Jeff Ulbrich's Defense Is Doing Something the 2025 Falcons Never Could

The Atlanta Falcons’ offense got the headlines, but the defense also earned them.

One week after the second-half collapse against the Carolina Panthers, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich had Jordan Love running for his life under the lights of Lambeau Field. This unit suffocated the Packers’ offense, holding their rushing attack to just 17 yards and a 41.8% pressure rate.

Aside from the first-quarter touchdown drive on their second possession, the Packers were held to four plays or fewer on their other five possessions. The Packers totaled 328 yards but had an expected points added per play of -0.05 and possessed the ball for just 22:55 (compared to the Falcons’ 37:05).

The Falcons’ defense dominated, and it all started at the point of attack.

“We really wanted to set the tone and make them one-dimensional,” inside linebacker Divine Deablo said after the game. “The guys up front made my life easy. They really set the tone. 17 rushing yards is a big statement.”

This defensive line has been outstanding this season, leading the NFL in pass-rush win rate (67.2%) and sixth in quarterback pressure rate (41.6%) despite sending a blitz on just 19.0% of plays (third-lowest mark in the NFL) and losing their pair of star pass rushers before the season started.

They’ve done this without sending heavy blitz packages and maintaining a stout run defense. Ian Cunningham had a masterful offseason putting this unit together. https://t.co/3ehc6Qt099
— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) September 26, 2026

A year after featuring the league’s second-highest blitz rate, the Falcons are consistently winning with four-man rushes.

According to Next Gen Stats, Gervon Dexter Sr. generated five pressures on 27 pass rushes (18.5%), the second time this season he has recorded five or more pressures in a game and the first time he has recorded five or more pressures in multiple games in a single season. Through Thursday, he has the most pressures of any interior defender (15), while Brandon Dorlus generated six pressures, giving him 12 on the season (third-most among interior defenders).

Their 27 combined pressures are the most of any interior defensive duo in the NFL, and their explosiveness has crumpled offensive lines. As a unit, the Falcons allow a total time to throw of just 2.79 seconds (the eighth-best mark in the NFL) and have the NFL’s second-best get-off mark (0.75).

The Falcons have just five sacks this season, but head coach Kevin Stefanski is thrilled with where his unit stands through three weeks.

“Outstanding,” he said of the pass rush on Thursday. “They harassed the quarterback. I don't know what the sacks say, and I think sacks can be liars. We love to get the sacks whenever we can, but you want to pressure the quarterback, and I thought (Love) was under pressure quite a bit.”

Beyond their pass-rushing success, keeping uncommitted bodies at the second level has freed the Falcons to support elsewhere, and their run defense has flourished. That was clear on Thursday, and the Packers’ 17 yards were the fewest the Falcons have allowed in a single game in franchise history.

“When you can run the ball like that (the Falcons accounted for 242 yards on the ground) and stop the run how we did, we're going to win a lot of ball games,” safety Jessie Bates III said. “We finally put it together in a complementary game, and that's what we're about here in Atlanta. I can't wait to see what we continue to do.”

Through the first three games, they've allowed a league-best 47.7 rushing yards per game. On Thursday, this defensive line snuffed out the Packers, but bigger tests loom.

Over the next six weeks, they face the Saints, Ravens, Bears, 49ers, Buccaneers, and Bengals – five of them are top-10 in scoring offense. The opening weeks have provided some confidence in this new-look defense, but this stretch will be a fresh barometer.

If this defensive line can continue generating pressure without requiring extra bodies, it changes what Ulbrich can do with the rest of his defense. Atlanta can keep more players in coverage, let its secondary play aggressively, and force opposing quarterbacks to beat them consistently without the benefit of a numbers advantage.

Thursday was the blueprint, but if the Falcons are going to make a real push for the postseason this season, this defense could be what ultimately separates them from where they've been in recent years.

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