FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have been involved in plenty of high-stakes games so far this season, and Sunday will be no different. The fourth division game of the year so far has changed shape a little bit in light of the injuries to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but the Falcons are fully focused on sweeping their division rival.
After going through the submissions for today's Mailbox, it seems a lot of fans are not yet ready to turn the page from the recent loss and some of the issues that held the Falcons back against the Seahawks. So, that's what we've got on the docket for today. I tried to pick a sampling of questions that best represented the sentiments, and I'll answer them as best I can.
Let's get into it.
If you'd like to submit a question for a future mailbag, *click here*.
Will S. from Summerville, Ga.
Several times I've read that the Falcons "came out flat" or "asleep." How does this happen? Overconfidence, believing the hype? Or is there some underlying reason a whole team, all three phases, drops the ball at the same time? Thanks.
Hey Will, that was a line of questioning head coach Raheem Morris has not run from this week. In fact, he's been the one to directly use phrases like "came out flat," which is a good sign in my opinion. He's going to call a spade a spade and then work with his staff to find a solution.
But that solution involves more than just the staff. On game day, the players have to bring the energy and lock in. I asked Morris about this exact thing on Monday, tossing him the following question: Are there emergency levers that he as a head coach can pull early in a game if he senses his team lacks the right energy or focus? Here's what he said:
"It's really the guys. Right? I can sit here and tell you I gave some Vince Lombardi speech on the sideline and woke us all up. You know, I'm not going to do that to you. It's really the guys. Really the guys going out there and deciding to make a play or making a play within the framework of what we're trying to do, technique and opportunity."
There's a phrase you'll hear from time to time around a football team — The hay is in the barn. That means the preparation has been done; the work has been put in. That is what the coaches can primarily control and impact, the weekly structure, game planning and focus of the team. On Sunday, though, the stars of the show really are the players and execution matters. Morris and his staff will undoubtedly look at the reasons why his team lacked the juice it has had for much of the season, but I like the fact that he is also holding the players accountable.
Jeff S from Atlanta
When the Falcons replaced Cousins with #9 with 3 minutes to go, why didn't they have him run a two-minute offense with passing to see what he could do in a game situation instead of just handing off the ball to the running backs?
Probably for the same reason Michael Penix Jr. was in there in the first place, Jeff. The Falcons knew they were out of that game, wanted to avoid injuries and get some young players a few snaps. But those objectives do not equal running a simulated two-minute drill with a mishmash of players on the field against a defense that wouldn't look anything like a typical two-minute defense in a close game.
Getting Penix his first real action of an NFL Sunday is a small and important test. He completed a nice, easy throw to fellow-rookie Casey Washington, which is a good sign. For the team, health is the top priority in a situation like that, not opening up their first-round draft pick to a potentially big hit.
Penix gets time on the field during every practice session. He's getting every opportunity to grow and develop in environments that the Falcons can control from a player safety standpoint, which increases the likelihood he is out there all season long for these reps and available if needed in a pinch. That's more important than a two-minute drill in a double-digit loss.
Chad P. from Baliston Lake, N.Y.
Do you think that the secondary playing much more zone coverage this year may be at least partially responsible for the lack of sacks and pressures? It seems like if you are going to allow quarterbacks in the league to complete over 70% of their passes, that you aren't forcing them to make tough decisions and hold the ball long enough for someone to get to them.
Great question, Chad. I love where your head is, because I do think certain defensive approaches have inherent gains and sacrifices. Now, that's not to say you can't generate pressure while playing zone defense. You don't have to look any further than the DQ-era Seattle Seahawks to see how that combination can work beautifully.
The Falcons have been running zone at a high rate this year. According to Next Gen Stats, Atlanta has deployed zone coverage on 77.2% of its defensive snaps, which ranks sixth in the NFL. That represents a big change in approach from last season, when the Falcons were in man coverage 41.7% of the time, the third-highest rate in the league. Atlanta had 42 sacks last season, which also lines up with your thoughts about coverage playing a role in getting the quarterback on the ground.
But there are a few numbers that push back against it being that black and white. For starters, the Falcons have allowed opposing quarterbacks the 13th-longest time to throw average this season, so it's not like passers are getting the ball out in the blink of an eye. The defense is preventing deep shots, though, and holding teams to just 6.8 air yards per attempt, which is sixth-best in the league.
It's also worth noting that the Bears, Bills and Bucs are all playing zone coverage at a higher rate than the Falcons and have at least 18 sacks this season. If anything, I think zone coverage should help a pass rush slightly because man coverage can be more volatile and lead to some quick passes or explosive plays for an offense. I do think the coverage approach and pass rush are inextricably linked, but I do think it's possible to get a high number of sacks while still playing zone.
Jeff C. from Greensboro, S.C.
I know we say we have a bend but don't break defense, but on Sunday they broke a lot. I'm trying to figure out if this is due to the scheme or just not having good enough players. On paper our safety tandem looks great. On the field they do not. Jimmy Lake said the d-line is close to maximizing the scheme to get pressure. That's terrifying. Good pass rushers are not schemed up in order to get pressure, they just line up and get it. Is Jimmy's scheme holding a guy like Judon back?
Great follow-up topic for the question above, Jeff. I certainly wouldn't use Sunday's performance to get an idea of how the defense is supposed to look, because that ain't it. You're right, the defense did break against the Seahawks, and the very safety tandem you mentioned took accountability for some of the lapses. But that safety tandem is still excellent.
I also agree that the very best pass rushers in the league have skill sets that allow them to transcend scheme dependency. Don't get it twisted, though, they all do operate within a scheme. After going back and watching a lot of Judon's snaps in recent weeks, I saw a lot of times when he was, as you put it, asked to "just line up and get it." Perhaps you've noticed him dropping back into coverage on certain plays, which he certainly has done. But he's been deployed in coverage on just 8.2% of the pass plays he's been on the field for, per TruMedia, which is less than guys like James Smith-Williams, Demone Harris and Arnold Ebiketie.
Judon is being given plenty of chances to rush the passer, the unit just needs to find ways to get the quarterback on the ground. If anything, though, I think the scheme has worked to generate pressure from unexpected places. For example, Kaden Elliss' 13 pressures this season are most on the team, and he's only rushed the passer 47 times. His pressure rate of 27.7% is second among all defenders with at least 47 pass rush snaps. I'd argue the scheme is using him very effectively.
And the coaches aren't wrong when they say they feel the pressure has been on upswing, the numbers back that up. In Week 7, Atlanta pressured Seattle's quarterbacks on 51.5% of their pass plays, which was the fourth-best mark in the league.
But the sacks are still lagging behind, and that's going to continue to be a priority until they aren't.
Thank you all for today's questions! If I didn't get to yours today, it may be selected in future editions of The Mailbox. The next one will be published Tuesday morning, when Tori will answer your questions.
