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The Falcons were embarrassed by the Saints on Thanksgiving night and now move to 4-7 with the Baltimore Ravens heading to town. It was a game to forget, and we’re hoping it didn’t dampen your holiday festivities too much. As we look toward another AFC North match-up, get your week started with all the Falcons news you may have missed with Falcoholinks.
Looking to 2,000
Julio Jones is still doing what he does best: putting up ridiculous numbers and leading the league in receiving. Hey, he’s even scoring touchdowns! Sitting at 1,305 yards on the year and with the playoffs out of reach, Dave Choate recommends that as a point of personal pride this team should feed Julio enough to get him over the 2,000 yard mark.
It would take five straight games of very Julio Jones-level production, but he’s shown that he’s capable of putting up over 100 yards week in and week out.
Putting a lid on the season
With two consecutive trips to the playoffs, it feels weird to say the Falcons are dead and buried heading into Week 13, but that’s where we are. In retrospect, this season fell apart in the opener on a soggy field in Philadelphia, the Falcons never able to cobble together a successful mix of defenders after the losses of Keanu Neal and Deion Jones.
Our Cory Woodroof has put together a bit of a 2018 postmortem, and lays plain the reasons why the future is bright for this squad next season. It’s certainly worth a read, and might even soften the blow from Thursday’s loss a bit.
Keeping Jack in red and black
Jack Crawford has shown his worth this season, and as we turn our gaze toward the future of the defensive line, he should definitely be penciled into the plans. Crawford is tied for the team lead in sacks with 5.5, and has provided a sturdy presence on the interior for the bulk of the year.
With a team-friendly deal, it would behoove the Atlanta Falcons to make Jack Crawford a part of their plans at the defensive tackle position.
Things are gonna get weird
One part of a losing season is that coaches now have the freedom to do some experimenting that wouldn’t be advised with the playoffs on the line. Coach Quinn appears ready to do just that, announcing that Zane Beadles and Ty Sambrailo may start getting some run on the offensive line.
What could this mean? Well, it means the Falcons are firmly out of it, and it could mean that either may start taking snaps at right tackle.