DENVER — Back in the stadium where he blossomed into one of the most decorated defensive backs of his generation, Falcons safety Justin Simmons fell well short of engineering another triumphant moment in his first matchup against his former team, the Broncos. Denver (6-5), led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix, dissected, exposed and bludgeoned the Falcons’ undermanned secondary in a rout that devolved into a 38-6 defeat for Atlanta (6-5).
The Broncos’ passing attack asserted its will against a Falcons defense that suited up without starters Dee Alford (hamstring) and Mike Hughes (neck). Just minutes into the game, cornerback Kevin King left with a concussion. Nix posted the first 300-yard passing performance of his career and set a new career-high mark with four touchdown passes, and Denver’s offense turned all four of its red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.
Simmons recorded five combined tackles and one tackle for a loss but could not muster a pass breakup or one of his trademark interceptions.
“I’m disappointed in our lack of execution,” Simmons said after the game. “… I felt like tackling, the effort of tackling, just wasn’t there. We gave up a lot in the screen game.”
In the week leading up to the game, Simmons said he had “nothing but love for Broncos’ country” but reaffirmed that his focus was on leading the Falcons to a critical road victory. Denver released Simmons in March after eight seasons and four selections to the All-Pro second team.
“It was emotional,” Simmons said. “Obviously, playing the last eight years here, there are a lot of good memories. It was bittersweet. I first am thankful for the warm embrace from the fans and I got to see some of my old teammates. It stinks being on the opposite side and obviously coming away with the loss, and a bad loss at that. We didn’t execute nearly well enough on defense to give us a chance to win this game.”
While the Falcons’ defense struggled mightily from start to finish and allowed its season-high in points allowed, Simmons’ individual performance did not compare to his finest moments at Empower Field at Mile High.
On a red-zone run play midway through the second quarter, Simmons met Broncos running back Javonte Williams, his teammate from 2021-23, at the Falcons’ six-yard line. Williams sent Simmons backward, driving the two-time All Pro to the three-yard line. Williams’ teammates joined in on the effort, carrying Williams — and Simmons with him — into the end zone to extend the Broncos’ early lead to two possessions.
Simmons disagreed with the notion that the touchdown was emblematic of the Falcons’ defensive performance and plans to look at the game film to learn from the play.
“That was a sample size of the overall product of the day,” Simmons said. “Javonte and I meet … a couple yards away from the end zone, and both of us (are) driving our feet and their linemen came in and pushed. I’ve got to find a different way to get him down. I know I’m close so I’m not thinking to throw him this way, which could throw him into the end zone, so I’m trying to just drive my feet.”
On Denver’s next two scores, the Broncos finished off touchdown drives with wide receiver screens to Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin along the sideline, well out the way of Simmons’ center field coverage spot. A 41-yard touchdown reception by the Broncos’ Lil’Jordan Humphrey boosted Denver’s lead to 38-6.
Inside linebacker Kaden Elliss praised Broncos coach Sean Payton’s play calls and said the Falcons made intentional — although ineffective — efforts to stop the Broncos’ lethal screen plays.
“You know screens are coming,” Elliss said. “(Defensive coordinator) Jimmy (Lake) yelling to me on the headset that screens are coming. We’re telling everybody that screens are coming. The thing with Sean Payton is that he makes it look different every time. There’s not a clear giveaway. He’s probably the best play-caller that we’ve gone against. That is what it is.”
Coach Raheem Morris cited the defense’s poor tackling and lack of physicality as factors behind the unit’s poor showing, while downplaying the impact of the Falcons’ injuries. Denver torched the Falcons for 199 yards after the catch and converted the majority of its third-down opportunities in rolling to a resounding victory.
“No one play ever defines any game,” Morris said. “… You have to give those guys a lot of credit for playing hard, playing physical, and they absolutely went out there and beat us today with their effort and physicality. That was a key to the game.”
The Falcons still rank atop the NFC South heading into their bye week, but their two-game losing streak has cut into their margin for error and exposed defensive deficiencies across all parts of the unit.
After an afternoon he characterized repeatedly as “bittersweet,” Simmons addressed the factors he believes played a role in the lopsided loss and shared what the defense can do in its upcoming stretch to be successful.
“You can’t play like that and expect to win,” Simmons said. “This team has to be able to win on the road, and that starts with the defense and setting our offense up on the short field. We just couldn’t do that today, and obviously that showed on the field.”
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