While the Atlanta Falcons may have drummed up some excitement about the upcoming season, as season tickets have sold out for the first time in nearly 20 years, it may be fair to say that the offensive side of the ball is garnering a lot of the attention as many believe new quarterback, Kirk Cousins, will be the leader the offense has been in need of since Matt Ryan’s departure.
Meanwhile, one could argue that the Atlanta defense was not their biggest area of concern last season as they finished 11th overall in total defense, however questions surround their strength at edge rush still seem to loom, especially after this past NFL Draft, in which many assumed the Falcons would select a pass rusher and if nothing else, take a defensive player with the eighth overall pick.
However, after selecting Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, the Falcons would wait until the later rounds of the draft to address their defensive needs, thus leaving many experts and fans to question if they did enough in the offseason to improve their defense.
“If this Falcons’ team wants to have success over the course of the season and not just in spurts, they’re going to have to get production from this defense,” 92-9 The Game’s Joe Patrick told Steak Shapiro on Wednesday as they discussed how important of a role the Falcons’ defense has to play in order for Atlanta to have a successful season.
“They’re going to have to make life difficult on opposing offense,” Patrick would go on to say, explaining that while the 2022 season for Atlanta ended with a record of 7-10, their defense “schemed up some stuff and made teams work hard,” something he believes Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator, Jimmy Lake, are “planning to do with this defense,”.
Patrick would later tell Shapiro that while it was worth noting that the Falcons lost both of their leaders in sacks last season as Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree are no longer with the franchise, he believes that there is an area in which their defense can be improved from last season. “The ability to create more turnovers,” Patrick told Shapiro is where the Falcons should see a jump this season.
