Atlanta Falcons LB Kaden Elliss's Puzzling Grade from PFF Following Loss to Bucs

The Atlanta Falcons fell to division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on Sunday after Younghoe Koo missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal. Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its player grades for the Week 1 matchup on Monday.

Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie was Atlanta’s highest graded player with a 78.4. The former second-round pick registered two hurries and four tackles in only 14 pass-rushing snaps. Of the Falcons' five highest graded players, three were on the defensive side of the ball: Ebiketie (78.4), linebacker Divine Deablo (76.0), and safety Xavier Watts (72.8).

Tight end Kyle Pitts (73.2) and right guard Chris Lindstrom (71.0) were the highest graded players on offense to round out the top five.

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Deablo was certainly one of Atlanta’s best players on Sunday. He had five total tackles, three hurries and a pass breakup up which was nearly an interception. The linebacker gave up just 21 yards all game.

Watts, who was starting in his first-ever game in the NFL, recorded six tackles and broke up two passes. The rookie nearly had an interception; however, he made a break for the ball a little too early, and the ball ended up behind him.

Pitts had a good game, hauling in seven catches for 59 yards. The former fourth overall pick made some big plays late in the game to help put Atlanta in a position to win. He had one game last season with seven receptions: Week 5, also against the Buccaneers.

Lindstrom has been PFF’s highest graded guard for each of the last two seasons. He wasn’t credited with a sack against or a hit and gave up three pressures.

Of Atlanta’s five lowest graded players, three were on the defensive side of the ball; the most shocking of which was linebacker Kaden Elliss with a 41.2. He was the Falcons' second-lowest graded player and the fourth-lowest graded of either team.

Defensive lineman David Onyemata (29.6), tight end Charlie Woerner (47.7), wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (53.8), and cornerback Mike Hughes (54.3) round out Atlanta’s lowest graded players.

Onyemata did not register a single pressure, quarterback hit, or hurry all game and had just one tackle. He started the second half on the bench, being replaced by LaCale London.

Elliss had one pressure and three tackles; however, he had a 28.6 missed tackle percentage, the second highest on the team. He is also credited with giving up four receptions, one for a touchdown, on five targets.

The linebacker had Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield dead to rights on a sack and could not wrap him up. Mayfield converted a third and nine on the next play, and Tampa Bay went on to score the game-winning touchdown.

Hodge and Woerner combined for zero catches for zero yards. Last year, in a week five matchup against the Buccaneers, Hodge scored a walkoff touchdown in overtime to beat them 36-30. He could not continue the heroics on Sunday, failing to track a potential game-winning touchdown ball from Penix late in the fourth quarter on the Falcons' final drive of the game.

PFF does not credit Hughes for either of rookie Emeka Egbuka’s two touchdowns. However, he was given just a 50.6 coverage grade.

Other notable grades include: cornerback AJ Terrell (69.7), quarterback Michael Penix Jr (68.9), wide receiver Drake London (65.7), running back Bijan Robinson (64.0), defensive back Billy Bowman Jr (60.4), outside linebacker James Pearce Jr (59.4), safety Jessie Bates (58.3), and line backer Jalon Walker (55.9).

The Falcons will be looking to bounce back with a win in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings on the road. Kickoff is Sunday at 8:20 p.m. EST with television coverage on NBC.