Scarlet and Game
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Ohio State Football: Michael Thomas continues to be a pass catching machine

By Shayne Nissen

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 10: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by Isaiah Oliver #26 of the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 10: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by Isaiah Oliver #26 of the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 10: Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by Kendall Sheffield #20 of the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 10: Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by Kendall Sheffield #20 of the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Kendall Sheffield | 5 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended

A newcomer to this list in week 10, rookie defensive back Kendall Sheffield gets on this list after helping the 1-7 Falcons to a huge win over the 7-1 Saints with the best receiver in the NFL.

Sheffield only had five tackles in the game and one pass defended, but he was crucial to helping the Falcons put in their best defensive game of the season.

The Falcons passing defense has been one of the worst in the NFL all year. They currently rank No. 25 in the league right now, giving up an average of 260 yards per game through the air. It certainly hasn’t been pretty, and the youth in the secondary has been a big part of their struggles.

Sheffield is a part of that youth as he was drafted out of Ohio State last year in the fourth round. He struggled early on, but he seems to be hitting his stride in the midst of his first season.

Sheffield currently has 27 tackles, a forced fumble, and just one pass defended so far this season. But 23 of those 27 tackles have come in the last five games for the Falcons, as Atlanta has continued to give him more and more playing time.

Atlanta for the most part in the showdown with the Saints played a bend-but-don’t-break type of defense, and it worked to perfection. They didn’t give up one touchdown throughout the entire game but still gave up over 150 yards to Michael Thomas. Sheffield was a huge part of the execution of that gameplan and it will be interesting to see how he plays the rest of the season.

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