The Falcons have a critical matchup with the Saints coming up on Sunday. Will their pass rush be able to find their groove and potentially dictate the outcome of this game?
Atlanta has taken a dramatic step forward on defense in the early parts of the 2024 season. They have been successful at keeping their opponents out of the end zone and find themselves sitting just outside the top 10 in scoring defense.
Meanwhile, the Saints exploded offensively through their first two weeks of action, outscoring the Panthers and Cowboys by a combined score of 91-29. They proceeded to come crashing back down to earth in week three against the Eagles in their 15-12 loss. That happened, in large part, because of injuries sustained along their offensive line.
"The key to the whole thing was the offensive line," Graffagnini said on The Steakhouse Friday morning. "[The line] was really the big question mark coming out of training camp, and the offensive line was a strength in the first two weeks."
Now, after an injury to center Erik McCoy, the prospects for that group have diminished.
"Eric McCoy, who is without question the Saints' best o-lineman, was hurt in the very first series against the Eagles last week," he continued. "And that really dictated what happened the rest of the game because the line was compromised at two positions, including guard [Cesar Ruiz] and they never really recovered until the fourth quarter.
"That's really the concern going into the game on Sunday."
Can the Falcons take advantage of this deficiency? They will certainly hope to after the investment the front office made in the position in the final stages of the offseason. Through the first three weeks, Atlanta finds itself in familiar territory sitting in 31st place with only three sacks on the board.
If their pass rush can reach pay-dirt a few times on Sunday, not only will they skyrocket up that ranking, but they could find themselves skyrocketing up the NFC South standings after a win over their bitter rivals.