The Atlanta Falcons the NFL's best run defense from a yardage standpoint entering Week 5, but the Baltimore Ravens exposed some serious problems that need fixing ASAP. They gave up 208 rushing yards to Derrick Henry and the Ravens, and they averaged almost six yards per carry on the game.
Thankfully, veteran linebacker Divine Deablo knows he was part of the problem, and didn't shy away from taking accountability for his performance in the 30-23 overtime loss, admitted he sometimes abandoned his assignment while trying to make a play. That's captain behavior right there.
"Defensively, we just got to do better job of stopping the run. Clearly, they had 200. I'll put that on me for real," Deablo said. "We got to be better as a whole, but I definitely got to be better myself."
Deablo's admission gives Atlanta a clear place to start as it tries to fix its run defense before facing Chicago. Atlanta entered the game allowing just 48.3 rushing yards per contest, making Baltimore's success on the ground a major departure from what the defense had shown in the first four weeks.
Deablo also identified a specific issue he needs to correct - The first-year captain acknowledged that trying to make a play sometimes caused him to leave his assigned gap, giving the Ravens opportunities to exploit the defense - That is a problem Atlanta will need to clean up against Chicago
Divine Deablo knows where the Falcons went wrong in defending the run
The loss also came after Atlanta let a fourth quarter lead slip away before falling in overtime. Divine Deablo's comments offer a clearer explanation of how Baltimore found so much success on the ground against the Atlanta Falcons--which made way for the team's most heartbreaking loss of 2026.
"Sometimes trying to make a play. Getting out of my gap. I got to stay in my gap, make sure I do my job plus one," Deablo said.
Out of the Ravens 208 rushing yards, Derrick Henry led the way with 102 yards on 24 carries. Derrick Henry is one of the best in the game, but Chicago's two-headed attack of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai aren't going to make things easier--and neither will the return of the mobile Caleb Williams.
The Bears lead the NFL in rushing yards per game, as they put up nearly 300 (and six scores) against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 and combined for over 200 against the New York Jets. However, in a 31-7 Week 5 loss against the Packers, Chicago was held to a season-low 84 rushing yards.
Still, Atlanta won't have much time to dwell on the loss. The Falcons face a dangerous Ben Johnson offense next, and the Bears are gonna try to run all over them with Swift and Monangai just like the Ravens did. That means both Deablo and Kendal Daniels are going to need to put their best foot forward in this matchup, as will guys like LaCale London and Maason Smith.
Divine Deablo has already acknowledged his part in the breakdown. Now the defense needs to follow suit and turn that accountability into a better performance against Chicago and prove that the Ravens running wild was just a one-time thing.
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