Falcons defensive tackle Dontari Poe, a free-agency addition, had a strong debut with his new team Sunday.
Poe played 43 snaps and led the team with three quarterback hurries and one quarterback hit against the Bears.
“It was good, although it may not have shown up on the stats sheet,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said after the Falcons’ 23-17 win. “One of the passes deflected, and I thought he missed a sack on the one that Adrian Clayborn hit him on, so I felt his presence inside.”
The team didn’t re-sign linemen Jonathan Babineaux and Tyson Jackson over the offseason. They were essentially replaced by Poe and Jack Crawford in free agency.
Poe signed a one-year, $8 million deal.
“I felt him push the pocket,” Quinn said. “They really didn’t take a lot of shots down the field. It was more of a quicker passing game. For me, I wanted to see the get-off, and with him being lighter could he really affect the game in that way.”
Last season, Poe, a former Pro Bowler, had just one game with four quarterback pressures or more for the Chiefs.
“He was a factor inside for sure,” Quinn said.
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