Atlanta Falcons Week 3 Depth Chart vs. Green Bay Packers

Overview of the Week 3 Matchup: Falcons vs. Packers

Game Context and Roster Stakes

The Atlanta Falcons enter Week 3 seeking to establish early-season NFC standing against the Green Bay Packers. Atlanta relies on a heavy-personnel offensive identity, zone-run execution, and structured intermediate passing concepts. Green Bay deploys a modern West Coast passing system paired with perimeter outside-zone running schemes.

Controlling the line of scrimmage dictates time of possession, defensive rotation stamina, and red-zone conversion efficiency. Atlanta requires sustained offensive drives to protect defensive personnel from snap fatigue against Green Bay’s up-tempo passing sets.

Key Roster Adjustments and Recent Transactions

Roster adjustments entering Week 3 address interior depth, pass-rush rotation, and special teams coverage units.

• Practice Squad Elevations: Interior defensive line depth and boundary secondary coverage activated for multi-receiver sets.
• Waiver Wire and Free Agent Activity: Depth acquisitions prioritized offensive swing tackle and core special teams positions.
• Active Roster Management: Target balance maintained at five active interior defensive linemen, four edge defenders, and ten offensive linemen.

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Atlanta Falcons Offensive Depth Chart Breakdown

OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART (WEEK 3)
Pos.   Starter               Second String         Third String
QB     Kirk Cousins          Michael Penix Jr.     —
RB     Bijan Robinson        Tyler Allgeier        Jase McClellan
WR-X   Drake London          Casey Washington      —
WR-Z   Darnell Mooney        KhaDarel Hodge        —
WR-SL  Ray-Ray McCloud III   —                     —
TE     Kyle Pitts            Charlie Woerner       Ross Dwelley
LT     Jake Matthews         Storm Norton          —
LG     Matthew Bergeron      Jovaughn Gwyn         —
C      Drew Dalman           Ryan Neuzil           —
RG     Chris Lindstrom       Kyle Hinton           —
RT     Kaleb McGary          Storm Norton          —

Quarterback Room

• Starter: Kirk Cousins
• Primary Backup: Michael Penix Jr.
• Emergency Third QB: Inactive on gameday roster unless activated under the emergency quarterback rule.

Kirk Cousins operates as the primary field general from under center and shotgun sets. Primary responsibilities include pre-snap protection adjustments, reading two-high safety alignments, and executing play-action bootlegs.

Michael Penix Jr. serves as the primary backup and assumes first-team duties in case of injury. Penix’s insertion requires minimal structural changes to vertical dropback schemes, though his left-handed release shifts blindside pass protection assignments.

Running Back Rotation

• RB1: Bijan Robinson
• RB2: Tyler Allgeier
• RB3 / Developmental: Jase McClellan

Bijan Robinson commands the majority of offensive snaps, handling outside-zone carries, perimeter toss plays, inside counters, and pass routes from the backfield and slot.

Tyler Allgeier serves as the power and short-yardage specialist, handling inside-zone runs, A-gap carries, and third-and-medium blitz pickups. This split maintains physical interior pressure while preserving backfield durability.

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

• Boundary Wide Receiver (X): Drake London
• Flanker Wide Receiver (Z): Darnell Mooney
• Slot Receiver: Ray-Ray McCloud III
• Depth WRs: KhaDarel Hodge, Casey Washington
• Starting Tight End (Move TE): Kyle Pitts
• Inline / Blocking Tight End (Y): Charlie Woerner
• Reserve Tight End: Ross Dwelley

Drake London aligns at the X position on the line of scrimmage, handling boundary matchups, contested catches, slants, and back-shoulder fades. Darnell Mooney provides vertical field-stretching capability from the Z alignment. Ray-Ray McCloud III operates from the slot on shallow crossers, option routes, and perimeter screens.

Kyle Pitts functions as a hybrid receiver and tight end, flexing out wide or into the slot in 12-personnel groupings. Charlie Woerner remains inline to secure edge blocks on run downs.

