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Vic Beasley waited out final ref ruling in Saints game in the Falcons tunnel

The team needed Beasley to step up with Takkarist McKinley out, but it appears he was eager to finish up the game.

New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

We knew Takkarist McKinley was not playing in Sunday’s Saints Falcons matchup. It was a concern for the team with Drew Brees heading to town. Without pressure, the high-powered Saints offense can easily stack up yards and points.

On Sunday, that was over 500 yards of offense and 43 points.

We are still trying to figure out why Vic Beasley hasn’t done much this season. He had a down 2017, and started off 2018 with some unimpressive play. It was only days ago we wondered aloud if his 2016 was an outlier, or if he’s regressed.

Beasley got his first sack of the season against the Saints. It wasn’t enough, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. However, the bigger problem may be what he did in the fourth quarter.

Alvin Kamara jumped toward the goal line while being tackled, and the play was first ruled a touchdown. Kamara was actually just short of the goal line, but during the review, one member of the defense was headed to the locker room.

I’m not sure exactly what to make of it, but it’s another bad sign from the struggling defensive end. It gives the impression that Beasley is more motivated to get home rather than to pull off the win. It’s not the place to be when the defense is on the field. The Saints, obviously, came back to the field and easily scored a touchdown.

This is just another piece of info in the mystery that is Beasley. Many will use this to evidence that Beasley isn’t much of a competitor. His failure to develop any additional pass rush moves and to disappear for long stretches is problematic. So is heading to the tunnel. It may bring into question if the Falcons pull Beasley’s fifth-year option and draft his replacement. Either way, he hasn’t been playing like a top-10 draft pick.