Inside Atlanta Falcons Defensive Resurgence: How Ryan Nielsen's Changed Narratives
The Atlanta Falcons are 4-3 and sit alone atop the NFC South through seven weeks, the first time they've held such a title at this point since 2016.
Much of the attention - be it positive or negative - has gone towards coach Arthur Smith, quarterback Desmond Ridder and the rest of the offense.
But the work of first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who spent the previous six years with the New Orleans Saints, shouldn't be swept under the rug - and opponents are starting to notice.
Take, for instance, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, who starred as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator for the past two years.
After the Falcons' 21-19 victory over the Texans in Week 5, Ryans uttered nine words that haven't been said about the Dirty Birds in quite some time.
“Credit to Atlanta; they have a really good defense,” Ryans said.
Some two weeks later, Ryans' remarks have held true, and the numbers continue to reflect positively on the job Nielsen's done since being hired at the end of January.
The Falcons rank fourth best in yards allowed (285.4 per game), seventh in pass defense (190.1 yards per game), eighth in run defense (95.3 yards per game) and ninth in points (19 per game).
Atlanta finished last season in 27th (362.1 yards), 25th (231.9 passing yards), 23rd (130.2 rushing yards) and 23rd (22.7 points) in those same categories a season ago.
So, what's changed? Here's a deep dive at how Nielsen's changed the narrative surrounding the Falcons' defensive struggles.
Smith and Nielsen were both lineman in their playing days, the former an offensive guard and the latter a defensive tackle. It's no surprise they attacked the trenches with a purpose this spring, seeking to improve a pass rush that ranked last in the league in sacks with just 39 over the previous two seasons.
The Falcons knew two things about their defensive line entering the offseason: defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was a stalwart, and every spot around him was up for grabs.
And so, Atlanta aggressively pursued veteran defensive linemen, and landed three who've proven to be big difference makers early - David Onyemata, Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree.
Toss in third-round pick Zach Harrison and veteran free agent signings Joe Gaziano and Albert Huggins, and the line around Jarrett was entirely revamped.
The early returns are clear.
A year ago, the Falcons had 69 total quarterback hits. They're already at 45 this season, putting them on pace to finish the year with 109.
Smith has long stressed that pressure and hitting the quarterback is more important than actually sacking the passer.
With 13 sacks this year after just 21 all of last season, Atlanta's heavily improved in both regards - and suddenly has a formidable unit up front.
“We've been getting a lot of pressure," Smith said after Week 6. "We've found ways to affect the quarterback. They've been pretty damn good all year. That's the first thing people look at, sacks. It necessarily doesn't tell the story. We're just trying to find ways to affect the quarterback.”
Following Atlanta's 16-13 victory in Week 7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield nicknamed the 6-8, 282-pound Campbell "Gigantor" in reference to the large-bodied robot.
Campbell, 37, has recorded a sack in each of the past two games. He's logged six quarterback hits and has set strong edges ... and also makes impacts in ways not always reflected in the box score.
Mayfield pointed to Tampa Bay's final drive, when tight end Cade Otton had a one-on-one with a Falcons linebacker. Campbell, however, disrupted Otton off the line and altered the entire play.
“It slowed the progression down and everybody was kind of on different levels," Mayfield said. "Just little things down there in the red zone that do, quite frankly, make a huge difference when it’s tighter windows and the timing has to be on point.”
The little things have been present, and so have the big things.
Onyemata and Jarrett have become a fearsome duo inside, collecting 18 quarterback hits, six tackles for loss and four sacks. Dupree's recorded four hits and two sacks.
Of the top four players in quarterback hits on Atlanta's roster, three are new, the lone exception being Jarrett.
The faces are new, and so are the results ... but perhaps most refreshing is the continued external praise drawn by the revamped front.
“That’s a good d-line," Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said in Week 3. "That first d-line in there, they’re tough now. Grady Jarrett and Onyemata and Campbell, so we knew we had our work cut out for us.”
A common thought around Atlanta's pass rush woes centered around an inability to get production off the edge. The Falcons still need more in that category, but Onyemata and Jarrett have helped make life substantially easier.
Even when the tandem isn't getting home, their impact is seen elsewhere - and the high level of play inside has merely filtered throughout all three levels of Atlanta's defense.
“When they’re playing at a high level, we know that three have to take two. So, we’ve got two guys, and they’ve got to block them with three," Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray said. "That’s a plus for us. If they start blocking one-on-ones, our guys are really getting push into the quarterback, they’re doing a good job so the quarterback can’t step up.
