Defensive head-to-head preview: Saints vs Falcons
· Yahoo Sports
The New Orleans Saints are getting ready for their only primetime matchup of the season when the Atlanta Falcons come to the Superdome on Monday night. The Falcons are hoping to have found some consistency at the QB position with the return of Michael Penix Jr. for what will be his second start of the season. The defense for the Falcons has been pretty good so far. Through the first three games, they are 8th overall in total defense, compared to the Saints, who are 20th.
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The Falcons currently have the best rushing defense in the NFL. They are allowing an average of only 47.7 rushing yards per game through three games. That is not something the Saints need to be matching up against this week, considering the loss of Travis Etienne Jr., who was recently placed on IR with a hamstring injury. The Saints’ rushing attack was already having trouble getting into a rhythm, and now, with the best run defense in the league coming into town, it will only add more to Tyler Shough’s plate.
Jeff Ulbrich is the defensive coordinator for the Falcons, and this is his second season serving as the defensive play-caller. Ulbrich utilizes multiple fronts for his defense and does not rely on a traditional three- or four-man front. The Falcons’ defense does not blitz often but will attempt to disguise its coverage from pre-snap to post-snap looks. So far this year, that has not worked too well against the pass. The Falcons currently have the 29th-ranked pass defense in the league.
The loss of A.J. Terrell, who is currently on IR, and Kaden Elliss, who is now leading the Saints’ defense, has absolutely affected the outlook of this Falcons pass defense. Terrell is one of the best corners in the league, and Elliss was a versatile linebacker who was able to rush the passer and cover when needed. Not to mention the losses of others like Dee Alford, James Pearce Jr. and David Onyemata. That’s a lot of vital reps to replace from players who had a major impact on the Falcons’ pass defense. While the Saints’ rushing offense may be struggling, Shough and Olave have to be salivating at the opportunity to play against such a beleaguered Falcons secondary and pass defense. Olave is currently ranked in the top five across several categories in the NFL so far this season. This will be a great opportunity for him to have another major impact game.
As for the Saints, the defense has not been building off the strong end to the season it had last year. So far, the Saints rank 20th in total defense. The matchup to be concerned about will be the Saints’ run defense against the Falcons’ rushing offense. The Falcons and Bijan Robinson are coming off a game in which their star back ran for almost 200 yards against the Packers, so his confidence is high.
The only thing that should give him pause is that Brandon Staley and the Saints had him figured out last year. Robinson totaled only 103 yards on 29 carries in two games against the Saints last season. So, the Saints will have to make stopping Robinson the priority. This will force the Falcons into third-and-long situations, where Atlanta has struggled. The Falcons are 12-of-35 on third down for a 34.3% conversion rate this season. The Saints, on the other hand, have allowed opposing offenses to convert at a 47.1% rate. Something will have to give.
Last week, the Falcons found a third-down groove against the Packers, converting 60% of their opportunities by going 6-of-10. The question becomes: Was that an exception, or was it the result of having a better QB playing since Penix was able to return last week?
The Saints’ pass defense has been solid. The Saints currently rank 16th, which is literally in the middle of the league. This game will be like playing the Lions and the Raiders: They have to get pressure on Penix and get him off his timing. This would be a great game for Cam Jordan to tap into the fountain of youth. Jordan loves playing against the Falcons, and over his career, he has recorded 26 sacks against the Dirty Birds.
The Saints, as a defense, have seven sacks so far this season, with Chase Young accounting for half of those with 3.5 through three games. If the Saints can stop the run and generate a consistent pass rush, they will be able to put the offense in a better position to take advantage of a very weak Falcons pass defense.
Not to mention, this will be the 20th anniversary of the Domecoming game, and the crowd will be electric. The defense needs to feed off that energy and really elevate its play on Monday night.