The Atlanta Falcons took a brutal L at home against the Chicago Bears on October 18, and while the scoreboard stings, it’s what went down with cornerback Mike Hughes that should have Falcons fans absolutely reeling. This dude was on the field for a mind-boggling 77 snaps, practically the entire game, and he was getting absolutely torched out there. It’s not just one bad game either. Hughes has already allowed more yardage than almost anyone in the league, with only Jarrian Jones of the Jaguars giving up more. His completion percentage against is the worst of any starting cornerback with over 200 snaps, and his touchdowns allowed and yards per reception numbers are some of the worst you’ll find anywhere. The Falcons’ defense is in a seriously rough spot if this is what their veteran corners are bringing to the table.
Falcons’ Secondary Is Bleeding Yards, Coaching Staff Stays Quiet
Hughes’ struggles are just glaring. You watch the film, and it’s clear as day. Head Coach Kevin Stefanski gave a pretty vanilla answer when asked about Hughes on Monday, basically saying they “ask a lot of their corners” and that “Mike’s a vet we’re counting on.” That’s hardly a ringing endorsement, is it? It sounds more like he’s trying to talk himself into it. His starting job is likely toast when A.J. Terrell and C.J. Henderson are healthy and back on the field, which can’t come fast enough. But here’s the kicker: Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich apparently has a soft spot for Hughes and might keep him on a “longer leash,” which is a huge risk right now. Meanwhile, the rest of the defense saw plenty of action, with Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates also playing 77 snaps at safety, and Avieon Terrell getting 76 snaps at corner. The run-stuffers were out there in force, too, with Kendal Daniels getting a ton of snaps before a scary injury, and Sydney Brown also logging an extended run with 35 snaps. But when your corners are getting cooked, it doesn’t matter how many tackles your linebackers are making.
Offense All Out of Whack After Rough Loss
It’s not just the defense that’s raising eyebrows. That loss to the Bears clearly showed what happens when this Falcons team falls behind: their offense becomes totally unbalanced. Take the receiver usage, for example. Olamide Zaccheaus played 30 snaps, while Zachariah Branch only got 19. Now, let’s look at the season stats. Zaccheaus has 4 receptions on 11 targets for a measly 17 yards across 144 snaps. Branch, on the other hand, has 9 receptions on 10 targets for 55 yards, all in just 89 snaps. Think about that for a second. Branch is a significantly more dangerous receiving threat, yet Zaccheaus is getting way more playing time. Zaccheaus hasn’t been the “sparkplug” he can be this season, and it’s not like he’s a much better blocker than someone like Chris Blair, who barely saw the field (2 snaps). The team desperately needs Zaccheaus to step up as a pass-catcher or start ceding those snaps to Branch. When they’re playing catch-up, we saw a lot of Kyle Pitts (43 snaps), Jahan Dotson (47 snaps), and Drake London (55 snaps), but running back Brian Robinson Jr. got only 10 snaps, and tight end Charlie Woerner was limited to 16. The Falcons aren’t going to win many games when they’re this unbalanced, and this brutal home loss to the Bears just proved it. They’ve got to figure out how to get their playmakers the ball and keep their defense from being an open buffet, or this season is going to be a long one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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