Falcons position grades: QBs get an F in loss to Panthers

Quarterback: F

Cooper Rush’s first play from scrimmage ended with a fumble, his second drive concluded with an interception and his Sunday afternoon ended following another interception. He had three giveaways in seven drives, and his replacement, undrafted rookie Jack Strand, threw a deflected pick-six on his first NFL pass. He also lost a fumble inside the final minute as the ball slid out of his hand during his throwing motion.

This is as bleak as it gets, right?

Running back: B

Bijan Robinson didn’t have quite the workload or production as he did in Week 1, but the Falcons’ All-Pro megastar still finished with 81 scrimmage yards and, if nothing else, offered hope for a big play on a few occasions. Brian Robinson Jr. added 51 yards on 11 carries, but the ground game didn’t produce many explosives.

Wide receiver: B-

Much like Week 1, the Falcons’ receiving corps is tough to evaluate given the quarterback performance. Drake London made a few splash plays, finishing with four receptions for 51 yards. Zachariah Branch recorded his first NFL catch, a receiver screen for a three-yard gain.

There were wasted opportunities given the quarterback performances, and the Falcons’ pass-catchers created some space, too. The football didn’t get to them often enough.

Tight end: C-

Kyle Pitts caught his first pass of the season, a 15-yard gain on a short pass to the right side, but it was his only grab of the day. The Falcons gave Pitts a three-year, $54 million contract extension this summer, making him the third highest-paid tight end in the league, and he’s made only one catch through two games.

Austin Hooper added two catches for 20 yards.

Offensive line: C+

The Falcons’ quarterbacks were sacked three times and hit five others, but their run game produced reasonably well. Penalties weren’t much of an issue this week, either, which was the unit’s biggest problem in the season opener.

Defensive line: B-

We’ll see later what the official number turns out to be, but it didn’t feel like the Falcons blitzed much Sunday. They needed to drop more bodies into coverage, a strategy that didn’t necessarily work out, but their four-man rush still delivered two sacks and eight quarterback hits.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is a difficult player to contain, given his proficiency making plays off-script and outside the pocket, but the Falcons’ defensive line still generated pressure.

The Falcons also held the Panthers to just 68 rushing yards on 22 attempts.

Linebacker: C+

Rookie Kendal Daniels tallied three tackles and his first NFL tackle for loss, and he batted down a pass in the first quarter that ultimately didn’t count anyway because of an offensive penalty. Divine Deablo was questionable entering the day with an illness but persevered to record two tackles and log a quarterback hit. Rookie Harold Perkins Jr. added one tackle.

Collectively, the unit held serve and did its job against the run, but the Falcons’ linebackers didn’t make many splash plays, either.

Cornerback: D+

The Falcons lost starter A.J. Terrell to a groin injury on the first possession, and while his replacement, C.J. Henderson, made a few plays, the secondary at large struggled stopping Carolina’s pass game. Mike Hughes, who starts opposite Terrell, allowed several catches to Panthers standout Tetairoa McMillan.

Rookie nickel Avieon Terrell had good coverage on multiple throws and largely performed the best of the bunch, but the team’s perimeter corners didn’t hold up.

Safety: C-

Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III led the Falcons with seven and six tackles, respectively, but the Panthers hit a few explosive throws downfield, too. Watts and Bates pride themselves on takeaways, but through two games, they haven’t gotten their hands on the ball. The Falcons need that to change.

Special teams: C

Falcons punter Jake Bailey continued his strong start to the season, while kicker Nick Folk split two field goal tries, making a 41-yarder and missing a 53-yarder. Folk is only 3-for-6 kicking to open the year after missing just three field goals the past three seasons combined.