FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons heavily invested in upgrading their defense this offseason. The team added edge rusher Leonard Floyd, inside linebacker Divine Deablo, and four out of the five rookies in this year's draft class were defensive weapons — edges Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., and defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. — all of whom have instantly made an impact. The team knew they had to upgrade their pass rush and truly affect the quarterback from all angles.
On-field execution and finishing plays more frequently was the big message throughout the last week, as missed opportunities were something Atlanta knew it had to fix and capitalize on. The defense missed just four tackles on 52 attempts against Tampa Bay, a lower rate than they achieved in any game last season, however, the true game-changing plays were lacking. Though four different players generated at least four pressures, the team only registered one sack and did not force a turnover.
Still, there was important progress. Though the Falcons fell to the Buccaneers in Week 1, the defense generated pressure on 40.5% of their dropbacks, which was their fourth-highest mark in a game since the start of the 2024 season at the time. After the Week 1 loss, many questioned whether Atlanta could bounce back on the road in a tough environment in U.S. Bank Stadium — and on "Sunday Night Football," no less. The answer? They most certainly could.
The Falcons' defense recorded 16 pressures and six sacks against the Vikings' offense, generating pressure on 53.3% of dropbacks, the team's highest rate since Week 15 of the 2018 season. The defensive line's rotation led to six different players recording at least three pressures. Atlanta sent extra rushers on 43.3% of dropbacks, the third-highest blitz rate under head coach Raheem Morris, according to Next Gen Stats. The Falcons have 31 total pressures through only two games, tied for the eighth most in the NFL. Through Week 2 last year, the unit only had 14 pressures. Improvement is evident.
The rookie impact was especially felt on Sunday night. Atlanta forced four turnovers, including interceptions by first-year defenders Watts and Bowman Jr., marking the first time a pair of rookies have recorded an interception in the same game since Week 9 of the 2013 season at Carolina. Cornerbacks Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant accomplished the same feat in that game.
Watts and Bowman players are tied with Philadelphia safety Andrew Mukuba for the league lead in interceptions among all rookies with one each, per TruMedia. Walker and Pearce each registered at least half a sack on Sunday, the first time two Falcons rookies have recorded at least half a sack in the same game since Week 10 of 2006 against Cleveland.
The Falcons have generated a 42.9% pressure rate when bringing four or fewer rushers, the third highest in the league. They have the fourth-highest pressure rate this season, bringing the heat 46.3% of the time, according to Next Gen Stats. Pearce has recorded the fifth-highest pressure rate (24.1%) in the NFL this season, for players with a minimum of 25 pass rushes. His seven total pressures are also the second-most among all rookies behind New York Giants' edge rusher Abdul Carter.
In total, the Falcons have 11 players who have generated at least one pressure and nine players with multiple pressures through two games this season. In 2024, the team had nine players with at least one pressure but just four players with multiple pressures. Atlanta has created 44 total pressures through two weeks compared to just 17 in 2024. Not only has Atlanta generated more pressure, but the team has been able to convert more of those pressures into sacks. Using Microsoft CoPilot to comb through Tru Media data, the Falcons have five players boasting sack rates of 20% or higher.
The unit is a top-five defense in the NFL entering Week 3, ranking second in the league in total defense (229.0 yards per game), second in pass defense (129.5 yards per game), second in opponent first downs per game (13.0) and fourth in yards per play (4.5).
Atlanta travels to Carolina in Week 3 to face their second division opponent this season. Morris has previously compared division games to prime-time games. After a performance like they had in Week 2 on the prime-time stage, the biggest question defensively is how they will be able to sustain this success. With the pieces they have, the physicality they've shown and the mindset they have brought so far, it'd be hard to argue that they won't continue to build on the momentum they've set already in 2025. Sunday will be another test for this unit, as every game following will be.
