Atlanta, GA

NFL Tackling Data Shows How Far Atlanta Falcons Falcons Fell Under Jimmy Lake

Published

1 year ago

February 16, 2025

NFL Tackling Data Shows How Far Atlanta Falcons Falcons Fell Under Jimmy Lake

Often when you dig a little deeper into the data available, the key decisions to cut ties with established veteran players becomes much more clear.

For example, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot is universally expected to let veteran former Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons leave as a free agent after only one season playing in the NFC.

The 31-year old’s performances were decidedly middling to average when lining up in a Falcons uniform.

NFL.com provides detailed numbers which break down tacking data, and it all points fairly conclusively toward Simmons’s recurring struggles.

The Falcons were 24th in the NFL in tackling percentage after ranking 11th in 2023. Jimmy Lake’s passive scheme put players in acres of space and gave ball carriers and receivers more area work. No one suffered more in Lake’s defense than four-time All-Pro Simmons who was routinely 15 to 20 yards off the line of scrimmage at the snap.

“Newly acquired safety Justin Simmons missed 21.5% of his tackle attempts after logging an elite rate below 10% in his previous six straight seasons in Denver,” wrote the Next Gen Stats Analytics Team. “With Simmons set to hit free agency, the Falcons may choose to move on from the veteran.

Fontenot’s $7.5 million one year gamble on Simmons clearly flamed out. Simmons missing on 21.5% of his tackle attempts was never going to cut the mustard for head coach Raheem Morris. With few ties in Atlanta, Simmons will likely end up being a victim of Lake’s ineffectiveness as the NFL level and be allowed to walk in free agency.

The correlation is clear, because the entire unit slumped from being the 11th most efficient tackling unit last year to being the sixth least effective in 2024. That wasn’t all on Simmons.

While most folks have fixated upon the critical deficiencies when it came to rushing the passer, which did much to unravel the Falcons playoff chances last season, nothing the defense really did gave off the vibe that they were a tough tackling football team.

Consequently, retooling on the defensive side will be the primary objective of Fontenot and Morris when free agency starts next month and the draft rolls around in April.

The Falcons need an injection of toughness this offseason. They’re hoping new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is up to the task.

Source link

Atlanta, GA

Stolen bikes derail program that teaches Atlanta youth to ride

Published

8 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Stolen bikes derail program that teaches Atlanta youth to ride

A program that teaches young Atlantans how to ride bikes suffered a major loss this week, after thieves emptied a storage trailer, making off with 26 bikes and 24 helmets.

The “Shifting Gears” program helps young cyclists learn how to navigate city streets on two wheels from an early age — particularly in underserved communities that suffer from high rates of traffic injuries and fatalities.

gnorw htiw nehw erew s’reliart ot ot eht eht eht deppots gnihtemos ehs margorp no ffo deciton dekconk ni .eldnah ,dnuorg rof :tnempiuqe pord rood yb gnola yadsendeW sngiS ttocS harigaS noitaerceR margorP kraP yelzoM senoJ rotceriD retneC .A.C tuB

I“ tuB“ ,esaelP‘ — saw :thguoht eht ”’,os .dias ,esaelp ,esaelp denepo fo tel wenk dnik ti ti .ytpme ,rood t’nod eb dna dna ydaerla senoJ I I

I“ ehT‘ erew erew gniklaw ot ot yeht eht taht taht desoppus os :gniyas ,edistuo ym yllaretil sdik si traeh evah ”’!enog !enog og tlef gnitatsaved ssalc yb .kaerb sekib sekib era era dna ,noonretfa ehT eroM

htrow htiw sdrawpu ot yeht meht ,sffirat ylppus niarts ,dias gnicalper ecalper hcaer margorp ffo fo fo fo erom edam sredael .yletaidemmi ,stemleh laredef evisnepxe neve .etamitse stirpluc dluoc niahc desuac yb sekib esuaceb eb dnuora dna dna ehT tuB 000,02$ 000,01$

