. The volume has been up-and-down all year, really being matchup dependent, but he appears to have found a home in New England. Diggs recorded his 900th career reception on his touchdown catch. He’s the fifth-fastest receiver to do so in NFL history.
Kayshon Boutte: 1 target, 0 receptions
Kayshon Boutte left the game early with a hamstring injury. This unfortunately snaps his streak of three consecutive games with a touchdown. Boutte was a big waiver-wire add for a handful of receiver-needy teams this week. His status is questionable for now.
Austin Hooper: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 20 Yards
Mack Hollins: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Kyle Williams: 1 Target, 0 Receptions