What's The Secret Behind Falcons 'Unique' Defense? - PFF
To say the Atlanta Falcons struggled defensively last season would be a bit of an understatement; the team ranked 29th in points allowed and 26th in yards allowed, while racking up the fewest sacks in the league.
The root cause of those struggles isn't due to a lack of creativity on behalf of Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees. According to PFF, the Falcons run one of the two most unique defensive schemes in the NFL.
One of Pees' trademarks is his ability to confuse quarterbacks by providing different looks before and after the snap. He was also known as one of the most aggressive coordinators in regard to blitzing, but the numbers in his opening act in Atlanta don't tell the same story.
"Atlanta actually disguised coverages at a top-five rate, but the team also ran stunts at a bottom-five rate while using a below-average rate of man coverages and blitzes," writes PFF's Eric Eager.
The unique nature of Pees' scheme is nothing new. During the 72-year-old defensive coordinator's final season holding the same role in Tennessee, cornerback Logan Ryan described Pees' unit as “the most complex defense in football."
One potential factor for the lack of man coverages and blitzes is the lack of consistency from the nickel corner position following Isaiah Oliver's Week 4 injury. Near the end of the season, Pees touched on how the loss of Oliver impacted the deception of his defense.
"It's not going to be hard for an offense to watch the film and say, 'OK, well if this guy is in the game, here's what they're really trying to do. And if this guy is in the game, here's what they're trying to do,'" Pees said. "You need to have a guy."
With Oliver back in the fold and Atlanta's defense adding several impact players at all three levels, Pees should have more to work with on multiple accounts as he starts his second year with the Falcons.
According to Pees, his defenses are so difficult to install that the Falcons only had about 60% of the playbook to work with. Entering 2022, Pees believes that he should have everything installed, enabling his already complex, unique defense to elevate even more.
With a deeper playbook and increased talent pool, the Falcons have a chance to take a big step forward defensively, spearheaded by their veteran defensive coordinator who can best be described by one word: unique.
