FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons' defense has just one takeaway in the last five games. Atlanta also has just one win in those five weeks.
That's why forcing turnovers is priority No. 1 for the defense in the last four games of the regular season.
"The ball is the most important thing in this league, and turnover margin drastically impacts win percentage," inside linebacker Nate Landman said. "We need to get back on the positive side of that column. It's an emphasis each and every week. It's something we work as a whole defense before anything else each week."
The Falcons are tied for 23rd in takeaways with 11 so far this season, but they've recorded at least one turnover in five of their six wins. There's a proven formula for success, and takeaways are a common denominator.
The defense understands this importance. Every practice they go straight to turnover drills after warmups. Rushing the passer, stopping the run and racking up takeaways are all priorities of the unit, but Landman considers turnover margin the most significant.
Landman has three forced fumbles this season, second on the team behind safety Jessie Bates III. The two had previously formed the "Bloody Knuckles Crew" as they both have a knack for punching the ball out. Bates leads Atlanta with four forced fumbles and two interceptions. However, Bates hasn't recorded a takeaway since Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While the defense is in a bit of a turnover drought, the offense has given the ball away more often than it would like. Atlanta has turned the ball over 10 times since Week 8, and quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown eight interceptions.
"The biggest thing when you talk about overall production is the turnovers," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "The turnovers in the National Football League will absolutely kill you."
Just as a team can falter because of offensive turnovers, it can thrive off defensive takeaways. With four games remaining, [and the Falcons fighting to keep playoff hopes alive](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/nfc-playoff-picture-falcons-bucs-commanders-), that priority to create turnovers is of the utmost importance. They were unable to take the ball away against the Minnesota Vikings, and they will attempt to correct that against the Las Vegas Raiders, who lead the NFL with 25 turnovers this season.
"No doubt that was a part of our game plan (against the Vikings): try to go for some turnovers, get the ball back, and we had some opportunities," Morris said. "We missed some big-time track opportunities yesterday by big-time players, whether it was Justin Simmons or whether it was Jessie. This is not me calling those guys out because they've got high expectations for themselves and be able to make some of those plays. We did not make them yesterday, and those are the ones you want to be able to do."