Falcons’ second-year defensive tackles Orhorhoro and Dorlus coming on
FLOWERY BRANCH — While the rookie outside rushers have been attracting a lot of attention, the Falcons’ second-year defensive tackles also are quietly developing into quality NFL players.
Defensive tackles Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus are key contributors on an improved defense.
Both will play a key role for the Falcons (4-8) when they face the Seahawks (9-3) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Both played sparingly as rookies, but are coming on in their second season.
“I’m really pleased with how those guys are growing and how they’re playing every single week,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said.
Orhorhoro, who was drafted in the second round (35th overall) out of Clemson, has played in all 12 games and made five starts. He has 19 tackles, 2.5 sacks and four pressures. He has played 438 defensive snaps (58%). He’s also played 51 special-teams snaps (16%).
“Ruke has done a really good job, particularly in the pass-rush settings,” Morris said. “He’s gotten better in the run settings, so I’m really fired up about that.”
Dorlus, who was drafted in the fourth round (109th overall) out of Oregon, has played in all 12 games and made seven starts. He has 23 tackles, six sacks, nine tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits. He has played 382 defensive snaps (49%) and 60 snaps on special teams (19%).
“Brandon Dorlus has been special for most of the year, and he’s grown so much even in the run game that I had to point it out (to the team) last week,” Morris said. “But his stuff in the pass-rush game has been absolutely awesome. His ability to win one-on-ones, his ability to get the matchup to win one-on-ones, and his ability to move around for us has been awesome.”
Orhorhoro played in only eight games last season. He showed promise in limited action, but a high ankle sprain kept him off the field frequently.
“I would say just the work, the work that was put in,” Orhorhoro said about the key to his and Dorlus’ progress. “We’re just scratching the surface. … Speaking for me, myself, I’m not where I know I could be. Where I want to be. But you know, stuff like that, you got to build brick by brick, man. You just got to keep chopping wood. Keep sharpening that ax and just keep going.”
After going without a sack last season, both players have been part of the defense’s improved pass rush.
“The more you get a chance to do it, the more you guys mold together,” Orhorhoro said. “I just feel like, very thankful for Brick (defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich). He gives us the opportunity to go out there and showcase our talents. The more we do it together, the more we’ll just be on the same page. There will be a lot more plays to be made out there.”
The young defense is working on closing games. The players have not been able to protect fourth-quarter leads in three of the past four games.
“You just watch the tape, and you see, sometimes it’s one play, sometimes it’s two plays, but there’s just a lot of plays that were left out there that we as a team could do better,” Orhorhoro said. “That’s our job to go out there and win for the fan base. Win for the team. That’s what we’re striving to do. So, we’re just going to go back to the drawing board and take it into this week.”
The Falcons plan to close the season strong as the losses have started to mount.
“It’s definitely tough,” Orhorhoro said. “Like nobody wants to go out there to lose. Especially, I hate to lose. It just ruins my Monday. But at the end of the day, you can’t have that mindset.”
Orhorhoro is learning how to cope.
“You just got to move on to the next week,” Orhorhoro said. “But you just go back to the drawing board. Just go back to watching tape. Go back to practice and fix whatever needs to be fixed. We’re all we’re all grown men. We all can take accountability, me myself, too.”
Orhorhoro believes he has another gear.
“I have to play better out there in order for us to win,” he said. “So, I’ll just go do that and take that into practice.”
Dorlus is a candidate to help the defense close out games.
“We just have to finish,” Dorlus said. “That’s it.”
Like Orhorhoro, Dorlus believes the Falcons are just scratching the surface of how good the defense can become.
“We have the talent to be a great team,” Dorlus said. “At the end of the day, those little details are killing us right now. We have to do better. I’ve got to do better.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
