The Atlanta Falcons pass rush just took a huge blow

For the Atlanta Falcons, it has been a long time since they had a formidable pass rush, long gone are the days of John Abraham, a player who could change a game around by himself.

We all know how bad they have been this year, they are nowhere near the level they need to be at. Currently, they sit at 29th in the NFL with nine sacks on the season. Only the Saints, Jaguars, and Chiefs have fewer sacks on the year—certainly not anywhere close to being good enough.

The Atlanta Falcons have now essentially lost half their pass rush for a few weeks

If the Falcons defense wanted to get back on track, a key player who had to step up was Dante Fowler Jr. He is their household name when it comes to their edge rushers. He has played pretty well this season—unquestionably better than last year’s debacle.

Here comes the disappointing news, Dante Fowler Jr. has been placed on the injured reserve, meaning he is out for at least three weeks.

This came after the announcement that he would not be available to play against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Fowler has essentially been half of the pass rush for the Falcons this year. Grady Jarrett and he are the two guys who have the pedigree and talent to consistently win against blockers.

If you remember, Dante had a key play in the Falcons’ loss to the Buccaneers in week two. He strip-sacked Tom Brady on the Falcons side of the field, giving the team a much greater chance to win.

With Fowler now being out for at least those three weeks, expect to see rookie Ade Ogundeji be a key contributor. Despite the sad news with Fowler, it is exciting that we will see Ogundeji become an even bigger part of the pass rush, as he has made an impact seemingly every time he steps on the field.

Here’s hoping that Dante Fowler will be healthy as soon as he is eligible to return to the active roster.