3 Things the Atlanta Falcons learned against Saints in week one
By Nick Halden
2. The Atlanta Falcons’ defense is improving
After the late 16-point collapse and A.J. Terrell being burnt by Michael Thomas, it is hard to feel great about this Atlanta defense. However, it is only fair to break down the complete defensive performance and point out that this unit still is making strides in the right direction. The Falcons’ pass rush and secondary held the Saints in check for the first three quarters outside of a Taysom Hill-designed run.
Atlanta wasn’t capable of putting together three quarters as great as the three they played against the Saints in week one. Remember last season’s opener against the Eagles? Jalen Hurts looked like Tom Brady and the game was over quickly leaving Atlanta no hope of a comeback.
This Atlanta week one defense crumbled in the final quarter but this unit showed improved pressure and better ability to lock teams down in man coverage. Much of the 4th quarter damage happened when Atlanta stopped blitzing and went into prevent defense playing not to lose. Dean Pees made poor calls down the stretch and Terrell’s inability to cover Thomas are shading what should be viewed as an encouraging sign for an Atlanta defense that will show improvement this season.