FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons safety Jessie Bates, after another spectacular game, was flattered.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris, playing campaign manager, was touting Bates for NFL defensive player of the year.
Bates finished with five tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and an interception in the key 31-26 win over the Bucs. Bates will have a key role again when the Falcons (5-3) play the Cowboys (3-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I appreciate Rah,” Bates said of his coach on Wednesday. “That’s what he does. He breathes life and expectations (into) guys.”
Bates was ticked off that the Bucs won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. On the second play of the game, Bates punched the ball away from Bucs running back Rachaad White and recovered the fumble.
“(Morris) is giving me that love and it’s making me play free,” Bates said. “It is making me play even harder for him. It just shows that it’s not just about Jessie Bates being the best player. I want to be the best player for this team and be the best leader. All those plays and stuff like that will come.”
It was Bates’ third forced fumble of the season.
“He’s the defensive player of the year, in my opinion,” Morris said. “I’m a little bit (biased) on that one because I watch him play every single day and every single week. (I know) how he studies and how he approaches the game.”
Bates appreciates the praise, but knows where are nine games left and the defense needs to improve. The unit is not in the top half of the league in any of the key categories.
“Anytime you’re doing anything well, it comes with expectations,” Bates said. “People have high praise for you. But the main thing I’ve always said, this thing can go left or right at any time. You’ve always got to be humble, because this game can humble you so fast.”
The Falcons are ranked 19th in points allowed (24.38 per game), 19th in total yards allowed (348.1 per game), 18th in passing yards allowed (215.5), and 21st in rushing yards allowed (132.6). They are 30th in third down conversions (49.04%) and 18th in turnover differential (0).
Bates had a long meeting with defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake on Monday.
“There’s a lot of stuff that we need to clean up,” Bates said. “First half, I think last game, they were running the ball pretty well. They were pretty good on third down as well. So, just tighten down on some of the stuff that we know that we got to get better at.”
Perhaps, the most pressing concern for the defense is the pass rush, which has just six sacks, last in the NFL.
“We’re not in the those (defensive) line meetings and stuff, but we sure can hear coaches Hux (senior defensive assistant David Huxtable), Jacquies (Smith, outside linebackers coach) and all those guys. There is a sense urgency of wanting to get to the quarterback.”
Bates believes the rush has more effective that most believe.
“I think each week, we continue to improve at that,” Bates said. “I think on a lot of our turnovers this year, it’s been caused because of our rush. So, just because it’s not showing up as a sack, it might be showing as an interception for me or A.J. (Terrell) or whoever it may be.”
Bates’ play has been appreciated by more people than Morris.
“Jessie Bates, I think people now know he’s the best safety in the league,” Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “It didn’t seem like that was the narrative two or three years ago.”
Sunday’s interception was Bates’ second of the season. He had six last season when he was named to the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro.
“I mean, I was kind of in a bind,” Bates said the play. “I had to go play the run. He gave the ball off to the running back. So, it may have looked like a bait, or like I was baiting him, but I was fitting the run.
“I was just doing my job. Once I (saw) that he pitched the ball back out. Mike Hughes did a good job of coming off the post. Baker (Mayfield) couldn’t throw the ball all the way out how he wanted to, so he had to put a little bit more air under it and that enabled me to go up and make a play.”
Bates doesn’t really care about awards though.
“No, I don’t really think about individual goals as much,” Bates said. “My main goal is that I want to go play in the playoff game. That’s the goal that everyone in this building has.”
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