— — raey t’now t’now owt ot siht rieht eht eht eht ekat spots loohcs noitaercer margorp ecalp tsal rof hsinif ,tnempiuqe .sessalc sessalc nerdlihc sretnec eb ta ta ta dna .lla elba tuohtiW ttocS kraP nitraM evorG .T.C .A.C dnA

sihT“ s’tI“ lliw ,deviecer-llew dekil-llew detapicitna-llew ot siht meht meht meht s’taht taht hcaet gnihtemos slliks .dias ytefas yllaer ”,margorp ”.emitefil tsal si si pleh gnineppah niag noitacude gninetraehsid ecnedifnoc ,nerdlihc ekib tifeneb esuaceb dna dna dna a a senoJ

yrujni-hgih“ gnitfihS“ — htiw tisnart ot ot eht eht eht eht eht taht taht yllacificeps ,sloohcs dias efas snur setuor ,margorp margorp pihsrentrap fo fo tiforpnon ”,skrowten raen emocni-wol ni deifitnedi tsoh evah evitucexe rotcerid s’ytic ytic nesohc sretnec neeb sa era dna dna a ,anreS .noitaerceR accebeR LTAleporP skraP ”sraeG tnemtrapeD ytinummoC

noisiV“ sedargpu ciffart ot eht llits wols dias ssergorp stneserp seicilop trap no fo ecivon eziminim sredael erutcurtsarfni evah rof decneirepxe troffe .stsilcyc ,sehsarc s’ytic ediwytic segnellahc htob sa dna detpoda a ”oreZ elihW anreS atnaltA

eW“ sihT“ yaw ot ot ot ot emit eht s’taht taht taht evitroppus steerts os ehs .dias ,efas gnidir yllaer margorp ruo ro ,no no ton erom ebyam ebyam tol sdik sdik sdik tsuj si ni ni evah evah taerg teg rof rof tsrif rewef leef ”,ecneirepxe ”.tnemnorivne gnirewopme dengised tnedifnoc gnikib ,sekib eb lla ssecca tuoba a a a

eno tsol sedulcni .stemleh evif tnempiuqe ,selcycib ,selcycib ,selcycib elcycib elcycib ecnalab dna ehT sulP adoK traD kcalB kcalB kcalB noraB 42 01 01

gnitisiv eht nelots ecalper .etanod/gro.ltaleporpstel pleh nac yb sekib uoY LTAleporP

Source link

Atlanta, GA

Thieves steal dozens of bikes meant for underprivileged kids from Atlanta nonprofit

Published

20 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Thieves steal dozens of bikes meant for underprivileged kids from Atlanta nonprofit

March 5, 2026 / 5:10 PM EST
/ CBS Atlanta

An Atlanta nonprofit is asking the public for help after it was the victim of a brazen theft earlier this week.

Propel ATL said that thieves cleared out an entire trailer of bicycles meant for underprivileged kids sometime on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

Jeremiah Jones, the nonprofit’s advocacy manager, said that someone broke into the trailer and took 26 bikes and 24 helmets.

Nonprofit Propel Atl said someone stole dozens of bikes and helmets meant to go to children from their trailer this week.

CBS News Atlanta

The equipment was part of a program that gives bikes to children from low-income schools and teaches them how to ride.

“My heart sank when I got the call that all the bikes were gone. I said, ‘Surely not all of them.’ And all of them are gone,” Jones said. “This class is solely for kids, and this crime is affecting them.”

Atlanta police are reviewing security footage from the area. Jones said you could see people taking the bikes out of the trailer, carrying them down a hill, and bringing them into a nearby parking lot.

The nonprofit is now trying to raise more than $10,000 to replace the bikes.

Propel ATL is also asking who may have information about the theft to contact them at programs@letspropelatl.org.

In:

Source link

Atlanta, GA

Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles

A man was arrested at a concert last week after he shoved two kids off their bicycles, causing one of them to fall into a fountain, Sandy Springs police said. FOX 5 Atlanta’s Brittany Edney reporting.

Posted March 5, 2026 5:42am EST