Falcons Face Another Major Injury on Defense with Da’Shawn Hand

The Atlanta Falcons could be facing a significant blow to their defensive line after veteran Da’Shawn Hand suffered a potentially season-ending injury.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Hand is believed to have suffered a torn quadriceps in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The injury could require surgery and end his season, although Hand is receiving multiple medical opinions before a final diagnosis is reached.

Hand left yesterday’s game after playing 7 total snaps. If Hand is forced to miss the remainder of the season, Atlanta will have to quickly adjust a defensive-line rotation that was already being utilized heavily in the season opener.

The Falcons rotated several players along the defensive front against Pittsburgh, with Gervon Dexter, Brandon Dorlus and Maason Smith among the players receiving meaningful opportunities. Dexter and Dorlus, in particular, could see their workloads increase significantly if Hand is unavailable.

That creates a challenge for defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, whose defensive philosophy places a premium on generating pressure without consistently relying on blitzes.

According to SI's Garrett Chapman, “Ulbrich wants Atlanta to be able to rush with four defenders, and Sunday's performance provided an encouraging first indication that the Falcons could accomplish that. The Falcons blitzed on 35.6% of their defensive snaps last season, the second-highest rate in the NFL.”

Hand's potential absence could make maintaining that four-man rush even more important.

Atlanta invested heavily in improving its defensive line during the offseason, adding players such as Dexter and Za'Darius Smith while expecting continued development from Dorlus and Smith. The goal was to create enough depth to rotate players, keep them fresh and consistently generate pressure.

Losing Hand could put more pressure on that depth.

Za'Darius Smith could become even more important as a veteran pass-rushing presence, while Dexter could see an expanded role after being brought in from Chicago. Dorlus and Maason Smith could also be asked to handle more snaps as Atlanta attempts to replace Hand's production.

The Falcons' defensive line will be particularly important as the season progresses because Atlanta cannot afford to become overly dependent on blitzing. If Ulbrich can generate pressure with four, it allows the secondary to keep more defenders in coverage and gives the defense greater flexibility.

Hand's injury could therefore affect more than just the defensive line rotation. It could alter how Atlanta deploys its entire defense.

The Falcons will wait for the results of Hand's additional medical evaluations before making a final determination. If surgery is required and his season is over, Atlanta may also need to consider adding another defensive lineman.

For now, the Falcons have enough talent to absorb the loss, but Hand's potential absence would immediately test the depth that Atlanta spent the offseason building.

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