Yes, solving the problem of a lack of a pass rush is high on the to-do list of the Falcons’ struggling defense.
There is a bigger priority.
The Falcons need to stop the run. That glaring issue will be at the center of Sunday’s game against the Ravens.
“I think what we really need to do is improve our run stopping,” pass rushing specialist Osi Umenyiora said this week. “I don’t think we have any issues rushing the passer. I think what is going on is that teams are able to rush the ball on us, and that’s putting us in situations where we are not able to rush. If you look at the teams that are able to be effective rushing the passer, the first thing they are able to do is stop the run. The times that we have done that, we have done a good job of affecting the quarterback.”
The numbers speak volumes leading into the game as the Falcons (2-4) try to avoid a fourth consecutive loss. The Ravens rank ninth in the NFL in rushing at 132.8 yards per game. The Falcons rank 28th in rushing yards allowed at 141.3 yards per game. Only the Bengals (141.4), Browns (149.6), Raiders (149.8) and Packers (154.5) are worse.
The Ravens feature a three-back attack of Justin Forsett, rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro and Bernard Pierce. They have 151 rushes for 779 yards (5.1 per carry) and six touchdowns this season. The Ravens have committed to running the ball under new coordinator (and former Houston coach) Gary Kubiak with a zone-blocking scheme.
“The scheme that they run has been very successful running the ball through the years, not just with this team but with every team that has run the scheme,” defensive tackle Corey Peters said. “We have to be prepared for that.”
In the Ravens’ easy victory over the Buccaneers last week, Forsett played 34 snaps followed by Pierce’s 23 and Taliaferro’s 10. Forsett, a former Seahawk, had a 52-yard gain and finished with a season-high 111 yards on 14 carries, averaging 7.9 yards per run. It was his first 100-game since 2009.
Overall, the Falcons’ defense ranks 31st in the NFL, allowing 419 yards per game. Only the Bucs are worse, allowing 422.8 yards per game.
“If I can be honest, it’s not just one thing,” Peters said of the Falcons’ defensive woes. “Everybody is taking turns making mistakes. We’ve just got to do a better job as a group and when somebody makes a mistake somebody has to take up the slack and make up for that. Nobody is exempt. We all have to play better.”
The lack of pass rush can be linked to the Falcons’ inability to stop the run. It’s a lot easier to rush the quarterback in third-and-long situations. They Falcons have not found themselves in that situation regularly.
“The way you play against the run puts you in those favorable third downs where you have the quarterback sitting in the pocket where those guys can get after him,” linebacker Paul Worrilow said. “When you don’t stop the run and they have second-and-short or third-and-1, it makes it difficult.”
Umenyiora did express his frustration at being removed from the game in last week’s loss to the Bears. Facing a second-and-goal from the 3-yard line in the second quarter, Umenyiora was lifted for Malliciah Goodman. On the ensuing play, with Umenyiora visibly upset on the sidelines, Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler hit Joe Morgan with a touchdown pass.
Umenyiora said he thought he could have helped in the crucial situation, but bowed to the decision of the coaching staff.
The focus can’t be on the pass rush, Umenyiora reiterated. Not with the need to stop the run at the center of the team’s defensive issues.
“For the most part, we have to stay focused on our jobs,” Umenyiora said. “We are making too many mental errors. Things that we have been coached to do we are not doing. We have to find a way to straighten that out.”
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