Falcons Rookie Linebacker Leads Way in Latest PFF Ratings

The Atlanta Falcons (3-6) lost their fourth straight game as they fell 31-25 to the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) in a Week 10 matchup in Berlin, Germany. The pass-rush, fueled by rookie Jalon Walker, had its second straight dominant performance, recording seven sacks in the loss. 

Walker was the highest graded defender in the game, receiving an 87.4 score. Walker was one of only two defenders to receive a score above an 80 in Sunday’s game. Nose tackle Sam Roberts (72.4), linebacker Ronnie Harrison (72.1), safety Jessie Bates (70.2) and safety Xavier Watts (67.5) round out the Falcons’ top five highest graded defenders.

After winning rookie of the week in Week 9, Walker backed it up with another stellar performance. The defender recorded two quarterback hurries, a sack, five total tackles, three defensive stops, recovered a fumble and gave up only eight yards in coverage. Last week, Walker forced a fumble on a Drake Maye sack that was recovered by draft mate James Pearce Jr. This week, Pearce Jr. forced a fumble on a Daniel Jones sack that was recovered by Jalon Walker.

Roberts only played four snaps and recorded one tackle, but PFF has him as Atlanta’s second-highest defender. 

Harrison has been part of the committee to try and mitigate the absence of linebacker Divine Deablo. Harrison had six total tackles, four defensive stops and one sack. 

Bates, who struggled to start the season, put together his best game of the season this Sunday. The star safety recorded his second interception of the season, along with nine total tackles and three defensive stops. He gave up just 11 yards in coverage and Jones had a 27.1 passer rating when targeting Bates. 

Watts has quickly become one of Atlanta’s best defenders in the secondary. He was targeted zero times on Sunday and had 13 total tackles and a defensive stop. 

However, it was not all good for Atlanta on the defensive side of the ball. The Falcons had three players on defense with grades in the 30s, with cornerback Dee Alford receiving an Atlanta low 30.6 score. Interior lineman Ruke Orhorhoro (31.3), cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. (34.3), linebacker J.D. Bertrand (44.2) and linebacker Kaden Elliss (50.9) round out Atlanta’s bottom five graded defenders. 

Alford left the game in the first half and would not return after being evaluated for a concussion. In roughly a quarter of play, the corner gave up two receptions for 47 yards and a score, including a long 37-yard touchdown. 

Orhorhoro had a quarterback hurry but also had a 30.0 run defense score, the third lowest on the team. Bowman had not played since Week 4 against the Washington Commanders, and the rookie struggled in his return to the field. He had six total tackles (three missed tackles) and one quarterback hurry. In coverage, he was targeted four times, each resulting in a completion for 30 total yards. In clutch time, when Bowman was defending another rookie in tight end Tyler Warren, he played the ball instead of the pass catcher, giving up a first-down catch on fourth down. 

Bertrand continues to struggle as he gets reps for the injured Deablo. The linebacker had four total tackles and one defensive stop. He only gave up one reception for nine yards; however, he had a team-low 29.9 run defense grade, tied with Kaden Elliss.

Elliss once again showed off his prowess at pressuring the quarterback, registering three quarterback hurries, a sack and three total tackles. However, he gave up 24 yards in coverage (Daniel Jones had a 93.8 passer rating when targeting the linebacker) and was tied for the team low in run defense grade.

The offense continued to struggle, as it did not convert a single third down on Sunday. However, Chris Lindstrom was the highest graded player for either team, receiving a 92.1 score. Wide receiver Drake London (85.5), running back Tyler Allgeier (82.5), tight end Charlie Woerner (82.1) and left tackle Jake Matthews (75.4) round out the Falcons' top five highest graded players on offense.

After an injury scare late in the fourth quarter of Week 9, the Falcons' All-Pro right guard Lindstrom showed out on Sunday. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was untouched with Lindstrom’s blocking, as the guard surrendered zero hurries or pressures and received a game-high 90.7 run blocking score.

London built on his impressive performance from last week, when he recorded his first career hat trick. The fourth-year receiver hauled in six catches for 104 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion where he dropped All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. 

The Falcons remembered that they have Tyler Allgeier, and used him well on Sunday, especially in the fourth quarter. After recording just 10 total carries in the last three games, Allgeier had 11 carries for 57 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and picked up two scores, including a go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter. 

Woerner caught his first pass for positive yardage this season, hauling in a catch and run for 14 yards and a first down. His 76.8 run blocking grade was the second-highest on the team.

Iron man Jake Matthews continues to be a consistent force for the Falcons at left tackle. He surrendered just one pressure in Sunday’s loss, and his 80.9 pass blocking grade was the second highest of all Falcons’ offensive linemen. 

Atlanta’s need for other pass-catching playmakers outside of London is once again reflected in the Falcons' bottom five graded players on offense. Three of Atlanta’s bottom five were pass catches, with wide receiver Darnell Mooney receiving the lowest score at 50.9. Penix (51.3), center Ryan Neuzil (52.0), wide receiver David Sills (55.1) and tight end Kyle Pitts (56.9) round out Atlanta’s bottom five. 

While Mooney has been dealing with injury this season, when he plays, he simply has not been very good. He had a big drop late in the fourth quarter when the Falcons attempted to drive down the field and get into field goal range to potentially win the game. Mooney had just one catch for 17 yards on Sunday and has not had a game with two catches since Week 7. 

Penix had the worst game of his career, accuracy-wise. He completed just 12 of his 28 passes (42.9%) for 177 yards and had a 29.7 QBR. While he did throw a nice ball on the touchdown to Drake London, he was far too inaccurate for most of Sunday, missing passes that the eighth overall pick has to hit.

Neuzil had a team low 41.0 pass blocking grade. He surrendered a quarterback hit and a hurry. Sills had his second straight game with zeros across the board. However, in the second half, he was open down the field and Penix simply missed him. Pitts had just two catches for 38 yards on Sunday. He also had a drop early in the first quarter on a crossing route, which may have gone for a score.

Other notable scores include: James Pearce Jr. (53.5), Brandon Dorlus (62.8), A.J. Terrell (64.6), Zach Harrison (67.0), Bijan Robinson (69.4) and Kyle Hinton (72.1). 

More From Atlanta Falcons on SI