The Difference is ‘Divine’: Deablo Sparks Falcons Crushing of Saints

The Atlanta Falcons' defense pounced on their top rival from start to finish, with a key sparkplug leading the way in his return to the gridiron

Deablo led the way in picking up a needed Falcons win | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons ended a five-game skid on Sunday, as they beat the New Orleans Saints 24-10. The defense suffocated their rival, recording five sacks, six tackles for losses, seven passes defended, eight quarterback hits, a forced fumble, an interception and held the Saints to 5-for-16 (31%) on third down and kept them out of the endzone. 

The Saints are tied for last in the league in points per game. Either way, it was a win the team desperately needed. They also took their dominance to the next level, even when factoring in the opponent. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough had only been sacked five times in four starts, and the Falcons took him down five times in one game. The defense also held the Saints to 10 points against 78 total plays.

The return of linebacker Divine Deablo helped spark a strong defensive performance. 

Deablo had eight total tackles (six solo, two assisted), a run stuff and nearly came down with his first career interception on a tipped Tyler Shough ball. He did it all with a giant cast on his hand, a cast that the broadcast joked was like a club.

“Divine is fortunate in the fact that he has tremendous length, and a lot of times that length can help you overcome something like a club on your hand.” Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

Deablo’s presence immediately changed the tone of Atlanta’s defense. In four of Atlanta’s last five games, the defense had allowed 110 or more rushing yards. On Sunday, they held New Orleans to 79 on 2.9 yards per carry. With him back in the lineup, the Falcons played faster, tackled cleaner, and closed running lanes that had been open during the five-game skid. It may not show up on the stat sheet, but his ability to diagnose plays and shoot gaps helped set the edge and force New Orleans into predictable downs.

“You know you want to be out there helping your team,” Deablo said earlier this week. “I think I just bring some speed to the table, some power… I can definitely help out.”

The Falcons are 4-2 this season when Deablo plays the full game and 0-5 when he does not. When Deablo is off the field, the defense noticeably suffers. Before the linebacker was placed on the injured reserve with a fractured forearm in Week 8, the Falcons had the No.2 total defense in the NFL. In his absence, Atlanta has fallen to 16th in that metric. 

That drop-off highlights just how valuable his physicality and reliability have been to this defense. Deablo is the type of player who takes no plays off, something the Falcons' defense admitted they did on Johnathon Taylor’s 80-yard touchdown run a few weeks ago.

“If there's any guy that really understands how to take the extra step and put his body on somebody to ensure the tackle, it's him [Deablo],” Ulbrich said. 

And if Sunday was any indication, it’s that Atlanta’s defense is at its best when number zero is out on that field. With the Buccaneers losing their third straight game, the Falcons still have a little bit of life in the NFC South, and Deablo’s return might be the spark that keeps that hope alive.