Through four games, the numbers tell a terrible tale.
On defense, the Falcons rank 31st in the NFL in points per game (34.5), 31st in total yards per game (448.3), 29th in yards per play (6.5) and 17th in total turnovers (five). These numbers are a sight no one in the organization wanted to see after experiencing the myriad of defensive issues that were present through the first half of 2019′s rough 1-7 start.
While the defense has improved in a couple of areas compared with a year ago -- it has seven sacks through four games and ranks 10th in rushing yards allowed per game (106.8) -- any results suggesting the 6-2 finish in 2019 could carry over to this year have been lacking.
“We’ve got to play more sound,” Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said. “We’ve got to do better on our individual assignments. It can’t be passed off from one person to the next, to the next, to the next. You’ve got to limit those opportunities to give up the big plays, and we’ve got to find a way to stop those things. It’s incorporated where you have to have a pass rush, you’ve got to have great coverage and it all ties together. It starts today limiting the explosives.”
In Monday’s 30-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons allowed the Packers to account for seven plays that went 20 yards or longer. Although the Falcons have dealt with numerous injuries in the early going of the season, so were the Packers.
While the Falcons were without safety Ricardo Allen (elbow), safety Keanu Neal (hamstring) and defensive end Takk McKinley (groin), before losing Damontae Kazee during the game to a torn Achilles, Green Bay entered without receivers Davante Adams (hamstring) and Allen Lazard (core muscle). And still, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns -- with three of his top four targets either being a tight end or a running back.
While the Falcons were beat up, every other NFL team is dealing with similar circumstances.
“We won’t make excuses about that,” Morris said. “The numbers are what they are. You are that, there’s no question about that. We’ve got to go out there and it’s about us. It’s about us getting healthy, it’s about us playing together, it’s about us getting better.”
Morris was asked to assess his defense’s communication, which was a problem during the defense’s early struggles a year ago. This time, Morris believes that his players are doing a decent job in this department, even if the results and numbers are in a bad spot.
The true reason for the slow start is much simpler, he said.
“It’s one of those things where they communicated, and there haven’t been a bunch of busts,” Morris said. “There have been some plays left out there on the table that you have to make. You gotta make some of those individual plays in some of those individual moments. That’s been the tale of the story right now. We’ve gotten beat on some individual (opportunities) that we got to win on.”
While Morris believes communication hasn’t been a detriment, that’s still an area where Falcons coach Dan Quinn would like to see some improvement.
“For sure it was a factor from some communication ... but at the end of it, that’s our responsibility to make sure we can nail those moments," Quinn said. "Not an excuse, but certainly one of the factors. We’re hopeful that we’ll get some of the guys back this week that have the experience in the system and the communication being on-point like we would be accustomed to.”
The Falcons will hope to get some key defenders back for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. McKinley, Allen and Neal were all limited during Wednesday’s practice, with Quinn saying Tuesday that McKinley was closer to a return than the two safeties.
Defensive end Charles Harris believes the defense can improve its standing statistically by doing a better job of winning individual battles.
“I think the biggest thing for us is to capitalize on our opportunities as a defensive line,” Harris said. "I think we will see this upcoming weekend with the ability to have more situations to rush the passer. I think that’s something we have to take true. If we have a one-on-one, win the one-on-one.
“Things like that cause more pressure on quarterbacks and obviously give more tips and overthrows, and that’s a great thing for a secondary. It starts with us up front. I think we can be the ones to turn around this team, turn around our progression right now. We can strike the match and set the fire, for sure.”
The Falcons don’t have any time left to turn the defense around if it’s to change the trajectory of the season. At 0-4, the mistakes made must be corrected in short order if the defense’s narrative is to change.
“We still have a lot of games left to write the story,” Morris said. “We better go out there and write it, starting this week, and continue on throughout the process. This thing is about us and us alone.”