"Now, that helps in the secondary, it helps everybody behind that.”
Nielsen's presence is important here, too; he's provided controlled chaos with blitz packages, receiving quarterback hits from a variety of sources, including safeties Jessie Bates III, Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams and linebackers Kaden Elliss and Nate Landman.
The nuanced stunts and deceiving pre-snap looks have resulted in quarterbacks holding onto the ball for longer periods of time - and unlike years past, Atlanta's defensive front is making them pay.
And suddenly, the Falcons' pass rush has gone from heavy burden to game-changing presence, transcending the defense's entire identity along with it.
It's possible the biggest reason for Atlanta's improvement rushing the passer has little to do with its actual performance on passing downs.
Instead, the strides the Falcons have made stopping the run with all of the new faces up front have freed up the back end and allowed Nielsen to drop more into coverage, creating fewer passing lanes and forcing the quarterback to hold onto the ball for a longer period of time.
Mayfield reiterated the value of stopping the run with a regular, non-heavy box, noting Atlanta's status as one of the top rushing defenses made led Tampa Bay to try different things to find success ... but ultimately couldn't.
“We have to be able to get some shots called, based on the run game and they were able to play a lot of two-high defense, but they’re good at it," Mayfield said. "They’re able to play two-safety defense with the front that they have, how aggressive they are and (ability) to stop the run. So, they make it hard but hats off to them for doing a good job.”
Buccaneers running backs Rachaad White and Ke'Shawn Vaughn were held to just 41 yards on 17 carries, an average of 2.4 yards per attempt.
Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen looks on during Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Stopping the run has long been a group effort, and this year's Falcons embody that - consider Nate Landman replacing injured starting linebacker Troy Andersen and bringing consistent physicality that both Smith and Nielsen have praised.
Atlanta's also compiled a group of defensive backs who are more than willing to throw their bodies around, be it cornerbacks A.J. Terrell and Jeff Okudah, safeties Bates and Grant or nickel corner Dee Alford.
But it all links back to the rebuilt defensive line playing at a high level, with Nielsen noting the unit's grown the most defending the run and helped elevate the entire defense behind them.
"When you look at our run defense upfront and getting off blocks and guys using their hands and the fundamental technique things that we're doing, sometimes it takes—it’s year one—and sometimes it takes a few games to get going with it," Nielsen said.
"I think if you look at our run defense, our guys—they’re in the spots that the linebackers and secondary expect them to be and our fits and everything."
Nielsen also praised the manner his defensive linemen are taking on blocks, striking and using their hands and playing with a wide base to cover a gap and a half, which keeps Landman and fellow starting linebacker Kaden Elliss clean at the second level.
Disciplined, physical and technically sound, the Falcons' run defense is already amongst the league's best - and only promises to get better with more time in Nielsen's system.
Over the past several years, Atlanta's defense has seen spurts of good play from one player or position group, but rarely has it all come together.
That's where this year is different.
For as many external compliments as the front seven has rightfully received, the secondary isn't far behind - just ask Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who completed only 57 percent of his passes for 249 yards and a touchdown, all below his season averages.
“Those (defensive backs) were really good," Stroud said after Houston's defeat. "No. 3 had a heck of a play playing two different routes and drove on the ball. He’s a really good player, Jessie Bates. Okudah and A.J. Terrell are two great defensive backs. I think they are a great tandem together.”
The Falcons made Bates the fourth-highest paid safety in the NFL this spring, giving him $64 million across four years.
He immediately proved his worth in Week 1, intercepting Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young twice while adding a forced fumble. Atlanta scored 17 points off Bates' three takeaways, and the former Cincinnati Bengals star earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, creating quite the introduction.
Since then, Bates has added another interception, putting him at three on the year just one shy of matching his career. He's also tied with Elliss for the team lead in tackles at 45.
And somehow, Bates' value to the Falcons has been even greater off the field than on it.
Named a team captain in his first season with the team, Bates has organized get-togethers on Tuesdays for the secondary to watch film for an hour and a half.
Tuesdays are supposed to be days off - Gray pointed out coaches aren't even in the building ... but Bates and the other defensive backs are.
As a group, they dissect the next opponent, searching for tendencies and getting hands-on with their scouting report, which makes them more comfortable and has led to clear improvement on Sundays.
“When you can say this and you don’t have to worry about what the coach is saying, the players are always like, ‘Yep, yep. Let’s do this, let’s not do that,’" Gray said. "Now, when we put the plan in, it makes so much more sense.
"See, if you don’t get Tuesday, you’re behind in the NFL. And I think that’s one of the biggest things and the reason why we get a big jump on teams is that our guys meet on Tuesday."
