The Atlanta Falcons have had one of the worst pass rushes in the league for a while now. Â Atlanta is generating pressure at a low rate, often giving opposing quarterbacks a clean pocket and ample time to find open receivers. The ripple effect has been significant, with the secondary forced to cover for longer periods and the defense as a whole spending too much time on the field.
The inability to sack the quarterback has led to a lot of the defensive issues on the team. Missed tackles, poor timing on blitzes, and a lack of one-on-one wins up front have all contributed to the problem throughout the years. Injuries to key pass rushers have only made matters worse, with rotational players struggling to make an impact.
In an article by Will McFadden, the Falcons talked about the significance of getting to the quarterback and getting sacks.
“Man, it’s getting like waves of pass rush,” Falcons defensive line coach Nate Ollie said. “Can’t say it enough. We have waves of pass rush. When guys get tired, we talk about having no weak links and not missing a beat.”
Falcons add draft pieces
The Falcons added two dynamic pass rushers Javon Walker and James Pierce in the draft. Pierce is significant because the Falcons traded a first-round pick for Pierce.
“You know with trades it always gets to that point where you have to weigh out what you’re doing and what you’re doing it for,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said. “We look at the trade charts and all that stuff, but at some point, you have to look at who’s the player and what’s going to be. What are we getting, and is it worth it? That’s what you have to do at some point. When you have that kind of conviction and belief in the player, then that’s when you’re willing to do it â and we do.”
Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is excited about Pierce and what he brings to the defense.
“If you looked at the best rushers in this draft, you could have made a case that he was the best one from a pure edge element,” Ulbrich said. “So, we had conviction in that. We did a lot of work with on him on the field and off the field and felt great about the man that he is and the player that he is.”
Atlanta add veterans to pass rush
The Falcons add Leonard Floyd and Morgan Fox during the offseason. Head coach Raheem Morris has always been a fan of Floyd.
“Leonard is a special player, man. You get around him more and more every day, he comes off as a quiet person â he is not,” Morris said in 2021. “He is to himself, but when he’s to himself, he’s about his business.” Fox comes to Atlanta with a career 27.5 sacks on his resume. Both veterans will be counted on to not only add a pass rush but also to help with mentoring the rookies.
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