Falcons MVP for Week 15: The unstoppable KhaDarel Hodge

KhaDarel Hodge was a nice signing in 2022, as I think most Atlanta Falcons fans who had seen him play previously would agree. He played well on the rare occasions he was called upon on offense throughout his career and was a stone solid special teams contributor, so while it was not a needle moving addition, it was a welcome one.

Fast forward to today and Hodge is a household name for this fanbase, as he should be. He scored the game-winning touchdown on a thrilling catch-and-run against the Buccaneers earlier in the year, recovered a fumbled punt for a touchdown against the Saints, and then single-handedly blocked a pair of punts last night against the Raiders. Hodge is among the team leaders in special teams tackles yet again, but it’s those big plays and reliability no matter what he’s called upon to do that have made him a fan favorite.

Those two blocked punts didn’t win the game for Atlanta, but they were emblematic of what these Falcons need to be if they’re going to actually make a playoff push, which is savvy, relentless, and good. Hodge not only partially blocking a punt but then evading blockers a second time to fully block one is an impressive piece of work, and on a dreary night against the Raiders, deserves recognition as such.

That’s why he’s the MVP for Week 15, and that’s why the Falcons need to make it a priority to bring him back in 2025.