Preparation breeds confidence, which is another quality Bates has brought to Atlanta.
It's not difficult to see the energy and mentality the Falcons' defensive backs are playing with, and it's leading to breakthrough years for both Alford and Okudah.
Alford is rated as the league's eighth-best cornerback, per Pro Football Focus, and has emerged as an impact player against both the run and pass.
Okudah, who missed the first two games of the year while recovering from a foot injury suffered early in training camp, has allowed only nine receptions for 95 yards on 19 targets. He's also proved willing and able to help stop the run.
There's also Grant, who's tied with Landman for second on the team in tackles at 43, has three quarterback hits, will play linebacker in certain packages and made what Smith dubbed a "huge play in a big moment" by intercepting Mayfield late in the fourth quarter last Sunday.
Factor in the rookie Hellams, and the back line of defense has left Smith quite satisfied.
“We ask a lot of them," Smith said. "There are things they can show post-snap that can help, that can affect the quarterback’s decision-making that helps us as a defense. I think if you look at all three of them, you could break a couple of plays down that we need to do better, but they’ve been pretty consistent.”
The age-old debate surrounding defense is whether a team would rather have pressure or coverage. Fontenot largely remained neutral on the subject this spring, noting you need both, though he did say Atlanta would prioritize play in the trenches.
As things played out, the Falcons addressed both, and have seen results skyrocket.
Just look at Sunday's win in Tampa, when the Falcons intercepted Mayfield once, sacked him three times, hit him six times and deflected eight of his passes.
It wasn't merely one position playing well - it was the entire defense, only continuing the consistent productivity from top to bottom.
“Definitely got a lot of pressure," Jarrett said. "It takes a group effort, not only from the rushers, but from the coverage. So when we got him down at the end, it took a little minute, but that’s kudos to the coverage because he had to hold the ball and had nowhere to go. That allowed some guys to get through and go get him down.”
So, coverage or pass rush?
The Falcons have both - and, naturally, boast a top-10 defense along with it.
The Falcons' defense personnel is notedly better. Smith joked during training camp that Dean Pees, Atlanta's defensive coordinator the last two years, probably regretted his decision to retire with all of the new faces.
And while lighthearted in nature, there may be some truth to it; few would deny the talent disparity from now to years past is considerable.
But just focusing on talent improvements doesn't do justice to the schematic principles Nielsen's implemented. He's creative, aggressive and calculated, and players love playing for him.
Perhaps most importantly, the 44-year-old has shown he can adjust and win in more ways than one while maintaining a consummate week-to-week identity.
Just consider the similarities and differences in a two-week timespan, from Week 5 to Week 7, starting with Stroud.
“They were loading the box and making it really hard for us to run the ball," Stroud said. "They were in a 6-1 frame with a crowded line scrimmage and the linebacker roaming around, shooting gaps. They were playing quarters with two high shells. So, it’s hard to take shots in that look.
"They dropped both safeties, ran somebody through the middle ... To win that coverage is tough."
Against Tampa Bay, the Falcons resorted to a lighter box while trusting their defensive front to stop the run, which it did. On the perimeter, Atlanta let its corners play press and allowed Terrell and Okudah to play one-on-one against Buccaneers star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Mayfield connected on a 40-yard touchdown to Evans in the first half, and Nielsen adjusted - which Evans was quick to point out postgame.
“They started going more two-high shell in the second half, which was smart," Evans said. "They gave us man-to-man opportunities. They have some good corners, so they played man throughout the game. More two-high and Cover 2 in the second half but they still played man. We just didn’t get to them.”
The Buccaneers weren't the first team to not get to the Falcons' defense. No team has scored more than 24 points against Atlanta this year. Only one team - the Detroit Lions - has totaled more than 330 total yards of offense.
This is a group that entered the year facing many questions.
Is Nielsen ready to be a defensive play caller?
Will paying big money to a safety really change the defense?
Can the Falcons finally pressure the quarterback?
The answer to each question has been revealed sooner rather than later: a resounding yes.
Better yet, there's little to suggest this is merely a fluke start. The scheme, talent and leadership present throughout all three levels of the defense - and coaching staff - inspires confidence it's just the beginning.
For the first time in six years, the Falcons have a chance to finish with a top-10 defense. The last time they did so - 2017 - was also their last postseason appearance.
Some say defense wins championships - and with Nielsen, Bates, Jarrett and many others under contract for the foreseeable future, Atlanta's defense appears well on its way to becoming championship-caliber.
