‘He Can Wreck a Game!’ Falcons Face Problem in Saints' Cam Jordan

Cam Jordan is coming off his biggest game of the season and getting ready to face his favorite opponent in the Atlanta Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention with their 29-15 loss in Buffalo last week, while the New Orleans Saints kept their hopes alive with an 18-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

One of the big factors in the Saints’ win over Carolina was defensive lineman Cam Jordan's monster performance. Jordan, had 3.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss as he harassed quarterback Sam Darnold and the Panthers offense all day.

Jordan started the season slowly with just three sacks in the Saints first 12 games, but he has a whopping 7.5 sacks in his last three.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith knows they'll have their work cut out for them to slow down Jordan.

"He's a great player," said Smith. "He's been a good player in this league for a long time. We've got a ton of respect for him."

"The simple answer is we've got to find ways to block him, because he can wreck the game. We'll do our damndest to make sure he's accounted for on every play." 

That he is hitting top form ahead of facing his favorite opponent is bad news for the Falcons and right tackle Kaleb McGary. 

Jordan has 22 sacks, 39 quarterback hits, and 24 tackles for loss in 21 career games against Atlanta... all highs against any opponent. 

It stands to reason his best totals would come against a divisional opponent, but he's enjoyed playing the Falcons the most.

Jordan has 17 sacks in 21 games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and before his monster game against the Panthers, he had only nine sacks against Carolina.

Opponent	Games	Sacks	TFL	QB Hits
Falcons	21	22	24	39
Buccaneers	22	17	17	33
Panthers	22	12.5	18	20

McGary has struggled mightily at right tackle for the Falcons since being selected in the first round in 2019. The third-year man from Washington had his best game of the season against the Bills according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) which graded him 80.7 (92.4 run block, 52.5 pass block).

McGary last faced a challenge similar to Jordan in Week 15 against Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers. McGary graded 38.0 overall against the 39ers with a 21.0 pass block grade from PFF as they were beaten handily 31-13.

On the season, McGary is considered the No. 56 ranked offensive tackle of 82 eligible in the NFL... not exactly the return the Falcons were hoping when they drafted him 31st overall in 2019.

If the Falcons are going to have any chance of getting the season sweep over the Saints, eliminating their playoff hopes, and finishing the season with a win, McGary will have to have his best game of the season.

If McGary isn't up to the task, Cam Jordan might just single-handedly shut down the Falcons offense.