The Falcons will meet old friend Sean Payton this weekend as the club travels to Denver to take on the Broncos.
Surprisingly, Atlanta’s defense has been occupied by Payton’s Bo Nix-led offense. It’s not as strong with the top names of other offenses, but it’s effective because Payton is still one of the best in the business, and the Knicks are executing.
The Broncos’ strength lies in the defensive side of the ball, especially their pass rush, which may be the best in the NFL. The Falcons offense will be tested this week at Mile High, but they have the horses, pun intended, to upset the Broncos, and Payton knows it.
“I think we’re all conditioned to A [No.] 1 and a [No.] 2. “They’re both completely different types of receivers,” Payton said of Darnell Mooney and Drake London, via Sports Illustrated. “Then you deal with the tight end, and we haven’t even talked about [running back]. So I think they are different types of players.”
With Kirk Cousins on board, Atlanta’s weapons are starting to fulfill their potential, especially Mooney and London. In his previous two seasons with the Bears, Mooney never topped 500 receiving yards. Through 10 games, he has already accumulated 684 receiving yards, followed by 649 in London.
In fact, the wide receiver duo is the only one in the NFL to be in the top eight in touchdowns and yards, something only two other duos have accomplished — Randy Moss and Cris Carter and Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.
“You’re dealing with the tight end,” Payton notes, as Kyle Pitts finally looks like the player the Falcons saw in his rookie campaign. Betts is on pace to surpass his combined production from the past two seasons.
That’s not even mentioning Bijan Robinson, who is averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry, totaling 748 yards and six touchdowns this year. Don’t forget Robinson in the passing game, too. His 331 yards receiving on 41 receptions puts him over 1,000 scrimmage yards away and just a few scores away from double-digit touchdowns.
The Falcons have the type of weapons that will make defensive coordinators’ heads spin. They complement each other and have their point guard, Kirk Cousins, to distribute the rocks to.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Ikon Sportswire
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