When quarterbacks normally produce big games against the Atlanta Falcons’ defense, they are usually aided by operating in a clean pocket for most of the game. It’s rare for them to have the pocket collapse, let alone be sacked. That’s how insipid the pass rush has been in Atlanta since producing 39 sacks in 2017.
It’s been the same for most of this season with quarterbacks such as Bo Nix and Baker Mayfield at ease finding their receiving options across the field without much resistance. While Sam Darnold was the latest quarterback to join the club of having a memorable passing performance against the Falcons’ defense, his five-touchdown game couldn’t have been more different.
Per Pro Football Focus, Darnold was sacked four times while taking three hits and hurried 11 times on 35 dropbacks. Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake were set on not allowing him to feel comfortable throwing to one of the top skill position groups in the league with one of the best offensive minds constructing another exceptional game plan. Darnold’s processing and timing were disrupted in spurts, led by Kaden Elliss’ blistering blitzes.
He wasn’t the only player within the front causing havoc. Arnold Ebiketie continues to make strides off the left on the edge with another sack and a near strip-sack. Grady Jarrett and Eddie Goldman generated pressure off their swift hand movement. This one-sided loss certainly wasn’t because the defensive front was sluggish and unable to disengage from blocks.
The discouraging defeat falls on the secondary more than anything else. They allowed four completions of 40 or more yards. Defensive backs struggled to keep pace and make plays on the ball. Poor communication led to players not switching off properly, leading to high-percentage looks for Darnold as long as he evaded the pressure.
They were allowed to play more man coverage, which proved catastrophic for every defensive back not named A.J. Terrell. It left the entire unit scratching their heads, recognizing that they weren’t on the level needed to compete for four quarters against one of the NFC’s top five teams.
Overwhelmed and Overmatched
After leading the league in opposing quarterback completion percentage going into the bye week, the coaching staff made alterations to play more man coverage and use dime looks to mask the coverage limitations at linebacker. The schematic adjustments paid off against the Chargers, as Justin Herbert struggled to complete passes to anyone not named Ladd McConkey. The defenses produced six pass breakups, playing sticky coverage and not allowing space at the top of routes.
Unfortunately for Morris and Lake, they kept the same frequent blitz and simulated pressure concepts with an aggressive man coverage approach against a significantly more talented offense in the Vikings. That was bound to end badly if they didn’t generate overwhelming pressure and force Darnold into putting the ball in dangerous areas.
For the Falcons to produce four sacks in one game is so rare that free spicy chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A should have been delivered to any fan wearing a Falcon jersey that day. They made their presence felt, yet the secondary continuously let them down.
It started with Hughes’ inability to run step for step with Jordan Addison. The lack of safety help didn’t matters either, whether it was Simmons being too slow or taking a bad angle while covering ground or Jessie Bates moving in the opposite direction of the play to prevent Justin Jefferson from getting the ball and potentially capitalizing on a dangerous throw. That was evident on one of the passes downfield to Addison where Phillips was a step behind and couldn’t make a play on the deep ball. Addison had his way with Phillips and Hughes on the outside.
What was most alarming were the performances of Simmons and Alford. Both players allowed perfect passer ratings, as they were responsible for four of five touchdown passes. Alford allowed a staggering seven catches on eight targets for 126 yards and three touchdowns. After showing signs of improvement following a difficult start to the season, he was frequently out of position when the Vikings used pre-snap motion. To see a cornerback look as lost as he did in certain moments was alarming for someone, given that this was someone who played as a starter most of the season. The mental errors and communication breakdowns with Terrell can’t happen in December, especially against an outstanding team.
Simmons appears to have lost a step. His range isn’t the same as the deep safety in single high. T.J. Hockenson easily shook him off with a head fake on an over route that went for a big completion. Although his tackling was fine against Minnesota, he has missed his share of open-field tackles in isolated situations. While his experience and ball skills should be valued, he hasn’t provided the stability the coaching staff envisioned by pairing him alongside Bates.
According to TruMedia, the Falcons ranked seventh in the league in allowed explosive play rate entering last Sunday’s game at 10.3%. They gave up explosive plays on a whopping 21% facing Sam Darnold. The resurgent, yet still incredibly volatile quarterback didn’t come close to throwing an interception. He wisely avoided throwing in Terrell’s direction, who deserves praise for his terrific tight coverage on Jefferson when matched up against him. He embraced every bit of covering one of the NFL’s top extraordinary players.
The rest of the secondary faltered badly as they were all out of sorts organizationally and overmatched individually outside of Terrell. The way they were repeatedly torched shows how upgrades will be needed in the secondary in the off-season, whether that comes from significant improvement internally or new additions. In the short term, the coaching staff will have to maneuver with their resources and put the players in a more advantageous position as best they can.
Moving Forward with No Margin of Error
As favorable as the remaining schedule looks for the Falcons, each opponent will have plenty to prove. The Giants and Raiders have coaches aiming to save their jobs. The Panthers are starting to push opponents to the limit, led by a resurgent, decisive Bryce Young. There will be plenty of playoff implications when they square off against the Commanders, in an emotional matchup where Morris will coach against his close friend Dan Quinn. These four teams don’t possess great offensive talent on paper, but they all have playmakers who can take over a game and offensive schemes that could pick apart their opposition; Washington in particular has had stretches where they’ve looked terrific.
The coaching staff shouldn’t overreact to the debacle in Minnesota by reverting to playing primarily Cover 3 and other zone coverage alignments. Dialing back on blitzes could be beneficial while increasing the usage of playing dime on obvious passing downs. Using Kevin King instead of dropping Kaden Elliss or Nate Landman into coverage is an effective strategy. Although Troy Andersen is starting to find comfort again after a long layoff, playing more dime coverage could disrupt the rhythm for the upcoming slate of quarterbacks, featuring young ascending quarterbacks and backups at best.
As my colleague Kevin Knight pointed out on his recent Tuesday Takes show, the secondary and coaching staff must be in unison to salvage what is becoming one of the more disappointing seasons in franchise history. It can’t be reliant on the greatness of Bates and Terrell to produce turnovers and force stops.