Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons Star Jessie Bates Eyes Top 5 Defense

Published

7 months ago

July 2, 2024

Atlanta Falcons Star Jessie Bates Eyes Top 5 Defense

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons’ defense is surrounded by as many questions as new faces in high places entering this fall.

Atlanta is coming off a substantially improved defensive effort in 2023 during which it finished No. 8 league-wide in passing yards allowed, No. 11 in total yards, No. 18 in scoring and No. 20 in run defense.

But the architecture of that unit – defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen – is gone, accepting the same role with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree, Atlanta’s top two sack collectors from last season, signed elsewhere in free agency. Each position group has a new coach.

With change comes uncertainty – but Falcons safety Jessie Bates III, the unit’s lone Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection last year, isn’t letting the standard slip. Instead, Bates has set the bar even higher.

“Our goal for 2024 as a defense is to be top five in every single category,” Bates said during OTAs. “That’s the goal.”

That mission works hand in hand with another: Winning games. Bates said he felt like last season, the Falcons put together good games but let up at the end.

From Weeks 9-15, the Falcons suffered defeats to the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. Each of the losses occurred after Atlanta’s defense allowed scores inside the final minute.

The Falcons ultimately finished the season 7-10, two games behind the NFC South-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bates recognizes this, and he feels a sense of urgency to turn the tide in 2024.

“We let offenses score in critical situations, and I think that’s where we have to get better as a defense – being able to close out games,” Bates said.

Atlanta’s defense, led by new coordinator Jimmy Lake, returns several key players from last season, starting in the secondary with Bates and cornerback A.J. Terrell. At linebacker, Kaden Elliss, Nate Landman and Troy Andersen form a trio that first-year head coach Raheem Morris creates an “awesome problem” to figure out who gets snaps.

On the defensive front, the Falcons have a stout interior line, headlined by Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata. During the four-loss stretch of last-minute heartbreaking, Jarrett watched from his couch, unavailable to play due to a season-ending ACL tear suffered in Week 8.

The Falcons are once again facing pass rush questions but are optimistic that outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, who had six sacks as a second-year pro in 2023, can take a step forward. The same applies for rising second-year defensive end Zach Harrison, who had three sacks and four tackles for loss in his final-three appearances as a rookie.

But while there’s uncertainty rushing the passer and at starting spots next to both Bates and Terrell, there’s little doubt in this: Atlanta expects to be playing from the lead often in 2024.

With an offense spearheaded by new quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Falcons are heavy favorites to win the NFC South. To deliver on the hype, their defense needs to do what it didn’t last season: Finish.

“Having an elite quarterback like Kirk, we’re going to put some points on the board,” Bates said. “So, being able to defend the lead and take over a game as a defense is something we’ll continue to harp on and get better at.”

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Atlanta, GA

Daniel Suárez to appear at Atlanta Motor Speedway open house Jan. 25, how to meet NASCAR driver

Published

4 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Daniel Suárez to appear at Atlanta Motor Speedway open house Jan. 25, how to meet NASCAR driver

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Daniel Suárez will headline the slate of fan entertainment and activities at Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Speedway Open House on Saturday, Jan. 25, which is free and open to the public.

Suárez’s most recent NASCAR victory came in last year’s running of the Ambetter Health 400 at AMS, which saw the driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet triumph in a thrilling three-wide photo finish.

Before he hits Atlanta’s high banks to defend his win in next month’s running of the Ambetter Health 400 (Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. ET), Suárez will make an appearance at the Jan. 25 Speedway Open House for a Q&A with fans and an autograph session with eligible ticketholders in the speedway’s luxurious Club One suite.

The NASCAR Cup Series star’s fan engagement will be just one part of a day full of activities and entertainment for fans to enjoy during the Speedway Open House.

The Speedway will open its doors to fans from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., with live music by singer and songwriter Presley Barker and fan Q&As will special guests all happening in Club One.

Attendees will also enjoy games and activities at the speedway and be welcomed explore the 1.54-mile oval and surrounding facility.

Shop NASCAR Atlanta Motor Speedway tickets for 2025

Following the Speedway Open House at 3 p.m., fans in attendance will also have an opportunity to enjoy grassroots Legends and Bandolero racing on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s ¼ mile Thunder Ring.

The Speedway Open House event is free to attend, however Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR event ticketholders will have the exclusive opportunity to participate in the Daniel Suárez autograph session. Fans interested in attending the Speedway Open House should let AMS know at https://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/openhouse/.

Atlanta Motor Speedway’s first major event of 2025 comes just four weeks after the open house when NASCAR visits Georgia for the Ambetter Health 400 weekend Feb. 21-23.

The Speedway Open House will enable guests to scout the best seats for that race weekend as well as the June 27-28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend and other events like Monster Jam, which comes to AMS April 12 and 13.

Fans can find updates on the Speedway Open House and more information about 2025 events at AMS at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

SHOP NASCAR Atlanta 2025 race tickets

About the Ambetter Health 400 weekend:

Atlanta’s spring NASCAR weekend is headlined by the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, with intense, superspeedway pack racing that challenges NASCAR’s best and dazzles fans.

The race weekend also features the 11th year of Atlanta’s same-day NASCAR doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. The thrills of the Fr8 208 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race all happen in one action-packed day.

More information on the Feb. 21-23, 2025, Ambetter Health 400 weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

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Atlanta, GA

Wendy Williams speaking out

Published

11 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Wendy Williams is speaking out about her guardianship. She called into a radio show on Thursday morning to give fans insight into what she has been going through since being diagnosed with dementia and placed under a court-ordered guardianship.

Posted January 16, 2025 12:52pm EST

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Atlanta, GA

Bulls fall to Atlanta Hawks, lose for 4th time in 5 games

Published

19 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Bulls fall to Atlanta Hawks, lose for 4th time in 5 games

CBS Sports HQ

Live

CHICAGO (AP) — Keaton Wallace had a career-high 27 points and the short-handed Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls 110-94 on Wednesday night.

Wallace nearly doubled his previous high of 14. He made four 3-pointers and had six assists.

Daeqwon Plowden scored 19 points in his NBA debut after being called up from the G League’s College Park Skyhawks.

Dyson Daniels scored 18 points, and Onyeka Okongwu added 14 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to help the Hawks win for the third time in four games even though Trae Young sat out due to a bruised right rib. The three-time All-Star was hurt against Phoenix on Tuesday night when he scored a season-high 43 points in a 122-117 win.

Coby White scored 16 points for Chicago. Zach LaVine had 15, and Nikola Vucevic added 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Takeaways

Hawks: Young, averaging 23.1 points and a league-leading 11.9 assists, was part of a lengthy list of sidelined Hawks. It included Jalen Johnson (right shoulder inflammation), De’Andre Hunter (left foot soreness), Larry Nance Jr. (right hand) and rookie Zaccharie Risacher (left adductor irritation).

Bulls: The Bulls simply couldn’t find much of a rhythm and lost for the fourth time in five games.

Key moment

Wallace scored 18 in the first half as the Hawks built a 61-47 lead.

The 6-foot-3 guard had eight points in a 15-0 run early in the second quarter that gave Atlanta a 42-27 lead. The Bulls got within four late in the half before the Hawks scored 13 straight, capped by Okongwu’s alley-oop dunk to make it 59-42 with 1:30 left. Okongwu also put back Bogdan Bogdanovic’s missed 3 in the closing seconds to send Atlanta to the locker room up by 14.

The Bulls went on a 12-2 run in the third to pull within 72-67 with about five minutes left in the quarter. The Hawks led by eight going into the fourth and remained in control from there.