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We have this feature called teammates of the week, as you know. It's a ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak landscape of articles, but there are weeks when the plural of teammate proves to be a challenge. This week, then, we're going to work around it a bit.
Jonathan Babineaux is my teammate of the week, and he did the work of multiple men. On a day where the defense struggled mightily to stop anything past the second quarter, Babs was routinely in the backfield, sniffing out Marshawn Lynch, coming up with eight tackles and just generally being a beast. The fact that the rest of the team was busy doing their best impression of the the ancient Roman civilization obscured this, but it's true: He was awesome.
Babs doesn't get the credit he deserves because he doesn't put up the eye-popping stats you associate with, say, a Geno Atkins. Yet he's put together a fine career as a disruptive force in the middle of Atlanta's line, and he's been especially dominant against the run.
Marcell Dareus now has 28 defensive stops in run game. Next best DT? Jonathan Babineaux with 20.
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) November 11, 2013
So a salute to Babs. He can't do the work of 11 men, but on Sunday, he did the work of at least a couple. He's got more games like this in him for these Falcons, and this might be our last chance to see him in the uniform. Be sure to watch.