The Falcons’ defense has given up 344.1 yards per game, which ranks 14th in the NFL.
But some of that yardage has not been a major problem because the Falcons rank second in the league in red-zone defense.
Opponents have moved inside the 20-yard line 29 times, but have scored only 10 touchdowns (34.5 percent). The Falcons have forced a league-leading five turnovers inside the red zone.
Free safety Thomas DeCoud has been the lead red-zone stopper with three interceptions in the end zone — against Tampa Bay, Seattle and Carolina.
“You have an idea of what they are going to try to do,” DeCoud said. “You can bait them into throwing the ball where you want them to, so to speak. It’s a little bit more complex than that, but it’s at the core of the scheme. You have to have an idea of what they are going to do and how to bait him into throwing it to where you can make a play.”
The Falcons would like to spread their red-zone tenaciousness to other parts of the field.
“Sometimes it gets tough out there in the middle of the field,” linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “But when your backs are against the wall, you can really see the type of competitors that we have on our team.”
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