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A.J. Terrell is enjoying an outstanding second season with the Atlanta Falcons, but he’s not getting talked about enough. That’s the view of one former All-Pro wide receiver who has challenged pundits around the NFL to make more noise about Terrell’s burgeoning talents.
The controversial ex-wideout, who spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots during a nomadic pro career, believes Terrell is thriving in the toughest position on the field.
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Pundits Told to Talk Up Falcons’ Rising Star
Chad Johnson wants to hear Terrell’s name more often. The pass-catcher who went to six Pro Bowls during his NFL career took to Twitter recently to talk up Terrell’s game and call out what he perceives as a lack of recognition:
Johnson’s respect for cornerbacks is obvious. He knows the demands of the position, having spent years trying to outwit the savvy and technique of various cover men.
For the most part, Johnson was successful, even if his career plateaued somewhat following 10 hugely productive seasons with the Bengals from 2001-’11. Johnson lasted just one season with the Pats before being released by the Miami Dolphins ahead of the 2012 campaign, following his arrest “on a misdemeanour domestic violence charge.”
Johnson attempted a comeback with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes two years later, but he was playing in Mexico by 2017.
Never a stranger to controversy, Johnson became one of football’s largest personalities during his heyday in Cincinnati. He changed his name to ‘Ochocinco’ in 2008, but reverted back to being Chad Johnson four years later.
While his antics on and off the field often distracted from his talent, Johnson knows what he’s talking about when assessing cornerbacks. Seven 1,000-plus-yards seasons, per Pro Football Reference, make him an authority on the subject.
GettyJohnson made six trips to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Bengals.
Johnson’s praise for Terrell should be taken seriously, but he’s just one of an emerging number of people who are helping enhance the young corner’s reputation.
Terrell Won’t Stay Under the Radar for Long
It won’t be long before Johnson is hearing plenty of pundits endorse Terrell’s development. His performances are becoming too good to ignore.
Members of the analytics community have already been taking notice. Among them, Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus highlighted one impressive play from Terrell during Week 15’s 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers:
As Renner pointed out, even one of the game’s most-productive receivers finds it difficult to shake Terrell in space. Coverage like this shows why Terrell is rapidly earning the coveted but rare distinction of becoming a true shutdown cornerback.
It’s a far cry from his rookie season, when the 16th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft often struggled to get up to speed. Terrell became a favorite target for quarterbacks, per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, who noted, “opponents targeted him 106 times according to Pro Football Reference, completing 67% for 13.2 yards per completion, 8.8 yards per target and six touchdowns.”
Terrell was well on his way to changing that narrative even before the trip to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, December 19. Terrell entered the game against the 49ers on something of a hot streak, according to PFF:
He’s now a coverage ace quarterbacks would be wise to avoid, and the numbers prove it.
Cutting off one side of the field should be a huge advantage for Falcons’ defensive coordinator Dean Pees. He usually likes to play a lot of zone, but Pees will surely soon be able to trust Terrell to isolate and take away any opponent’s best receiver, leaving the rest of the secondary free to fill space and double other weapons.
It would also help Terrell if the Falcons could generate anything like a consistent pass rush. Pees’ unit ranks rock bottom of the NFL’s pass-rush standings, with just 16 sacks through 14 games.
The lack of heavy pressure probably explains why Terrell’s turnover numbers remain low. He has just two interceptions to his credit this season, but it’s not difficult to imagine how much more opportunistic he would be if the Falcons were putting more heat on the passer.
Either way, it won’t be long before Terrell’s name is being mentioned more often and he’s earning the All-Pro status many believe he already deserves.
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