Despite a 4-2 record and a first-place standing in the NFC South, a lot of the discussion has been about the Falcons’ pass rush or lack thereof.
For as long as I can remember, spanning nearly two decades, the Falcons have been piss-poor at sacking the quarterback. They haven’t had a true game-changing pass rusher since John Abraham was terrorizing quarterbacks in the Georgia Dome, and despite consistently being among the worst in the league at getting pressure, they somehow seemingly manage to get worse each season.
The hope was that would change under Raheem Morris, and the Falcons tried to get him some guys to work with. Terry Fontenot and company spent three picks in rounds 2-4 on defensive lineman, and he also acquired Matthew Judon via trade.
But to this point, it hasn’t mattered. The Falcons are last in the league with just five sacks in six games while also ranking 29th in pressures. This team isn’t affecting quarterbacks at all, and while it hasn’t come back to bite them yet, eventually it will, especially against high-flying passing offenses.
It’s very evident the combination of guys currently in the building is not good enough to get it done. Improvements should be expected, but they won’t be great enough to get this group where they want to go, which is Super Bowl contention by the end of the season. An influx of talent is needed, and the trade deadline is just a few weeks away. However, Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake doesn’t appear stressed about where his group is at this early in the season.
My hope is that this is nothing more than coach speak. It doesn’t take a football guru to recognize the Falcons pass rush is a serious issue. The numbers speak for themselves, and beyond the numbers, you can turn on a game and watch opposing quarterbacks brew a cup of coffee and read the morning paper before even having to think about being blown on in the pocket.
There is nothing about the Falcons pass rush that has been encouraging. Whether it’s scheme, personnel, or both, something has to change if this team wants to win the NFC South and make a deep run in the postseason.
