Falcon Report

WATCH: Mykal Walker's Pick Six Puts Falcons Ahead Of Panthers

The Falcons' defense comes through once again.

Jeremy Brener

The Atlanta Falcons defense is making plays.

During the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers, second-year pro Mykal Walker stunted the Panther offense, picking off Cam Newton and completely shifting the momentum of the game.

It's Walker's first career interception in 29 games with the Falcons.

The Falcons once trailed 7-0, but Cordarrelle Patterson and the offense responded with a touchdown to tie the game. And when it looked like the Panthers would take the lead once again, the Falcons flipped the script and now hold a 14-7 lead.

It was a big week for Walker who welcomed the birth of his son this week as well.

It's the second straight week where the Falcons have scored a touchdown on defense. Second-year defensive lineman Marlon Davidson picked off Tom Brady near the goal line and walked in for a touchdown in the second quarter last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Falcons are one of eight teams in the NFL to record multiple pick sixes this season, joining the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints and the Buccaneers.

The last time the Falcons recorded pick sixes, the team made the Super Bowl. In Weeks 3 & 4 of the 2016 season, linebacker Deion Jones scored in Week 3 against the Saints, while defensive back Robert Alford picked off Newton against the Panthers. While the Falcons probably won't make the Super Bowl this season, it's encouraging to see the youth of the defense come through with big plays in a year when the offense has struggled.

The Falcons lead 17-7 midway through the second quarter.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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