FLOWERY BRANCH — One of the NFL’s leading defenders, Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt, announced that he plans to retire at the end of the season.
The Falcons (5-10) are set to host Watt and the Cardinals (4-11) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Watt, 33, played for the Houston Texans from 2011-20 and for the Cardinals last season and this season. He is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-Pro and former Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Watt, 6-foot-5 and 288 pounds, was selected 11th overall in the 2011 draft and has amassed 111.5 sacks. He has 9.5 sacks this season and 14.5 tackles for loss.
The Cardinals are coming off a 19-16 loss to Tampa Bay in overtime Sunday night and will play Sunday without safety Budda Baker, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
“We understand Arizona – same thing, it’s the National Football League, and regardless of what the records are coming in, there are a lot of prideful guys,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “Guys have got to have a lot of motivation coming from everywhere. We understand where we are in our program, and there are some things that we feel good about, and there are some things that we need to make improvements on.”
The Falcons are expecting a tough battle against the Cardinals, who are hoping to get back quarterback Colt McCoy from the NFL’s concussion protocol. McCoy has posted a 1-2 mark as a starter this season.
Trace McSorley, who played at Penn State, made his first NFL start Sunday. He completed 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards and no touchdowns but threw one interception and finished with a passer rating of 57.4.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending knee injury against New England on Dec. 12. He is set to have surgery on his knee Jan. 3. The No. 1 selection in the 2019 draft, Murray signed a $230 million deal this past offseason.
“We want to make sure that we’re first and foremost following all player-safety protocols,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said on a radio show in Arizona on Monday. “Making sure that is on the forefront of all of our decisions.
“We want to win the game. Whoever can give us the best chance at that point, we want to play. With Colt, is a guy who because of our situation early next year, who knows what that is going to look like with Kyler’s recovery. ... (McCoy) may be our (starter) going into the year. So, we’d like to build some more confidence with him. ... You want to see what you have in Trace as well.”
The Cardinals’ top offensive weapon is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who has caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns. He caught only one of 10 targets for 4 yards Sunday. Also against the Bucs, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown caught a 47-yard pass, and Greg Dortch caught 10 of 11 targets for 98 yards.
Running back James Conner is the Cardinals’ top rusher. He has 167 rushes for 703 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Cardinals opened in a 3-4 alignment against the Bucs, and inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons led the team with 11 tackles in that game.
“We’re going to focus on ourselves these next couple of days as we put this plan in and get ready to go,” Smith said.
This will be the 32nd meeting between the Falcons and the Cardinals, and the Cardinals lead the series 16-15.
Arizona won the last meeting 34-33 after Matt Bryant missed a potential game-tying extra point with 1:53 left in the game Oct. 13, 2019.
Watt posted pictures of his wife and family on social media with a message that stated: “Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.”
Watt and his wife, Kealia, became parents in October. Koa is the name of their son.
The Cardinals have lost their past five games, while the Falcons have lost their past four.
“However, it’s about those prideful guys that when the ball is kicked off, you’ve got to play your best to win in this league, and we know it’ll be a challenge,” Smith said. “They’ve got prideful players and coaches, and we’re looking forward to Sunday.”
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The Bow Tie Chronicles
Atlanta Falcons 2022 schedule
Sept. 11: Saints 27, Falcons 26
Sept. 18: Rams 31, Falcons 27
Sept. 25 Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Oct. 2 Falcons 23, Browns 20
Oct. 9 Buccaneers 21, Falcons 15
Oct. 16 Falcons 28, 49ers 14
Oct. 23 Bengals 35, Falcons 17
Oct. 30 Falcons 37, Panthers 34 OT
Nov. 6 Chargers 20, Falcons 17
Nov. 10 Panthers 25, Falcons 15
Nov. 20 Falcons 27, Bears 24
Nov. 27 Commanders 19, Falcons 13
Dec. 4 Steelers 19, Falcons 16
BYE WEEK
Dec. 18 Saints 21, Falcons 18
Dec. 24 Ravens 17, Falcons 9
Jan. 1 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Jan. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, TBD
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