Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons Tight Ends Making Most of Opportunity
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith has received a ton of flak for his usage of tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. To some extent, this is a mess of his own making, but Atlanta’s under-the-radar weapons have performed admirably.
Tight end Jonnu Smith was brought in to spell Pitts, but through seven games they’ve performed similarly. Pitts has seen 43 targets for 25 receptions, 298 yards, and a score. Smith has caught 28 of 35 targets for 309 yards and, identically, one touchdown. Even third-string tight end MyCole Pruitt has gotten in on the action, catching three passes for 41 yards.
To the ire of fantasy football managers, Smith’s production shouldn’t be slowing down any time soon. Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone revealed what has made this group of tight ends special and why fans should expect to see more from everyone on the offense, not just the starters.
Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith makes a leaping grab against the Houston Texans.
USA Today Sports
“They’re a group that really pushes each other,” Ragone said. “They have a different skill set, almost each one of them does. But with the ball in their hands … they’re effective. They each have their own way of getting open … So when you see all of that unfold, they’re hard to tackle.”
Smith made a living during his first NFL stint with the Tennessee Titans, operating in Smith’s offense. He constantly made plays as the crossing route in Y-Cross and gave quarterback Ryan Tannehill a reliable option with after-the-catch upside.
Now helping young quarterback Desmond Ridder adjust on the fly, his comfort in the offense has placed him on the field. From there, it’s just a matter of execution.
“What you love about when the ball is going in different places is guys, when they’re getting the opportunity, they’re making the most out of it,” Ragone said. “And you become harder to stop when the balls are being spread out … So when a defense is looking at you and they’re trying to take things away, it’s harder to take everything away … It puts a lot more pressure on the defense.”
Atlanta (4-3) has the ability to dictate defensive personnel by putting extra tight ends on the field. They retain an athleticism advantage when defenses bring in linebackers and a blocking advantage when defenses decide to stay in nickel. With Pitts’ ability to split out wide and make an impact, even more options open up for the offense.
That bevy of options makes life easier for Ridder, an unsurprising priority for the offense.
Smith and the rest of the tight ends will look to wreak fantasy chaos and extend their NFC South lead on Sunday against the Titans. Kickoff from Nissan Stadium is set for 1 p.m. EST.
