Falcons Make More History In a Way Only They Can

ATLANTA, GA – The Atlanta Falcons dropped their fifth game in a row in Week 11, this time in a 30-27 overtime defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. Sunday’s loss was a continuation of several of the team’s woes, both on offense and defense, but there was one bright spot that has stood out.

The Falcons have now recorded 34 sacks, their most through 10 games of a season in the franchise’s history. 18 of those sacks have come in their last three games. They also appear to be well on their way to breaking their record for team sacks in a season (55).

But this is also where the Falcons managed to make a little history, but not in a good way, noted Atlanta Falcons team writer Tori McElhaney.

That’s why it is so mind boggling ⤵️

The Falcons are the first team in the Super Bowl era to have 18+ defensive sacks in a 3-game span but lose all three games. https://t.co/0uKTapKRHh
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) November 16, 2025

As McElhaney notes here, the Falcons are the first team in the Super Bowl era to have 18 or more defensive sacks in a 3-game span but lose all three games.

The positive spin in this is that the Falcons’ large investment in their pass rush appears to have paid off. The team brought in several new players to address the glaring hole, including trading their 2026 first-round pick to acquire James Pearce Jr. in last spring’s NFL Draft after selecting Jalon Walker with the 15th pick.

Those two rookies have combined for 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles through the first 11 weeks of the season. Fellow rookie Billy Bowman Jr. also has two sacks this season.

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Those additions, paired with the development of their defensive linemen from previous draft classes, have laid the groundwork for a much-improved pass rush. Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison lead a whopping 15 different players who have contributed to this growing total. They are also two of the eight players with two or more sacks.

After finishing the 2024 season with just 31 sacks and spending years in the basement of the NFL in this category, the Falcons are now second in the NFL this season.

The unfortunate side is that it has not translated to wins for the Falcons. Despite the strong output over this three-game stretch, the defense is still giving up 28.3 points per game. They have also put up their worst record through 10 games since 2020.