Offensive Line Configurations

• Left Tackle: Jake Matthews
• Left Guard: Matthew Bergeron
• Center: Drew Dalman
• Right Guard: Chris Lindstrom
• Right Tackle: Kaleb McGary
• Swing Tackle: Storm Norton
• Interior Reserves: Ryan Neuzil, Kyle Hinton, Jovaughn Gwyn

The offensive line maintains continuity across all five starting spots. Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron anchor the interior with lateral mobility on pulls and firm resistance against interior bull rushes. Drew Dalman directs line calls and executes reach blocks.

Jake Matthews handles blindside pass protection against primary edge rushers. Kaleb McGary anchors the right side for power run blocking and perimeter pass sets. Storm Norton serves as the primary swing tackle.

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Atlanta Falcons Defensive Depth Chart Breakdown

DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART (WEEK 3)
Pos.   Starter               Second String         Third String
EDGE   Matthew Judon         Arnold Ebiketie       —
IDL    Grady Jarrett         Ta'Quon Graham        —
NT     David Onyemata        Eddie Goldman         Brandon Dorlus
EDGE   Lorenzo Carter        James Smith-Williams  Bralen Trice (IR)
ILB    Kaden Elliss          Troy Andersen         —
ILB    Nate Landman          JD Bertrand           —
CB1    A.J. Terrell          Clark Phillips III    —
CB2    Mike Hughes           Kevin King            —
NB     Dee Alford            Antonio Hamilton Sr.  —
FS     Jessie Bates III      Micah Abernathy       —
SS     Justin Simmons        Richie Grant          —

Defensive Line and Edge Rushers

• Interior Defensive Line: Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata
• Nose Tackle / Heavy Tech: Eddie Goldman, Ta’Quon Graham, Brandon Dorlus
• Edge Defenders: Matthew Judon, Lorenzo Carter, Arnold Ebiketie, James Smith-Williams

Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata anchor the interior front. Jarrett penetrates 3-technique gaps to disrupt zone handoffs, while Onyemata controls A-gap lanes against double teams. Eddie Goldman rotates in base 3-4 fronts.

Matthew Judon leads the edge rush from wide-9 and 5-technique alignments using speed-to-power moves. Arnold Ebiketie operates as a rotational pass rusher on passing downs. Lorenzo Carter and James Smith-Williams provide edge containment on bootlegs and perimeter runs.

Linebacker Corps

• Inside Linebacker (Mike): Kaden Elliss
• Inside Linebacker (Will): Nate Landman / Troy Andersen
• Linebacker Reserves: JD Bertrand

Kaden Elliss directs defensive checks, executes interior gap assignments, and blitzes through the A- and B-gaps.

Nate Landman and Troy Andersen split reps by game situation. Landman occupies interior lanes against base run personnel, while Andersen provides sideline-to-sideline pursuit and hook-to-curl coverage in nickel packages.

Secondary Alignments

• Left Cornerback (Boundary): A.J. Terrell
• Right Cornerback (Field): Mike Hughes
• Nickel Cornerback: Dee Alford
• Boundary Reserves: Clark Phillips III, Antonio Hamilton Sr., Kevin King
• Free Safety: Jessie Bates III
• Strong Safety: Justin Simmons
• Safety Depth: Richie Grant, Micah Abernathy

A.J. Terrell covers primary boundary receivers in press-man and Cover 3 looks. Mike Hughes defends intermediate perimeter routes opposite Terrell. Dee Alford covers the slot and provides run support off the edge.

Jessie Bates III and Justin Simmons form the deep safety shell. Bates handles single-high centerfield duties, while Simmons rotates between deep-half, intermediate robber, and box assignments. Richie Grant provides extra coverage in dime sub-packages.

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Special Teams Unit

SPECIAL TEAMS DEPTH CHART (WEEK 3)
Pos.   Starter               Backup
K      Younghoe Koo          —
P      Bradley Pinion        —
LS     Liam McCullough       —
H      Bradley Pinion        —
KR     Ray-Ray McCloud III   Avery Williams
PR     Ray-Ray McCloud III   Avery Williams

Specialists and Return Strategy

Younghoe Koo handles field goals and extra points. Bradley Pinion manages directional punts toward boundary sidelines to minimize return angles. Liam McCullough serves as long snapper.

