The Mentality That Could Help Falcons Defense Take Next Step

As they get set to take on another top running back, the Atlanta Falcons will have to take the steps to maintain the identity they've established on defense this season

After allowing McCaffery to do his thing, the Falcons will have to adjust | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons statistically have one of the best defenses in the NFL this season. They have the No.2 defense in the NFL in terms of total yards per game (265.2), No.1 defense in passing yards per game (141.2) and the No.8 defense in points allowed per game (20.0). The defense allowed its first 100-yard rusher of the season in Week 7, with running back Christian McCaffrey recording 129 yards on the ground on 5.4 yards per carry. 

How are the Falcons looking to combat that? 

“Yeah, it’s just people to the ball.” Falcons linebacker J.D. Bertrand said. “You can’t have one person to the ball. It’s as many hats as you can to the ball, and we say 11 in the frame at the end of every snap. So when you get done at film, you should be able to stop the ball and 11 people are on the frame.”

Bertrand played his first non-special teams snaps of the season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, as he filled in for the injured Divine Deablo. In Week 8, Atlanta will go with a committee approach in lieu of Deablo’s absence, with Bertrand, Josh Woods, Jordan Fuller and DeMarcco Hellams all being called upon at times to fill that role. Even with multiple players filling the role, the expectation remains the same: that all 11 personnel on the field will get to the ball. 

On Sunday, for arguably the first time this season, it did not look like the Falcons could get “11 to the ball” as they struggled to contain the run. They did have key defenders out, in Jalon Walker and Deablo, but what former NFL head coach Jon Gruden said he loved about this defense was that no matter who was in the game, they would swarm to the ball.

“One of the things that’s really impressive with the blank squad [Atlanta Falcons defense] is no matter who’s in the game, they fly to the ball…It’s a really great thing that the Falcons are doing with their effort, collective effort,” he said.

Atlanta will look to get back to that collective effort this Sunday, as it looks to bounce back against a struggling Miami Dolphins team.

That “11 to the ball” mentality is one that star safety Jessie Bates fully embraces as well.

“We made an oath to each other that we wanted 11 guys in the frame every single run play,” Bates said last week. 

Going against another prolific running back in the Miami Dolphins’ De’Von Achane, and an offense that mirrors that of the San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons will need to get back to their “11 to the ball” mentality if they want to pull out a win and stay above .500. If the Falcosn can return to the standard they’ve set for themselves all season: all 11 defenders flying to the ball, they’ll be well positioned to stop Achane and the Miami offense. For a defense that’s already ranked amongst the league’s best, maintaining that collective mindset can be the difference between a commanding bounce-back victory or a blown opportunity.