The importance of the Atlanta Falcons defensive line in 2020
The Atlanta Falcons defensive line will be really important in 2020.
The Atlanta Falcons need to create more pressure from their front four when not blitzing. As you can see from this off-season Thomas Dimitroff was thinking along the same lines as us fans. Admittedly, our defensive line is what will make the rest of the defense run smoothly.
The Atlanta Falcons last year were bad at getting sacks they were bottom four of the league with a lousy 28 sacks. Although, sacks do not always tell the whole picture, what does help paint a more pronounced picture is their pressures.
According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Atlanta Falcons finished in the bottom four of quarterback pressures with an overall rate of just 18.1 percent, For comparison’s sake our black and gold rivals, the Saints, finished Top 5 in quarterback pressures with a 26.4 percent
The Atlanta Falcons best defensive player, Grady Jarrett, is on the front four. He will be the engine to get everything jumpstarted next year for the defense. Additionally, the drafting of Marlon Davidson and the signing of Dante Fowler with Takk McKinley will help the defensive sacks and pressures numbers rise from game to game.
Atlanta Falcons have to be creative on defense in 2020.
However, Atlanta Falcons do not need the defensive line rushing four every possession. They will need some variety added to the defensive gameplan, such as blitzing from the linebackers spot and slot corners getting into the mix.
Pro-Football-reference shows the Falcons blitzing numbers to be in the bottom 10 of the league at 24.5 percent. This means in four defensive possessions the Falcons blitzed once and as a result, their sack, and defensive pressures were low.
Next. Matt Ryan saved the Falcons from disaster. dark
Raheem Morris has to change his policy to add more exotic blitzes to help out the front four and create more takeaways to give Matt Ryan and the explosive offense the ball more possessions. That is how you win games in the NFL now. Additionally, the more takeaways and pressures the more our defense will get off the field watching our quarterback destroy the opposition defenses.