The Falcons are coming out of the bye week licking their wounds, but they still have everything in front of them.
They sit one game ahead of the Buccaneers in the division, and they own the head-to-head tiebreaker, so the Bucs would have to win five of their final six games if the Falcons were to just go .500 down the stretch.
If Atlanta wins four of their final six, Tampa Bay would have to run the table. Suffice to say, the Falcons still are in the driver’s seat of the NFC South, but to make any sort of noise in the postseason, the pass rush has to get going.
The Falcons’ defense as a whole is one of the worst in football, and the pass rush is the primary catalyst, with Matt Judon being the most disappointing aspect of that side of the ball.
Finally, it’s not just the fans who are sick of the production, or lack thereof. When speaking to Atlanta media on Wednesday, Raheem Morris said the Falcons are looking for more from Matt Judon.
#Falcons Raheem Morris said they are "looking for more" from OLB Matthew Judon.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) November 27, 2024
When the Falcons traded a third-round pick for Judon, many fans, including myself, believed it was one of the final pieces to the puzzle. It’s been an utter failure, though.
Judon posted 32 sacks in 37 games across three seasons in New England. This year, he has logged 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and seven pressures across 11 games. For comparison, in four games last season, the veteran put up 4.0 sacks, five tackles for loss, and 11 pressures.
He has about half the production in more than twice as many games. That could only be seen as a colossal failure up to this point. It doesn’t seem like it’ll suddenly turn around either.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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