The Atlanta Falcons didn’t come into this season with very high expectations from media members and fans. However, they have a handful of legitimate Pro Bowl talents, led by cornerback A.J. Terrell.
Though he has yet to make the Pro Bowl, he was voted a second-team All-Pro last season and ranked among the league leaders in several departments. He allowed a passer rating of just 47.5 and a completion rate of 43.9%, both of which were the lowest in the NFL.
The Rams’ receiving corps will be tested by Terrell on Sunday afternoon, and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris knows all about his talent. Morris was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator and interim head coach in 2020 when Terrell was drafted, and he has a lot of respect for the former Clemson corner.
“He’s scary. A.J. Terrell is a guy that I have high regard for,” Morris said. “I remember him coming out of college and we all bashed him because he got beat by Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. I think we all kind of wanted to retract those statements. You’re talking about a high-quality individual that came on and was very competitive right from the beginning. I noticed his competitiveness right away, going against Julio (Jones) every day and having a competition that he was able to have as a rookie.”
Terrell will most likely match up with Cooper Kupp pretty often on Sunday afternoon, even if he doesn’t necessarily shadow the Rams receiver. Kupp almost never gets shut down by anyone, but Terrell will be one of the better corners he goes up against this season.
Morris loved Terrell’s work ethic and approach to the game as a rookie, and it reminds him of the way Jordan Fuller handled himself with the Rams the last couple of years.
“He was serious. He came in with the pro-style atmosphere, he came in with the pro-like approach,” Morris said of Terrell. “Just with everything, his work ethic, how he plays, very similar to what Fuller has done for this organization and how he prepares. I got nothing but high regard for A.J. and actually, he was around our guy too, DK (Derion Kendrick), when he was at Clemson and some of the other guys. You know what type of guy he is, what type of guy (we’re) going to have to prepare for.”
Between Terrell and Jalen Ramsey, there will be a pair of All-Pro-type cornerbacks on the field this weekend at SoFi Stadium.
