The Atlanta Falcons' defense has been tearing it up this season, ranking No. 1 in total defense through their Week 5 bye week.
That is something this team hasn't seen in quite some time. They have done everything right, producing sacks and turnovers, while limiting their opponents in the red zone.
However, there is one caveat fans could look to: they haven't played elite offenses. Outside of a Week 1 matchup against Baker Mayfield, they have faced J.J. McCarthy, Bryce Young, and Marcus Mariota.
That said, we are about to find out for sure what this defense is as they play an elite Buffalo Bills offense that has done the exact thing the Falcons' defense hasn't allowed all year.
The Falcons are the only team in the NFL that has limited every opponent to less than 300 yards of total offense.
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) October 8, 2025
The Bills, who play in Atlanta on Monday, have totaled at least 300 yards of offense in every game so far this season.
Atlanta Falcons face a pivotal challenge coming out of their early bye week
Jeff Ulbrich's defense hasn't allowed more than 300 yards in any game this season. This is an impressive stat for any NFL team, no matter who you play. We have seen so many "sub-par quarterbacks" come out and tear an elite defense apart. In this league, anything can happen in any given week.
Falcons yards allowed by week:
- vs. Buccaneers: 260 yards
- vs. Vikings: 198 yards
- vs. Panthers: 224 yards
- vs. Commanders: 294 yards
Monday will be a different test, however. The Josh Allen-led Bills are a different animal because of all the ways they can attack a defense, which is why they're third in total yards per game entering Week 6.
Bills yards by week:
- vs. Ravens: 497 yards
- vs. Jets: 403 yards
- vs. Dolphins: 360 yards
- vs. Saints: 356 yards
- vs. Patriots: 363 yards
Those are unbelievable stats. Back-to-back 400-yard games, followed by three 350-yard games is absolutely absurd. The ironic part in all of this is that, much like the Falcons, you could criticize the teams that they have played.
Much has been made about how terrible the Ravens' defense has been, the Jets are reeling without Jeff Ulbrich, and the Dolphins and Saints haven't exactly been consistent. Doing that against the Patriots might be their most impressive accolade, but they still lost that game.
Ultimately, the Falcons won't shut Josh Allen down; all they can do is limit him.
In many ways, it is the offense's responsibility to stop Allen by running the ball, managing the clock, and keeping the MVP on the sideline. Fortunately, the Bills are near the bottom of the NFL in run defense—which is where the Dirty Birds excel.