FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons have been struggling on special teams throughout the 2025 season, but those issues proved fatal in Week 13 against the New York Jets.
On a day where the Falcons outgained the Jets by 120 yards, picked up nine more first downs, and saw Bijan Robinson total nearly 200 scrimmage yards, they still found a way to lose 27-24.
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They did it by gift-wrapping some points to New York with several self-inflicted errors on kickoff and punt coverages, a muffed punt by Jamal Agnew that Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris called “inexcusable,” and a missed field goal.
Morris confirmed on Monday that no staff changes were imminent, and special teams coordinator Marquice Williams addressed his unit’s poor play on Thursday.
“It is frustrating because my job as a coach is to always try and help our team in the best way to win games,” he said. “It’s frustrating because you look at those two plays, we don’t get a second chance on those plays. There is no second down, and those are critical errors.”
The kickoff coverages have been an issue for the Falcons all season. They are allowing about 29.8 yards per return, the highest mark in the NFL.
“Biggest thing on special teams is doing your job,” linebacker and special teams contributor JD Bertrand said Monday. “You’re one of 11, and if one person’s outside of their gap, it can create a hole. So that’s the biggest thing, and that’s emphasis on making sure guys do their job.”
They opted to kick the ball out of the end zone in New York to avoid a pair of dangerous returners. On their only attempt in which they did not opt for that touchback, the Jets returned it 83 yards.
Williams cited the fact that there will always be a handful of holes in every coverage, just by the nature of the new kickoff rules. He explained that it is just their job to close those holes as fast as possible.
The Seahawks will feature another dangerous returner in Rashid Shaheed.
The former New Orleans Saint, who was acquired via trade this season, is quite familiar with the Falcons from his time with their division rival. He has averaged 26.8 yards per return this season between both teams, and the Falcons will need to be diligent in their coverage lanes to ensure he does not burn them.
“It is a one-play mentality on special teams,” Williams said. “On offense and defense, you can have a mess up on first down, but you still have second, third, and fourth down to go out there and fix those issues. When you have something like that on a special teams play, you don’t know when you get your next [opportunity].”
The Falcons have been down several of their prominent contributors on their special teams unit. DeAngelo Malone was lost for the season with an injury, KhaDarel Hodge was a healthy scratch on Sunday, and Josh Woods is still working to come back from an injury.
Williams refused to use it as an excuse, citing a next-man-up mentality.
Regardless of how it happens, the special teams unit has to find its footing. Too often have games come down to a handful of self-inflicted errors – whether it is a missed extra point, a muffed punt, or a blown coverage. Margins in the NFL are already razor-thin, and offering opponents free points has cost them chances to win games.
Until the unit stabilizes, every kickoff and every punt remains a risk they can’t keep surviving.