The Falcons entered Week 7 ranked first in total defense and second in points allowed.
However, early in the second quarter against the 49ers, linebacker Divine Deablo, the heart of Atlanta’s run defense and one of the team’s most physical tone-setters, exited with a forearm injury.
What looked like a routine substitution quickly became the turning point of the night, and possibly the season’s first real test of the Falcons’ depth.
Up to that point, the Falcons had dictated the game’s rhythm, and looked poised for another road upset on Sunday Night Football.
They led 3-0 after a long 19-play, 60-yard drive capped by a Parker Romo field goal, and had forced the 49ers into two early punts.
But once Deablo left, the tone shifted immediately. The 49ers began to abandon the passing game and pound the football. Christian McCaffrey started finding daylight where there had been none, and Brian Robinson Jr. followed suit. Suddenly, the league’s stingiest defense looked human.
By the end of the game, San Francisco ran the ball 34 times. the four-time All Pro accounted for 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Robinson chipped in 32 yards on eight attempts. Most of that production came after Deablo’s exit.
Divine Deablo's absence was evident in the Falcons' Week 7 loss
It’s not hard to see why his absence mattered so much. Deablo’s instincts and range have been essential to Atlanta’s ability to plug gaps and disguise pressures.
McCaffrey is an uber-talented running back no doubt about that, but this a 29-year-old CMC who missed most of last season and hadn’t rushed for over 70 yards all season.
Once Deablo left, replacement JD Bertrand was forced into action, and while the second-year LB held his own in spots, the difference was noticeable. San Francisco’s zone runs began carving through the second level, with McCaffrey repeatedly breaking free into open space.
The Falcons have built their defensive identity on being sound and disciplined. On Sunday, they were neither. Not because of effort, but because they lost the player who ties it all together.
With him set to miss serious time due to a fractured forearm, Atlanta’s defensive front will face serious questions about how it can maintain its dominance without him.
And if De'Von Achane has a similar outing to McCaffrey tomorrow, it could serve as a reminder of just how vital Deablo is to how the Falcons operate defensively.
For now, one thing is clear: the Falcons’ defense performs as Deablo does. When he’s on the field, they look like one of the NFL’s elite units. When he’s not, even their biggest strength can become a glaring weakness in a matter of moments.