How length could give Falcons’ defense an advantage over Packers’ pass game

GREEN BAY — The Packers’ passing offense found the right ingredient to attack the New York Jets’ defense in a 20-17 Week 2 win. The Falcons’ defense appears well suited to the right counter.

Of Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s 29 attempts against the Jets, 21 went over the middle. Of his 16 completions, 12 were inside the numbers. He threw for 145 yards, with 125 coming over the middle. His two touchdown passes? In the middle of the field, according to Next Gen Stats.

That puts added pressure on the Falcons’ starting linebackers, Divine Deablo and Kendal Daniels, to serve as air traffic controllers when they face the Packers at 8:15 p.m. Thursday inside Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Deablo is 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds with 33-inch arms and a 79-inch wingspan. Daniels is even bigger, measuring 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds with 32 ½-inch arms and a 79-inch wingspan. Together, they have a bid for the NFL’s tallest — and longest — linebacker tandem.

And Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich believes that could prove significant in the team’s hopes of slowing Love’s success over the middle.

“I get to do some of our walk-throughs and jog throughs from the quarterback’s perspective, and to drop back and see those two avatars in there, that’s unique,” Ulbrich said. “Two guys that are long, tall, and super athletic, smart, instinctive. It makes it feel really unsafe.”

Ulbrich has long been adamant that length is one of the most critical attributes for a linebacker to possess. It helps get on and off blocks. It gives more room for error as an open-field tackler, because length can overcome minor mistakes in angles or ball-tracking.

And, of course, there’s the coverage element. Think about “The Da Vinci Code,” where arms reach out and high, where legs kick in various directions. Ulbrich describes it as coverage readiness, with size giving his linebackers a significant advantage.

“There’s so many benefits to it,” Ulbrich said about length. “It’s one thing I truly believe is one of the No. 1 characteristics, measurables, to create a good linebacker.”

The Falcons just so happen to have two.

“There’s been plenty of incredible linebackers to play this game with less than ideal length of arms,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday, “but I do think you see some of the guys playing at a high level and you do see that length particularly show up in that position.”

Through two weeks, the Falcons’ defense has been stretched vertically more than any other team in the league. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Panthers signal caller Bryce Young combined to throw 14 passes that traveled 20-plus air yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

Ulbrich trusts the Falcons’ secondary, and he wants opposing teams attacking Atlanta’s corners and safeties. If the Packers don’t abide by Ulbrich’s wish, they may encounter tough terrain.

Deablo believes it’s tough for opponents to throw into the zones behind him and Daniels, who are on a similar playing field to the 6-foot-4, 219-pound Love.

“I think it muddies up the windows behind us for the quarterback, especially when they might be a little shorter than us,” Deablo said Wednesday. “The throw might be there, but then you see a 6-foot-4 guy, so the throw isn’t there anymore. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.”

Deablo played through Sunday’s 34-3 loss to the Panthers while dealing with an illness. He’s the team’s green dot and chief defensive communicator, the one responsible for relaying play-calls to the rest of the unit. Deablo has nine tackles this season, while Daniels, a fourth-round rookie from Oklahoma, has seven. Fellow rookie Harold Perkins Jr. has added two tackles in a rotational role.

Stefanski said he was proud of Deablo for battling to play against the Panthers when he didn’t feel like himself. He’s similarly encouraged by Daniels and Perkins, a pair of Day 3 rookies who have played significant snaps thus far.

“Those young guys continue to get better,” Stefanski said. “Not going to be finished products in any way, but really, really proud about how they’re coming along.”