Jeff Ulbrich Details Plan for Falcons to Contain Taylor, Colts Offense

As the Atlanta Falcons aim to find their footing midway through the year, one glaring area that needs improvement is their run defense.

This weakness became most apparent when the Falcons lost Divine Deablo, one of their top defensive playmakers who instinctively filled gaps and regularly chased ball-carriers from sideline to sideline.

According to PFF, the Falcons’ run defense now ranks as the eighth-worst in the NFL. The numbers check out, as they also sit among the league’s top ten for most rushing allowed per game (124.2).

As they look to patch up their defensive flaws, the challenge won’t get any easier against the Indianapolis Colts, who have one of the league’s most dynamic offenses.

When asked about how he plans to slow Indianapolis down, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich emphasized the importance of his players staying disciplined and sticking to their assignments in run support.

“From a schematic standpoint, I've got to devote resources to the run game. Provide enough hats in the box to handle them. But ultimately, you stop the run with fundamentals and mindset,” Ulbrich said. “So, getting off blocks, setting edges… Eliminating space, and being really good tacklers, that's going to be the key.”

Atlanta will face the near-impossible task of containing running back Jonathan Taylor, who leads the league in both rushing yards (895) and rushing touchdowns (12).

Ulbrich explained just how difficult it is to game-plan for a player of Taylor’s caliber.

“Every time I've gone against him, he's just given me nightmares. He's a guy that is so explosive. He's so fast. He has such elite vision. He has contact balance,” Ulbrich said. “They can block it for five, and he can make it 25. He's complete in every way. Plus, he's a good receiver out of the backfield.”

In the midst of such a dominant season, Taylor is sure to draw plenty of attention in the Falcons’ defensive game plan. Still, the Colts’ well-balanced offense should make it tough for Atlanta to zero in on the run game.

Quarterback Daniel Jones leads the league with 2,404 passing yards and is tied for the sixth-most passing touchdowns with 14. Since arriving during the offseason, the former Giant has made strong use of Indianapolis’ wide range of offensive weapons.

Michael Pittman Jr. leads the way for Colts receivers, using his lethal combination of size and fluidity to rack up 52 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns so far this season. Tight end Tyler Warren appears on pace to become one of the league’s top young tight ends, making an immediate impact as a rookie with 42 catches for 518 yards and two touchdowns. He’s lined up all over the field, serving as the offense’s Swiss Army knife.

“They're as good as I've faced in a long, long time… It's the completeness of the offense, because if you want to sit there and just stack the box all day long, they have receivers, they have a tight end that's going to make you pay for that,” Uhlbrich said. “So, making sure that you devote the resources to the run game, but at the same time not compromising from a coverage perspective, it can be very challenging.”

During Atlanta’s recent 25-24 loss to the New England Patriots, the Falcons showed some slight improvement against the run, allowing just 3.3 yards per carry compared to their season average of 4.4.

Ulbrich said that the Falcons’ improvement came from dialing back the aggressiveness and focusing on staying sound up front.

“I thought we were firmer and more physical inside. From a schematic standpoint, I took a little bit less chances on the third-and-two to sixes, on the second-and-seven-pluses, where, typically, I'm trying to steal third down reps,” Ulbrich said. “Played a little bit more normal ball in those windows, and it helped us against the run game.”

The Falcons face the Colts on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 9:30 a.m. ET

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