Before the season, the chief concern for the Falcons defense was who would step up across from A.J. Terrell as the team’s second cornerback. To this point, that hasn’t been much of an issue.
The pass rush, even after the addition of Matthew Judon, has been far more concerning. However, the Falcons also haven’t faced many high-flying offenses with elite weapons. The Steelers started Justin Fields at quarterback, and their offense really only features one receiver in George Pickens. Jalen Hurts was a significant uptick in competition, but he’s never been one to light the world on fire with his arm, and the Eagles were without their top receiving option in A.J. Brown.
With all of that being said, Mike Hughes has still looked more than formidable across from A.J. Terrell through the first two weeks. Per Pro Football Focus, he’s graded out as the 14th-best corner, tying for the league lead in run stops and allowing just three receiving yards.
https://twitter.com/PFF_Falcons/status/1836392227829874718
It doesn’t matter who the Falcons have played to this point. That’s a promising sign for the defense. If Mike Hughes can prove to be a competent starting option, this is a unit that could end up much better than most expected at the end of the season. However, this will be the first week Hughes is really tested.
The Chiefs may not have a ton of weapons on the outside like they used to, even if rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy has proven early on in his career to be a big play waiting to happen, but Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league for a reason. He might already be the best signal caller to ever strap it up, and the same can be said about Andy Reid as a play-caller.
Mahomes and Reid know A.J. Terrel is the best cornerback the Falcons have by a country mile. It doesn’t mean they won’t attack him at times, but Mike Hughes will likely be the target on the opposite side of the field early and often. If he can pass this test, perhaps the Falcons don’t have as much to worry about at cornerback as initially anticipated.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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