Five weeks into the NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons have established themselves as the league’s top defensive unit. The team currently leads in several key defensive categories, including total yards allowed per game (244), passing yards allowed per game (135), and first downs allowed per game (15). The Falcons have only given up eight touchdowns so far and rank sixth in third-down stop rate at 34.1%.
Atlanta’s defense has also excelled at limiting big plays. Data from TruMedia shows that the Falcons have surrendered just 32 plays of 10 or more yards this season, compared to an NFL average of 58. The team has also recorded 10 sacks through four games, which is their highest sack total in that span since 2017.
The Falcons’ defensive performance is reflected in their top ranking in defensive DVOA, a metric that measures a team’s efficiency by comparing play success to league averages adjusted for situation and opponent.
Several players have stood out during this stretch. Xavier Watts was named rookie of the month. Ruke Orhorhoro ranks third among all defensive tackles in quarterback pressure rate. James Pearce Jr. leads all rookies in splash play percentage. Additionally, A.J. Terrell is expected to return from a hamstring injury for the upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills.
Despite these achievements, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich remains focused on further improvement. “I’m very aware of statistics, more to shine a light on things that we might not be doing as well, and there’s a lot of areas we need to improve still. We’ve got a long way to go as a team,” Ulbrich said.
Ulbrich highlighted three specific areas where he wants to see progress: run defense, turnovers, and pressure rate. He expressed a preference for generating pressure without relying heavily on blitzing. “I don’t want to be a big pressure team,” Ulbrich stated. “I want us to rely on our front four to win and do their thing and play coverage behind it. But right now, we’re just not quite there yet.”
Reflecting on his previous experience with the New York Jets, Ulbrich noted, “When you get guys that can win one on ones, the athletic quarterbacks, the mobile quarterbacks, they become less of an issue… When you can get really creative on your back end, you don’t have to sacrifice the back end and the coverage and some of those principles because you’ve got to bring that fifth element. It can make it really hard on offenses, and that’s where eventually I’d like to get to with this group.”
As the Falcons prepare for their next matchup, Ulbrich emphasized that while the team has made significant progress, he believes there is still much more they can achieve together.
