The Atlanta Falcons' defense has shined this year because they might actually have the most effective pass-rush in the NFL, which is saying a lot given the circumstances. They lost Jalon Walker for the year with a torn ACL and still have four weeks until James Pearce Jr. is back from his eight-game suspension. So this pass-rush has been relying on guys like Cameron Thomas and Samson Ebukam to play key roles off the edge, and it's worked like a charm.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Falcons have the most pressures in the NFL through four weeks with 79. And in the Week 4 win over the Saints, they gave chase to Tyler Shough 36 times and the pass-rush got pressure on 49% of his drop-backs, which trumps what we saw against the Packers.
Many Falcons fans have understandably credited Jeff Ulbrich for his work on the pass-rush, and while it makes sense, he's not the only architect of this defensive line production as DL coach Nate Ollie has proven himself as one of the brightest young minds in the NFL and he could be the next defensive mastermind.
Entering Week 4, the Falcons were only blitzing 18% of the time: the fourth-lowest rate in the league--yet had the quickest get-off time in the NFL. The strategy has been to disrupt in the backfield, which has yielded a 42.5% pressure rate, which is good for fourth-best in football after the opening month.
Those numbers are all proof of Nate Ollie's impact, as he's gotten the most out of the guys up front. And his success has been a big part of how this new regime wants to play.
Before ending up in Atlanta, Ollie was the assistant DL coach in Houston in 2024, was the DL coach of the Colts for two seasons, and had stints in New York and Philadelphia. For a 34-year-old, he's got a wealth of experience, and it feels like it's only a matter of time before he gets his shot as a future DC.
Nate Ollie deserves a coordinator job for his work with this defensive line
While Ulbrich is getting head coaching buzz over the work he's done turning this defensive line around--both against the pass and the run--the buzz has been less frequent for Ollie. But seeing this defensive line establish itself as one of the better units in football should help ignite that DC interest.
According to SumerSports, here are the Falcons' defensive EPA rankings after the first month:
- -0.10 EPA per play (8th in NFL)
- -24.50 total EPA (5th in NFL)
- 38.28% EPA success rate (3rd in NFL)
- -0.02 EPA per pass (12th in NFL)
- -0.28 EPA per rush (1st in NFL)
And knowing what we know about this defense, it's evident the defensive line has done the heavy lifting as the heart of the unit.
Through four weeks this season, Atlanta also boasts the best run defense in the NFL, and while they haven't exactly faced any All-Pro level talent at RB, that's still an accomplishment. They aren't even giving up 50 rushing yards per game.on the year, and that's because of the big, explosive group of athletes Ollie has helped mold on the defensive line.
Let's remember here that the interior of the defensive line was one of the weakest areas of this team a season ago. They consistently got gashed on the ground by top-end running backs, and retooling the DT room with guys like Maason Smith and Gervon Dexter has better fit Ollie (and Ulbrich's) vision
And it's that same interior of the DL, with Dexter and Brandon Dorlus that has also offered immense value in getting to the QB. The former is a guy the Dirty Birds picked up for a fifth-round pick and Clark Phillips, yet Nate Ollie has him playing like an All-Pro--hence the $78 million extension he got.
Ollie has turned Thomas, a former third-round journeyman who had no starts under his belt, into a player top 10 in the league in pressures. He has Ebukam turning back the clock when they were last together in 2023. Even Yasir Abdullah, a former waiver pickup, has become a key contributor, while Za'Darius Smith has still got it in his 30s. This entire DL is having their best year because of him.
Whether he follows Ulbrich to his next destination if/when he gets a head coaching job or the Falcons just decide to promote him once Brich goes remains to be seen, but Ollie is one of the best defensive line coaches with the game, and his work in Atlanta has him looking like the best DL coach in the NFL .
Let me be clear, under no circumstance do I want to see Nate Ollie leave the Atlanta Falcons, but when you look at what this defense (and defensive line) is doing, he deserves just as much credit as Jeff Ulbrich--and that could see teams start to call him for defensive coordinator jobs this offseason.
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