SEATTLE – Matthew Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp late in the fourth quarter, converting a third down that would essentially ice an L.A. Rams victory.
Not if Darren Hall had something to say about it. The second-year cornerback stuck with the play and focused as much on stripping the ball than making the tackle. That effort paid off, with the ball ending up free bouncing toward the sideline. Hall got there first, fell on it and gave the Falcons a chance to complete an improbable comeback.
It didn’t end up working out and Atlanta still took the loss, but there were plenty of encouraging signs within that comeback push that provides hope for wins in the future.
Creating takeaways might be the biggest one.
The Falcons have four takeaways so far, with a fumble recovered against the New Orleans Saints and three more generated against the L.A. Rams. They picked Matthew Stafford twice, with Hall’s heroics punctuating a solid second-half defensive effort. They also had a scoop-and-score after blocking a punt.
“We emphasize being alert, being ball aware,” veteran safety Dean Marlowe said. “Give a lot of credit to our special teams coach, too, because we’re ball aware in the kicking game as well. At the end of every play, there’s always an opportunity to get a takeaway. It’s crunch time and we need to go, and that’s when you have to push to pop the ball free.
“Take the last game as an example. Darren was ball aware and came up with a huge play when we needed it the most.”
The Falcons are coming up with big plays at a solid, improved clip.
The Falcons had just 20 takeaways all last year. They’re on pace for 34 in 2022, which would’ve tied for the league lead in ’21. That’s, you know, a positive step for this defense and something to build on as they search for the season’s first win on Sunday against the host Seattle Seahawks.
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