WATCH: Atlanta Falcons Pass Rush Shows Glimpse of Jeff Ulbrich’s Vision

ATLANTA, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons have been clamoring for a pass rush for the better part of a generation. While preseason football is not the best barometer for what teams can expect in the regular season, it did give a glimpse into what the front office has invested in so heavily this offseason.

.@brooks_natrone will take that ‼️

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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 16, 2025

Rookie pass rusher James Pearce comes out of a two-point stance and flashes his combination of bend and speed to get pressure on Titans quarterback Brandon Allen. Additionally, interior defensive lineman Kentavius Street did a great job bullrushing center Brenden Jaimes right off the snap. The pair combined to crush down Allen’s pocket, forcing an errant throw.

Cornerback Natrone Brooks was then in the perfect position to punish the Titans with an interception. Last week, the Falcons forced three fumbles from Detroit Lions quarterbacks.

Arnold Ebiketie in Friday’s preseason game:

1 sack
1 forced fumble
2 hurries
20% pass rush win rate

94.7 PFF grade pic.twitter.com/HxRIovxciF
— 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙚 (@ATLFalconsMuse) August 10, 2025

This combination is a perfect example of what defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has described as his vision for his “attack-minded” defense.

“There's no great defense that's ever lived in this league that didn't affect the quarterback,” Ulbirch said when he was hired back in January. “Either we affect him physically, get him off the spot, sack him, hit him, or we affect him from the standpoint of from a coverage perspective and try to confuse him.”

Safe to say, this play exemplifies the goal that Ulbrich set out for his defense. Hopefully for the Falcons, this could be a sign of things to come.

Going back to the year 2000, the Falcons have finished in the bottom half of the league in sacks 20 times, with 17 of those seasons coming in 20th or lower. Unsurprisingly, the franchise is last in the NFL for sacks in that timeframe. It was no different last season, with the Falcons finishing second-to-last with just 31.

This offseason, the Falcons were aggressive in targeting players who could come in and immediately elevate this struggling unit. Players like Leonard Floyd, Jalon Walker, and Pearce Jr were all added to contribute alongside returning players like Arnold Ebiketie and inside linebacker Kaden Elliss.

“You’ve got two sacks,” head coach Raheem Morris began when asked if he was happy with Friday night’s pass rush. “It looked like we had pretty good pressure. It looked like they developed and devoted a lot of time to protecting us with a bunch of chippers keeping people in, so that's always a good sign when you’ve got some people going.

“Obviously, got a lot of four-man rush, obviously got a chance to spin those guys in late, got a chance to get James [Pearce Jr.] in later into the game in certain situations. ‘D-Lo’ [DeAngelo Malone] at the end, rushing off the passer. There was a couple series there which you’d like to look a little bit better, particularly that two minute in the half, but for the most part, I'd have to say yes and I'm going to go see the tape and see how it looked.”

While they still lack a true ‘alpha’ pass rusher – they have not featured a double-digit sack guy since Vic Beasley led the NFL in sacks (15.5) in 2016, the committee approach will need to be relied upon this season.

The pass rush has plagued them for a long time, but after this busy offseason of adding talent to the edge, could those issues finally be behind them?