FLOWERY BRANCH – Jessie Bates III can be honest enough with himself to acknowledge it. In the Falcons’ first five games of the season, yes, he’s been playing rather well.
But, a veteran of seven seasons, he knows it doesn’t always last.
“I always say this league can humble you really quick,” Bates said Wednesday. “You can have a really good five weeks. The next week, you play like (excrement). You can be the worst player in the league. So it’s just having that balance and having that understanding of, ‘Yeah, you’re playing well, what else can you do better? How can you elevate a guy next to you?’”
The excitement that the Falcons have generated in their first five games has centered on quarterback Kirk Cousins, author of the game-winning drives against Philadelphia, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. But with his playmaking acumen, Bates has steered outcomes in the Falcons’ favor, too. You could make the case that Bates has been the best defensive player in the NFL thus far, and if you were Bates’ coach, you would.
“I kid him, mess with him all the time,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday. “I say he’s the best defensive player in the National Football League, but realistically, man, if you go look at it, he fits in that mold, and he’s one of those guys that goes out there and tries to be the best defensive player every single week.”
From the perspective of making game-changing plays, the influence that Bates has had from the back of the defense has been undeniable. In right guard Chris Lindstrom, the Falcons have one of the league’s top players at that position. In Bates, they have another at safety. The season isn’t a third over – the Falcons play at Carolina Sunday in their sixth game – but having such a dominant player at a key position is one more reason for fans to be hopeful about the course of the season.
A first-time Pro Bowler last year, Bates has 37 tackles, tied for seventh in the NFL among defensive backs. It’s the moments that speak to his impact.
Against Philadelphia, on a third-and-3 from the Falcons 6-yard line, he jarred a pass out of receiver DeVonta Smith’s grasp in the end zone to break up a touchdown, limiting the Eagles to a third quarter field goal. It would prove decisive in the Falcons’ 22-21 win, a game sealed by a Bates interception.
In the win over Tampa Bay, the second of Bates’ two forced fumbles in that game returned the ball to the Falcons late in the game, keeping their comeback chances alive.
While it was in a losing effort, Bates made one of the plays of the game against Kansas City, another forceful punchout of a third-and-2 pass intended for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce that led to a fourth quarter punt and kept the Falcons in the game.
Said defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, “Things like that aren’t accidents.”
Jarrett paid tribute to Bates’ attention to the craft that has enabled him to either jar balls loose or snag them out of the air with frequency. In 22 games with the Falcons, he has five forced fumbles to go with 14 passes defensed and seven interceptions. It’s an elite rate of disruption.
Jarrett is right about this much. It’s not by accident. Bates said he practices punching balls loose daily.
“It’s kind of like a habit now,” he said. “Every time I’m in the position to go make a tackle, I’m going to punch the ball, as well, and then if I’ve missed the punch, then I’ll make the tackle.”
Besides developing his skill, it’s the sort of leadership that general manager Terry Fontenot sought to acquire when he signed Bates to a four-year, $64 million contract after five seasons with Cincinnati. It’s easy to pay lip service to, but Bates appears to take it seriously. His selection is captain is something else that wasn’t an accident.
Bates said he sees his role as “not just to be the best player on this team. It’s to be the best player for this team.”
In 11-on-11 drills in training camp, Bates sometimes confounded Cousins by not being where convention would dictate, but instead in a spot where he could cause more problems for the offense. It is a strategy that two all-time greats of Bates’ position – Hall of Famers Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu – employed to great effect, according to Cousins.
“This is a fast game, so I got to go off those rules,” Cousins said. “I’m not going to see all 11 all the time, and then suddenly he’s there and you think, ‘Oh, that was – that’s really smart.’ Not many safeties do that because of the risk nature of it, but when you’ve done enough film study and you know football well enough and you feel like you can do it, those are the guys that really can keep you up at night a little bit.”
Here’s a number that would speak to the effect that Bates and fellow Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons have had as the back line of the defense. The Falcons have allowed seven pass plays of 20 yards or more, which is tied for the fewest in the NFL. The league average is 13.4.
It’s a number that matches with a defense that has made offenses work for their points, albeit one that has a lot of room to improve. Opponents are scoring on a league-high 52.1% of drives.
It’s a defense with a particular need for a playmaking safety with a sense of leadership.
“You can’t get bored with all the details and the process of week in and week out if you want to be a great team,” Bates said. “I think that we’re on the right path being there, but you’ve got to continue to persistently just continue to get better and figure out who you are and what you’re good at.”
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