Falcons CB A.J. Terrell Shuts Down Not So 'Scary' Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
The Atlanta Falcons defense did almost all it could to beat the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Down 19-13 in the fourth quarter after the Falcons' offense was forced to punt after a three-and-out. The Commanders had a shot at a put-away drive with 5:06 remaining.
Instead, Atlanta forced a three-and-out of its own. Suppose it wasn't for a Marcus Mariota interception while knocking on the door of the Commanders' goal line. In that case, the headlines may be talking more about the performance of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell.
The former No. 16 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is 12 games into his third season and is making a name for himself as a shutdown island corner.
On a day when the Falcons gave up just 138 passing yards, it was the coverage of AJ Terrell that helped hold Commanders' top wide-out Terry McLaurin to 48 yards on four receptions.
According to Next Gen Stats, Terrell covered "Scary Terry" on 14 of his 19 routes, as he allowed 1 reception for 3 yards while being targeted twice.
Shadowing top receivers is what Atlanta asks of him week-to-week, and he provides elite results as he did against Washington on Sunday.
Terrell has given up 374 yards in coverage on 50 targets through nine games. He missed time due to a hamstring injury he suffered against the San Francisco 49ers before reinjuring it against the Cincinnati Bengals, but appears to be back in top form.
Terrell and the Falcons are preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at 1 p.m., where he will likely be tasked to blanket wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
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