Falcons RBs present problems
FOXBORO — It may be one thing to know what’s coming, but it is entirely another to be able to stop it.
When the Patriots face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium, the visitors will not bring anything new or exotic when it comes to their two-headed monster at running back with Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman. But the challenge in defending both, particularly when it comes to stretch plays, tosses to the outside or passes to either out of the backfield, will be significant.
One need only look back to when these teams met in Super Bowl LI to understand what lies ahead. In that game, the Falcons saw immediate success challenging the edge with both players, and the two combined for 52 yards and a touchdown on three receptions.
But maybe one of the more underrated plays that went in the Pats’ favor to start the second half was when Freeman attempted a run around left tackle and linebacker Dont’a Hightower snuffed it out for a 3-yard loss to help force a three-and-out. It was a play that yielded big results to that point, and the Pats limited its effectiveness the rest of the way.
Although then-Falcons offensive coordinator and current San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has been replaced by Steve Sarkisian, the concepts haven’t left the playbook, and the approach remains constant for opposing defenses: Don’t let either player turn the corner, and be mindful of when they leak out of the backfield in the passing game.
“I think that they built the team to be good at outside running,” defensive end Cassius Marsh said yesterday. “They’ve got big receivers on the outside and backs that can stretch the field and get outside, dip in, dip out.
“They do what they do because that’s what they built the team to do. You just have to know what they do and . .. make plays and do your job.”
Although Freeman and Coleman are similar in some respects, the former is a little shiftier, while the latter has better straightline speed. Freeman has rushed for 353 yards and five touchdowns this season, while Coleman has added 213 yards and a touchdown. Combined, they’ve caught 25 passes for 238 yards and a score.
In other words, they’re every bit as dangerous as they were a year ago, even though the offense as a whole has yet to find the consistency it did last season.
“I think (Coleman and Freeman are) used really well,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. “They’re used to their skill sets very well. They have all the intangibles at running back and they’re great complements of each other.”
And though the Pats are well versed in those skills, they’re looking forward to the upcoming test.
“Lots of reasons to be concerned,” Marsh said, “but that’s why we play in the NFL.”