Buried at the bottom of the depth chart, Antone Smith has not so quietly made the case that he deserves more snaps and touches out of the Falcons’ backfield.
The Florida State product currently trails Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Devonta Freeman in snaps (49) and rushing attempts (11), and is also tied for last in receiving targets (8); but his impact on games as been undeniable.
Smith (+4.2) leads the Falcons’ backfield in overall PFF grade and also sits atop the rankings for several of our Signature Stats for running backs:
-No. 1 among all running backs in Elusive Rating due largely in part to 10 forced missed tackles on only 17 touches.
– No. 1 in Yards per Route Run at 6.50.
– No. 4 in Breakaway Percentage: 71% of his rushing yards have come on runs of 15 or more yards.
– Smith has yielded no pressures on his 7 pass blocking attempts.
Yes, the sample size is small, but it might just be time to get Smith involved in the game plan a bit more against the Chicago Bears.
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