Zachariah Branch may have just played his way out of Falcons' returner role originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons have a difficult decision to make regarding rookie wide receiver and return specialist Zachariah Branch following Sunday’s disappointing 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Branch committed two costly turnovers on special teams, raising serious questions about whether Atlanta should remove him from return duties moving forward.
The rookie’s first mistake occurred during the second quarter when he muffed a punt that Chicago recovered at Atlanta’s 10-yard line.
The Bears capitalized on the turnover when D’Andre Swift scored a short rushing touchdown, extending Chicago’s lead to 21-7.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, Branch’s struggles continued.
During the third quarter, Branch fumbled a kickoff return, giving Chicago another opportunity to score. The Bears converted the turnover into a 50-yard field goal by Cairo Santos, extending their advantage to 31-7.
According to ESPN Research, Branch became just the third player in the past 10 seasons to lose two special teams fumbles in the same game.
Despite a late rally by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta couldn’t overcome its earlier mistakes.
The loss dropped the Falcons to 2-4, adding pressure on head coach Kevin Stefanski to address the team’s ongoing struggles.
Falcons Should Remove Branch From Return Duties
In my opinion, the Falcons should immediately remove Branch from punt and kickoff return responsibilities until he demonstrates better ball security.
This isn’t about giving up on a talented rookie. It’s about accountability.
Atlanta cannot afford to surrender valuable possessions because its return specialist struggles to secure the football.
Branch possesses tremendous speed and playmaking ability, but none of those qualities matter if he cannot protect the ball.
I wouldn’t completely remove him from the offense because he still has tremendous upside as a receiver.
However, I believe Stefanski should give another player an opportunity to handle returns while Branch works on his fundamentals.
Two turnovers in one game are unacceptable, especially when both helped Chicago increase its lead.
The Falcons are already struggling to remain competitive in the NFC South.
Continuing to make preventable mistakes will only make their situation worse.
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