Ray-Ray McCloud III handles kickoff and punt returns, with Avery Williams serving as the primary backup.

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Key Tactical Matchups: Falcons Depth vs. Packers Schemes

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                           KEY TACTICAL MATCHUPS                             |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Falcons Unit                       | Packers Scheme / Matchup               |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Falcons O-Line & RB Rotation       | Packers Interior Defensive Front       |
| • Inside zone & power off tackle   | • Gap integrity vs. double teams       |
| • Robinson / Allgeier snap balance | • Kenny Clark / Devonte Wyatt pass rush|
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Falcons Secondary (Bates/Simmons)  | Packers Passing Concept Dispersion     |
| • Disguised Cover 2 / Cover 3      | • Deep seam routes & perimeter shots   |
| • Terrell vs. Packers WR1          | • Red-zone condensed formations        |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
| Falcons Edge Rush (Judon/Ebiketie) | Packers Offensive Line Protection      |
| • Wide-9 speed rush & stunts       | • Blindside protection & quick release |
| • A-gap blitzes (Elliss)           | • Pocket integrity vs. interior push   |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

Falcons Ground Attack vs. Packers Defensive Front

Atlanta’s offensive front uses double teams from Chris Lindstrom and Drew Dalman before climbing to second-level linebackers. Bijan Robinson targets cutback lanes against lateral flow, while Tyler Allgeier runs direct power inside against nickel packages.

Falcons Secondary vs. Packers Passing Weapons

Green Bay tests intermediate zones with crossing routes and deep vertical seams. Jessie Bates III and Justin Simmons disguise two-high shells pre-snap before rotating into Cover 3 or robber looks post-snap to contest throwing windows.

Falcons Pass Rush vs. Green Bay Pass Protection

Matthew Judon and Arnold Ebiketie utilize speed rushes and interior stunts. Defensive schemes mix delayed A-gap blitzes from Kaden Elliss with interior pressure from Grady Jarrett to disrupt pocket integrity.

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Injury Status and Inactive Roster Implications

Official Injury Designations

• Out: Inactive for the contest.
• Doubtful: Unlikely to play; backup plans initiated.
• Questionable: Gameday decision following pregame evaluations.

Depth Chart Replacements

• Offensive Line Scratches: Storm Norton assumes starting tackle duties if an edge blocker is inactive, moving Jovaughn Gwyn into the active interior reserve spot.
• Front Seven Adjustments: Troy Andersen absorbs early-down snaps if an inside linebacker is sidelined; Ta’Quon Graham assumes extra reps on the defensive interior.
• Secondary Depth: Clark Phillips III enters outside coverage if a boundary cornerback is ruled out, allowing Mike Hughes to shift based on matchup requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3?

Kirk Cousins starts at quarterback, with Michael Penix Jr. as the primary backup.

How does the Falcons’ running back depth chart look against the Packers?

Bijan Robinson leads the backfield in snaps and touches. Tyler Allgeier serves as the power and short-yardage specialist, while Jase McClellan provides depth as RB3.

Which Falcons defensive starters face key matchup tests against Green Bay?

• A.J. Terrell: Manages boundary coverage against primary outside receivers.
• Matthew Judon: Leads edge pressure against Green Bay’s offensive tackles.
• Jessie Bates III & Justin Simmons: Control deep coverage shells against explosive pass concepts.

What injuries most significantly affect the Falcons’ Week 3 depth chart?

Injuries across the offensive line and defensive front create the largest depth impacts, elevating Storm Norton at tackle and expanding snaps for Arnold Ebiketie and Ta’Quon Graham.

Who handles kick and punt return duties for the Falcons in Week 3?

Ray-Ray McCloud III serves as the primary returner on kickoffs and punts, backed up by Avery Williams.