Falcons safety Jessie Bates didn’t have the gaudiest numbers in Week Two, but he did help his team to a win over the Eagles.
Bates recorded 12 tackles, an interception, a tackle for loss, and two passes defensed to help the Falcons pick up a 22-21 road win on Monday night. The interception came after the Falcons had grabbed the lead with 34 seconds to play and put the finishing touches on Atlanta’s first victory of the season.
The NFL announced that Bates has been named the NFC defensive player of the week as a result of the effort. That might come as a surprise to those who watched Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson sack Baker Mayfield 4.5 times, but the Bucs beat the Lions and that may have been enough to tip things Bates’s way.
Whatever the reason, Bates has continually proven himself as a star in the back end and it is the third time he’s taken the NFC honors since joining the Falcons ahead of the 2023 season.
