There are some that believed after the Falcons' win over the Broncos, the role of Ray Edwards has decreased.
After a solid game against the Chiefs in Week 1 when the defensive end had two tackles, one tackle for loss and a QB hit, Edwards wasn't seen much on the field against the Broncos.
Against the Chiefs, Edwards was on the field for 28 of the defense's 69 snaps, 41 percent.
That number decreased significantly on Monday night, but head coach Mike Smith said on Thursday that it wasn't because his role is lessening, but more a matter of Peyton Manning and the Broncos' no-huddle offense.
"I don't think Ray's role has been decreased at all," Smith said. "In terms of substitution patterns that we had in the game last week, we weren't able to make changes during our drives when they're in no-huddle. If you do that, you're going to get Peyton at the line of scrimmage."
Against Denver, Edwards was on the field for 17 of the 77 defensive snaps, 22 percent.
A strong run defender, Edwards was expected to improve his pass rushing numbers in his second season with the Falcons, a season in which he believes he's returned to full health. Against the Chiefs, the pass rush was flashed, but against the Broncos, Edwards didn't record a sack or a tackle.
Smith said there would be a different substitution pattern this week against the Chargers, in reference to Edwards and his snaps. The San Diego offense doesn't employ a no-huddle scheme, making substitutions much easier.
