Falcons pass rush takes critical step towards sustained success

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s vision for an enhanced pass rush centered on a sustainable four-man rush. He said as much after the team’s dual first-round selections of edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce in this past year’s draft:

“The best defenses are the ones where they have four down, five down, they get down and they got guys that can just win. The people that are constantly fabricating defense and gimmicking things up…there’s good weeks, there’s bad weeks, there’s good weeks, there’s bad weeks. And we’re trying to create greatness here that can be sustained.”

The Falcons finally achieved that greatness in their Week 12 win over the New Orleans Saints, and hopefully, it’s the first of many more days like that to come.

The Falcons’ pass rush has already vastly improved this season, ranking third in the NFL with 39 sacks. But that improvement has been fueled by a dominant blitz. The Falcons have brought five or more pass rushers on 41 percent of opposing pass plays, which also ranks second-highest in the league according to Next Gen Stats. Their 18 percent sack rate on those blitzes leads the NFL, and their 51 percent pressure ranks fifth. The fact that linebacker Kaden Elliss was leading the team with 24 pressures (according to PFF) entering Week 12 is also a testament to their reliance on the blitz.

But things changed last Sunday against the Saints. The Falcons blitzed a season-low eight times, on just 15 percent of the Saints’ dropbacks. Yet they generated pressure 38 percent of the time, matching their season’s overall pressure rate. Entering the week, the Falcons had generated pressure on only 29 percent of their four-man rushes, ranking 27th.

James Pearce’s Week 12 emergence is encouraging for the Falcons’ future pass rush

That four-man rush on Sunday was led by Pearce, Arnold Ebiketie, and Leonard Floyd, who combined for 15 pressures against the Saints. Entering the week, Pearce had done most of his damage on blitzes, with 14 of his 23 pressures coming when the Falcons rushed five or more. But his ability to take advantage of a pair of subpar Saints offensive tackles is part of a big step in his development.

Pearce has seemingly turned a corner in recent weeks, pacing the Falcons with 15 pressures in their last four games. That has produced a pressure rate of 16 percent, more than double his 7 percent rate from the previous four outings. That, combined with a similar boost from Walker recently, suggests a bright future for the Falcons’ pass rush beyond 2025.

A deep rotation remains critical to an effective pass rush

However, for the remainder of this season, the Falcons will likely still lean on a heavy rotation between their edge rushers. Even though Pearce and Walker are stepping up, Ebiketie and Floyd remain critical components. Flying under the radar is that Ebiketie led the Falcons with six pressures against the Saints. At the same time, Floyd remains the team’s top edge this season with a 16 percent pressure rate when they rush four.

While it’s understandable to want to see Walker and Pearce featured on more snaps, given their potentially bright futures, the Falcons have benefited from a revolving wave of rushers coming on and off the field. That keeps everybody fresher and maximizes their down-to-down efficiency. The fact that all four edge-rushers: Pearce, Walker, Ebiketie, and Floyd, have four-man pressure rates between 13 and 16 percent reflects that efficiency.

The only question at this point is whether an effective Falcons four-man pass rush will be the new norm. Did they simply benefit from facing an overmatched Saints offensive line that featured three backups and a rookie starting in front of a rookie quarterback? Or can they repeat this success for the remainder of this season against better competition?

Time will tell, but they have a golden opportunity this weekend to prove themselves once more against lesser competition. The New York Jets’ offensive line has allowed the highest pressure rate in the NFL this season at 45 percent, according to PFF. A repeat of the Falcons’ Week 12 success against the Jets will only continue to build Ulbrich’s confidence in the development of young rushers like Pearce and Walker, along with the consistency of veterans Floyd and Ebiketie. Coupled with the growth of interior guys like Brandon Dorlus and Ruke Orhorhoro, Ulbrich’s initial vow of fixing the Falcons’ pass rush continues being fulfilled.