Between uninspiring scheming, relying on too many declining veterans, and young players not given enough opportunities, it’s time for the Falcons to start over defensively.
For all the instability and limitations at the quarterback position, there was one theme from watching the Atlanta Falcons all season. They have a severely flawed defense with a coaching staff unable and unwilling to elevate talent consistently. Outside of Kaden Elliss being unleashed as a punishing blitzer and some clever simulated pressure designs after the bye week, it’s hard to pinpoint many instances where the Falcons’ defense looked equipped to stop above-average offenses.
They were outthought, outmanned, and bereft of answers when teams started to find a rhythm against them. Look no further than the season finale where Bryce Young was maneuvering in the pocket without any trepidation, throwing the ball decisively across the field. He is one of many quarterbacks who operated at ease in the pocket, even when pressure was dialed up with disguises or extra players blitzing, and found open throwing windows to keep the chains moving.
When offenses decided to run the ball, they could go on long methodical drives controlling the pace of the game and punishing Atlanta’s light boxes. The combination of lackluster defensive line play and linebackers not maintaining gap integrity allowed running lanes to be opened up frequently along with puzzling defensive alignments.
The Falcons’ defense was as bad as people feared it could be in the offseason. The excitement of acquiring Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons completely eroded by November as Sean Payton added another chapter to his all-time collection of dominant performances over his former biggest rival.
The lack of young talent emerging, some of which can be attributed to the coaching staff’s hesitancy to expand their roles as contributors, will leave a bitter taste knowing there aren’t any young players who can definitively start in 2025. Not being able to find many positives from a unit strongly indicates that massive changes are required to improve. That development begins with coaching.
A New Defensive Coordinator
Raheem Morris hasn’t committed to Jimmy Lake as his defensive coordinator in 2025. Considering how Morris highlighted communication issues in the secondary during his final press conference of the season, it would be hugely surprising if Lake returns to his role. For the secondary to have fundamental breakdowns in the regular season finale with high stakes is a strong indictment of how fragmented the defense has become. They had no answers for Carolina after completely falling apart in the second half and overtime against Washington the previous week. To be essentially helpless defensively for eight quarters, if you include both overtime drives, while competing to win the division must be difficult to digest for the organization.
As well as the Falcons executed simulated pressures after the bye week to produce 21 sacks in five games, they either benefited from favorable matchups, ended up having massive coverage busts against Minnesota, or failed to contain Jayden Daniels in high-leverage moments. Per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, the defense allowed 26.7 points per game in their final eight games. The signs of progress in certain areas will rightfully be overshadowed by how porous they were in the most crucial defensive categories. That includes finishing second worst in third down conversion percentage after being the third-best defense on third down in 2023.
There are plenty of well-experienced, highly-regarded coaches on the market. Robert Saleh will command plenty of interest, although it would be surprising if he didn’t return to San Francisco to reunite with Kyle Shanahan. Speaking of reunions, Morris could opt to bring in Jeff Ulbrich, who worked extensively alongside him in 2019 and 2020. They did well bringing the best out of severely flawed units in dire circumstances during both lost seasons in Atlanta.
Cincinnati’s appalling defense stems far more from poor drafting and free agency investments than Lou Anarumo’s scheming. Jessie Bates can attest to Anarumo’s excellence when an organization provides him with a functional personnel group. All three defensive coaches will have plenty to prove in 2025. It’s on Morris to make the necessary change and move with urgency to reconstruct the defense.
Youth Injection Up Front
The Falcons had seven players 28 years old or older play significant snaps across the defensive line. Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, Eddie Goldman, Kentavius Street, Demone Harris, Lorenzo Carter, and Judon were all relied upon as full-time starters or key contributors at some part of the season. Other than Goldman and Harris being steady as run defenders, none of the players lived up to the standards expected of them. They struggled to generate pressure and take on blocks against the run. After being dominant at times together in 2023, Jarrett and Onyemata didn’t blow through gaps or collapse double teams. They were blocked out of gaps too often, leading to offenses moving the chains consistently.
Some of the run defense issues can be attributed to frustrating scheming, but there’s no denying both players are aging with expensive contracts. It’s difficult to see both players on the roster next season. As beloved as Jarrett is, there’s a possibility he could be moved on from as well. Judon and Carter can’t be relied upon to win off the edge anymore, which makes them expendable. Harris, Goldman, and Street didn’t contribute enough as role players to be guaranteed roster spots in 2025. That leaves Morris with plenty of personnel decisions to be made within the most questionable positional group on the roster.
Signing a veteran or two shouldn’t be frowned upon. Every defensive line can use a veteran presence. It’s over-relying on several of them that can prove problematic, which was evident seeing how slow the Falcons’ defensive line was attempting to run twists and other schemed-up pressures. They have to reload up front with fresh talent to provide power, explosiveness, and versatility.
Zach Harrison, Arnold Ebiketie, and Ruke Orhorhoro possess the talent to be difference-makers. Immediately inserting them into the starting lineup would be a bold decision to begin next season. They need to play at a consistently higher level first. Significant investments in free agency and the draft will be required to make this unit capable of overwhelming offenses up front with sheer talent instead of pure scheming.
Cruel Reality
As The Falcoholic’s finest David Choate wrote in a profound piece, the franchise’s vision is muddled. That is encapsulated by how the defense on the back end was assembled going into the season. The coaching staff knew how much the defense was constructed personnel-wise under Ryan Nielsen’s vision. They knew their system would be much different from his, playing more zone than man coverage. Given the dramatic schematic shifts, personnel changes would be needed to complement how Morris and Lake envisioned implementing their philosophy.
The only significant change was signing Justin Simmons in August after DeMarcco Hellams’ season-ending injury and knowing Richie Grant can’t be depended on as a starter. Adding Simmons was a sensible move at the time, but his lack of range and inconsistent tackling revealed he wasn’t the premier player he once was. Adding a veteran in the middle of training camp to start alongside Bates instead of acquiring one in March or April ended up backfiring. Not signing or drafting a capable slot corner to challenge Dee Alford was another costly decision.
Whether it was complacency or lack of financial resources, they suffered by not adding more talent within the secondary while undergoing a substantial defensive schematic shift. Opposing quarterbacks completed a league-high 69.9% of their passes against them. It’s hard to beat playoff teams allowing passes to be completed more often than the Giants and Panthers did.
For all the incohesive structural planning and soft coverages, players must take accountability for their shortcomings. According to Pro Football Focus, Atlanta’s three starting cornerbacks finished in the top 15 for most missed tackles among cornerbacks. That includes Alford and A.J. Terrell being tied for third in that category. Bates and Simmons finished in the top 12 for most missed tackles among safeties. While another linebacker will be needed due to Troy Andersen’s lingering health concerns, the front office can’t go another offseason without adding credible talent to the secondary before August. The defensive backs were lackadaisical and disoriented as a unit all season.
That can’t happen with Bates and Terrell being top players at their respective positions. That can’t happen with Morris being most known for maximizing defensive back performance levels. A more aligned strategy with talent upgrades at cornerback and safety must be a priority for the defense to make strides in 2025.