RB Jason Snelling, Atlanta Falcons

HT: 5-11, WT: 235, Born: 12-29-1983, College: Virginia, Drafted: Round 7

2013 Projections

2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Snelling looked like Michael Turner lite, running like a battering ram into the line on his two carries. He didn’t even get into the game until it had long been decided.

Week 2 - Snelling lined up as a fullback and caught a pass wide open in the flat from Matt Ryan. He couldn't make the defender miss, so only gained a yard. Snelling's first carry was a stretch outside that was covered by multiple defenders at the line of scrimmage. Despite being in some formations with Michael Turner early in the game, Snelling saw very little action against the Broncos.

Week 5 - Snelling, who rotated passing down duties with Jacquizz Rodgers, had one carry for two yards and one catch for nine yards. Snelling continues to provide the Falcons with solid pass protection and receiving skills out of the backfield.

Week 8 - Snelling split passing down duties with Jacquizz Rodgers. With the first quarter winding down to a close, Snelling grabbed a shovel pass from Matt Ryan and glided into the end zone – basically untouched – to put the Falcons up by fourteen. Snelling’s value to the Falcons clearly lies in the passing game, as he only carried the ball one time for one yard. While he will not see the field as much as Jacquizz Rodgers or Michael Turner, the Falcons see Snelling as a valuable part of their backfield in passing down situations.


Week 12 - Snelling's first involvement was a check down pass when he came late out of the backfield and bruised his way through two defenders for a first down. The Falcons went straight back to him with a quick screen pass that went for another 12 yards and a first down. All of Snelling's touches came on the same drive as he caught another screen for nine yards on second and 20.

Week 13 - After coming in as a decoy for his first snap, Ryan was forced to check down to Snelling on third and eight. Snelling carried the ball forward for six yards, but was hit hard to stop him short of the first down. Snelling caught a quick screen pass in the flat that was blown up for no gain by Curtis Lofton. Ryan went straight back to Snelling on third and 16, when he ran hard and dragged two defenders to the first down marker, before Curtis Lofton arrived to knock him backwards just short of the sticks. Snelling caught a pass in the flat on third and 14, but did well to gain six yards and put the Falcons in field goal position.

Week 16 - Jason Snelling appeared sporadically on third downs. During the second quarter, Ryan dumped the ball off to Snelling on a 2nd-and-19 play for a 12-yard gain.

Week 17 - With five touches against Tampa Bay, Snelling saw his second-highest workload of the season in Week 17. With Turner’s limitations in the passing game and Rodgers’ lack of punch in between the tackles, Snelling just might be the best all-around back in Atlanta heading into the playoffs. He is a stubborn runner inside and showed it with a seven-yard run right through a defender up the gut. On a screen pass, he showed some wiggle, getting another seven yards. He broke more tackles in the game than any running back not named Doug Martin.

Week 19 - Snelling did not record a carry, but he did find paydirt on a five-yard shovel pass from quarterback Matt Ryan. Snelling helped Atlanta cap a fourteen-play, eighty-yard drive by snagging a perfectly thrown shovel pass from Ryan to put the Falcons up by twenty points late in the third quarter. 


Week 20 - Snelling saw an increase in his playing time with Michael Turner leaving the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Outside of a well-blocked 12-yard run, Snelling’s impact on offense was minimal.