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Atlanta Falcons Star Jessie Bates Eyes Top 5 Defense

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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“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

Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels


A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm. 

What we know:

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South. 

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. 

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One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure. 

Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.

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Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.

Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.

What we don’t know:

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It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation. 

The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.

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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say

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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say


Two suspects in a shooting that left a 7-year-old Atlanta girl dead and her mother injured are now in custody nearly a week after the violence, police say.

The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a home on the 2200 block of Tiger Flowers Drive NW.

Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between one of the victim’s family members and the gunman over the phone. Thirty minutes after the argument, the suspect came back and fired shots into the home, police said.

Officers responding to the scene found a 44-year-old woman and her daughter, identified as 7-year-old Zoe Price, shot. Medics rushed the pair to a local hospital, but Price died from her injuries.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department’s homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Preston Smith two days after the shooting. Smith turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on March 2.

Schierbaum said officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 27 at a home on McDaniel Street. On that day, 17-year-old Steven Richardson, who police described as an “accomplice,” turned himself in to authorities.

Both men are charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18.

At a press conference to announce the arrests, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described Price as a bright and compassionate little girl who was “full of energy and full of joy.”

“Her life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, and that loss is not abstract. It is a chair that is going to be missing at the dinner table each night. It is an empty classroom seat next to her friends,” Dickens said.

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The mayor called the arrests “a step forward towards justice” for Price’s family and families across the city.

Dickens said that violence, like the act that took Price’s life, would not be tolerated in Atlanta.



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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More

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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More


On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.



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