The Falcons came out with a much-needed win on Sunday Night Football in Minnesota, thanks almost exclusively to their defense.
For the first time in decades, Atlanta looks to have found a pass rush. They sacked J.J. McCarthy five times in the first half, six times on the evening, and pressured him on 53.3% of his dropbacks, which is the highest amount by any Falcons team since 2018.
Everybody was involved. Rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. each recorded their first sacks of the season, but six different players had at least three pressures and recorded at least 0.5 sacks, led by Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison, who each recorded 1.5 sacks.
That’s what’s so encouraging about this defense early in the year—it’s young, it’s deep, and it’s already producing at an elite level. Four rookies are playing pivotal roles: Pearce ranks fifth in the entire NFL in pressure rate, Walker is starting to make a real impact, and in the secondary, Billy Bowman Jr. and Xavier Watts are proving they belong. Both rookies came away with interceptions on Sunday night.
And it’s not just the first-year players. Every single new face on this defense looks to be an upgrade over last season. Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus, who barely saw the field as rookies, are now key cogs against both the run and the pass. Zach Harrison is finally being used correctly and has been fantastic. All of these guys were drafted in the last three years, and first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich clearly knows how to put them in position to succeed.
Through two weeks, the Falcons defense ranks:
4th in pressure rate (46.3%)
4th in sack rate (10.4%)
2nd in total yards allowed (229.0)
5th in sacks (7)
2nd in turnover margin (3)
2nd in passing yards allowed (139.5)
9th in rushing yards allowed (89.5)
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Atlanta’s defense is top-ten in every major statistical category, top-five in most of them, and they’ve done it against two teams that made the playoffs a season ago. This is a defensive effort that hasn’t been seen from this organization in decades, led by a bunch of guys that are mostly on their rookie contracts.
That is the kind of development that can set up sustained success for years to come. General manager Terry Fontenot deserves credit for assembling this young, talented group. The Falcons are a team worth talking about—and their defense is leading the conversation.
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Photo: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
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