The spotlight was off the NFC South's rookies this last week in terms of the national stage with Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers having their bye week, however there was some good play from the other rookies headlined by Julio Jones who was simply sensations against the Indianapolis Colts.
Now granted, the Colts aren't exactly NFL royalty right now, but that doesn't mean Jones should have abused them as he did last Sunday. It only took three catches for Jones to have his best game as a pro as he totaled 131 yards and two touchdowns. What's more impressive is that neither touchdown catch was easy, they were both plays that were generated and executed by Jones. It was a thoroughly impressive display.
This week Jones and the Falcons face the Saints in a game with major implications in the division. While it's highly unlikely he'll get the better of them the way he did Indy, I think there's potential for a fairly big game here as a physical WR.
Adrian Clayborn expected struggled against the aforementioned Saints last week. Drew Brees is like Teflon with his lightning quick release, and when this is coupled with a stellar OL there's not much room for DEs to make plays. He has an equally tough task this week against Houston, who has surprisingly built quite a stout OL to protect Matt Schaub. It bodes to be another long day for the rookie pass rusher.
I'm getting tired of talking about how mediocre Cameron Jordan has been.... one tackle, no impact. Expect more of the same this week.
Mark Ingram sat last week with injury, and has been limited this week. If he is able to go against the Falcons I don't really expect him to be able to make any significant impact. This is a trend that will likely continue until his injury is fully healed.