The Falcons didn’t have a ton of positives to take from their Week 1 performance against the Steelers, but the defense did its job for the most part, particularly Atlanta’s trio of linebackers.
Troy Andersen really impressed after missing most of last season with various injuries, and Kaden Elliss continues to be one of the best linebackers nobody talks about. However, Nate Landman also got a lot of run following his breakout campaign in 2023, grading out as PFF’s fourth-best linebacker in the entire league.
The Falcons have one of two LB duos in the top-12 of PFF grading 💪
4. Nate Landman – 88.3
12. Troy Andersen – 79.3 pic.twitter.com/CbLnGNYX4R— PFF ATL Falcons (@PFF_Falcons) September 11, 2024
Typically, the Falcons defense only features two middle linebackers, but all three offer a bit of a different skill set and are vital to what Jimmy Lake is attempting to do defensively this season.
Ellis is a Swiss Army Knife, fantastic against both the run and the pass, with the ability to rush the passer as well. Andersen is an unbelievable raw athlete with sky-high potential, while Landman was an undrafted free agent that has proven to be an elite level thumper against the run. Versus the Steelers, who love to run the rock, his presence was much-needed, and that will be the case this week as well against the Eagles.
Philadelphia just brought in Saquon Barkley from the Giants, who had three touchdowns in his Eagles debut, and Jalen Hurts is one of the best runners of the football from the quarterback position. Stopping the run and forcing Hurts into obvious passing situations is the best way for the Falcons to slow down Philadelphia’s dynamic offensive attack, and to do that, they’ll need Nate Landman.
Unfortunately, Landman missed Thursday’s practice with an injury.
Nate Landman will miss practice today due to injury.
"It's similar," to the quad injury he dealt with in camp, Raheem Morris said.— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 12, 2024
As Morris notes, Landman has been dealing with stuff all offseason and even missed practice late last week. Despite that, he suited up against the Steelers and racked up seven tackles. Hopefully, this is nothing more than precautionary, and he’ll be ready to go Monday night against the Eagles.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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