NFL exhibition games rarely feature much game planning so normally there are no elaborate designs for rushing the passer. But warm-up games do offer chances for pass rushers to make their marks without the benefit of schemes and the Falcons’ group gave a solid effort against Washington on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.
During the first three Washington possessions the Falcons played with defenders who figure to be part of the pass-rush rotation during the regular season (recently-signed veteran Dwight Freeney did not dress). Unofficially the Falcons had four pressures, one quarterback hit and no sacks on 11 Washington drop backs during that time.
“I think the first series we started off slow,” Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn said. “But once we got our feet under us and we figured out what we needed to do, we did all right. It’s something to start with and something to improve on.”
Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn led the effort with a pressure and the QB hit while Vic Beasley, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2015, had a pressure and batted down a pass. Defensive end Brooks Reed pressured Washington starter Kirk Cousins when Reed was turned loose on a bootleg and safety Kemal Ishmael pressured backup Colt McCoy on a blitz.
It was a promising effort for the Falcons, especially because Washington operated out of the shotgun formation on nine of those drop backs. In shotgun the quarterback receives the snap several yards behind the line of scrimmage, making it more difficult for pass rushers to sack him.
The Falcons were one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the league last season. They plan to improve the rush with a deeper rotation that includes Freeney.
“We will see once we watch this film,” Clayborn said. “We’ve still got a lot to improve on. We’ve still got Freeney to get in the rotation. We’ll see.”
On Clayborn’s QB hit he beat backup tackle Takoby Cofield with a speed rush around right end and powered his way to McCoy, who was in the shotgun on third-and-11. McCoy released the ball just as Clayborn arrived and completed a 19-yard pass to Rashad Ross to the Falcons’ 23.
Beasley’s pressure of McCoy forced Washington to settle for a field goal on that series. On third-and-10 Beasley came off of the left end and forced McCoy to hurry his throw and then jumped to bat down the attempt.
Later in the quarter Clayborn beat Ty Nsekhe, another reserve tackle, pressured McCoy to throw an incomplete pass on third-and-five.
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