3 Atlanta Falcons who must improve to bring struggling pass rush to life
1. Matthew Judon
Raheem Morris made some eye-popping comments on Matthew Judon's season low snap count this past Sunday. Judon is falling out of a failing rotation despite being by far the most impressive and accomplished pass rusher of the group. Whether this speaks to effort or simply poor results is in the eye of the viewer. What is unavoidable is that this trade went from an exciting one to appearing to be a complete flop.
However, if there is any hope for this unit coming to life it is Judon turning back the clock and finishing the season strong. The first weeks of the season Judon was a consistent threat getting to the quarterback once and making game-changing plays against New Orleans. In the time since, the edge rusher has faded and not had close to the expected impact.
If this team has a path to January relevance the pass rush must be better and that starts with Judon. The worst season of Judon's career when playing double-digit games was in 2020 when the veteran finished with only 6.0 sacks. This means to match the worst season of his career the veteran needs 4.5 sacks down the stretch. More than enough to boost this unit and salvage some value from the deal.
2. Arnold Ebiketie
There was some hope going into the season that Ebiketie's numbers would translate into double-digit sacks with more snaps. The young pass rusher's production was impressive in limited chances his first two seasons. Now as a major piece of this defense the edge rusher has underwhelmed. Finally getting his first sack of the season against Dak Prescott this past week perhaps breaking the ice will breathe life into Atlanta's second best hope of finding a capable pass rush.
What can be said for Ebiketie is his impressive motor and improved ability to play the run. Yes, there is still a very long way to go in that department but the effort and slight improvements have been there. With Lorenzo Carter on IR, Atlanta's best path to finding a capable edge rush is having Kaden Elliss as a blitzer and Ebiketie and Judon come to life.
If that doesn't happen who on this roster do you trust to get to the quarterback? Grady Jarrett is nursing an injury and has a much harder path on the inside. Atlanta's remaining edge rushers are unproven and left little reason for belief. Give Ebiketie continued chances and hope the performance improves.
3. Jimmy Lake
What happened to this Atlanta defense? A year ago they were far more capable and even to start the season they appeared to be the same unit. In the time since, there are reasons to question defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake's lack of answers or adjustments. In fairness to Lake, the defensive regression has lined up with the loss of Troy Andersen and the injury to Nate Landman. Not enough attention is being given to the loss of Andersen and the drastic changes in defensive numbers.
Injuries, however, are part of the game and you must have the ability to adjust. The game against Dallas was a step in this direction with the team getting pressure and Lake making needed adjustments. Something we haven't seen from the DC in recent weeks.
With Andersen returning soon and Landman getting healthier the excuses are gone. You must find creative ways to dial up pressure in key spots and show an ability to understand what your team does well. It is fair to wonder if Lake's job could be on the line with the recent frustrations and regression from the Atlanta defense. If this pass rush has any chance of coming to life it is on the shoulders of Atlanta's DC to create it.
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3 Atlanta Falcons who must improve to bring struggling pass rush to life
1. Matthew Judon Raheem Morris made some eye-popping comments on Matthew Judon's season low snap count this past Sunday. Judon is falling out of a failing rotation despite being by far the most impressive and accomplished pass rusher of the group. Whether ...
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