Falcons mailbag: Can they stop the run? Why so many prime-time games?

New York Times

22-05-2025

It's time for a mailbag, and for once, we're not starting with questions about the quarterback. Don't worry, we'll get there, but we're going to start with run defense and how new Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has changed his approach dramatically in the last decade.
Have you been able to extrapolate anything from Ulbrich's history and the personnel acquisitions to get any idea of what the Falcons' defense will look like? Will it all be built on speed and quickness? It looks like Kentavius Street and David Onyemata are the only 300-plus-pound players on defense. Who's providing the push and clogging up the running lanes? — Jess H.
Most offensive plays are three-receiver sets, which means the defense will have five defensive backs (two safeties and three cornerbacks). If we are playing Jalon Walker and James Pearce as edge rushers, that leaves four players remaining. My question is in regard to the remaining four starters. Are we playing with a middle linebacker and three down linemen (which means we are predominantly blitzing with three down linemen and two edges rushing the passer)? Or against three-receiver sets, are we going to line up with two off-ball linebackers and only two down linemen? If that is the case, won't we be light against defending the run as both Walker and Pearce are in the 240-pound range? — Kir71
I'm starting here because the run defense is one of my top concerns, too, and because it allows us to get into something very interesting about how NFL football is played now. The Falcons were 15th in the NFL in run defense last year, allowing 120.6 yards per game, and a deeper look is more troubling. They were in the bottom half of the league in almost every advanced rush defense statistic, including 26th in rush defense success rate (57.7 percent), 23rd in yards allowed before contact per rush (1.59), 20th in rush defense EPA per 100 snaps (1.7), 18th in yards allowed per carry (4.5).
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Here's the interesting part: Those numbers don't bother the Falcons as much as you think they would. Bears coach Ben Johnson made offseason headlines this year when he said passing game EPA (expected points added) is now the most significant statistical determinant in wins and losses. He's not alone in that thought. In fact, Ulbrich sees things the same way, and it has changed the way he does his job.
'It's such a huge shift in how football has ever been approached,' Ulbrich said. 'It forced me to reassess how I approach defense because I was classically taught in this game, 'You better stop the run first.' It's been an evolution for me in the last 10 years. Do I want to stop the run? Of course I do. But I would say my focus is primarily to stop the pass.'
Ulbrich said he now spends at least 60 percent of his preparation time on the passing game.
'That's the game we play nowadays,' he said.
It also affects how defenses are built, which brings us to Kir's question about formations and player sizes. There's no question Atlanta's defense got more athletic — and potentially explosive — with the additions of Walker and Pearce in the draft as well as edge rusher Leonard Floyd and linebacker Divine Deablo through free agency. But it also got smaller.
All three edge rushers are 245 pounds or below, and Deablo is a 223-pound inside linebacker who's going to be taking a lot of the snaps played last season by 238-pound inside linebacker Nate Landman, who moved to the Rams in free agency.
Grady Jarrett (288 pounds) and Eddie Goldman (325 pounds) are gone from the interior of the defensive line, which does leave Street (315 pounds) and Onyemata (310 pounds) as the big boys for the middle of the defensive line. (The 300-pound Ta'Quon Graham just barely missed the 'plus 300-pound club.')
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When Ulbrich was the Jets' defensive coordinator over the last three seasons, New York was running almost exclusively a 4-3 front because that was the background of coach Robert Saleh. Ulbrich's Falcons will be a 3-4 base defense, which Ulbrich said will give him more flexibility to scheme around being lighter at some positions, and it sounds like he doesn't want to be predictable in any way, so I would imagine that he won't match any particular offensive look the same way every time.
I'll end with this: After years of fussing at the Falcons to beef up their pass rush (I'm not pointing fingers because I've been part of that push, too.), it's unfair to now say: 'Great job, now you're just going to get run on all day.'
It is a challenge, though, and how they address it will be interesting.
I feel as though we have been searching for this 'star' edge rusher to alleviate all of our pass-rush problems, but my question is how important is depth (which we have also been sorely lacking) at that position? If none of our guys turn into premier rushers, do you think we can still have a competent and productive pass rush? — Matthew L.
This question gives me a chance to use this quote from new defensive line coach Nate Ollie: 'You can never have enough rushers. I stand on that.'
This Falcons' front seven will emphasize all-out effort with lots of rotation, Ollie said.
'No jabs. It's all haymakers that we're trying to throw,' he said. 'It's hard to do that for 60 plays in a game, so we need waves of rushers. You need rushers, man. I'm really excited. Just waves of pass rush.'
So, yes, depth is a significant factor. Last year, the Falcons kept nine defensive linemen and four outside linebackers/edge rushers on the initial 53-man roster. That ratio probably will change this year, considering Floyd, Walker, Pearce Jr. and fellow edge rushers Arnold Ebiketie and Bralen Trice seem like locks to make the roster. Special teams ace/edge rusher DeAngelo Malone also would be a difficult cut.
No matter how many pass rushers make the team, they all can expect to play plenty.
Kyle Pitts and Troy Andersen, alleged unicorns athletically, is this their year, or what? — MJ
I'm not going to bet on it. Pitts' ups and downs are well-chronicled. For Andersen, the issue has been availability. Since being drafted in the second round in 2022, he has played in only 26 games because of injury. He has played in only nine the last two seasons. It's not fair to call Andersen injury-prone, but players with his hyper athleticism are prone to being undone by injury simply because it can take away their superpower. If Andersen returns to the field the same type of athlete he was as a rookie and can stay healthy, I still believe he can be a very valuable part of the rotation, if not a starter. We just don't have an answer to those two 'if' questions.
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There was a lot of talk about the underdrafted free agents being Round 8 of the draft, and finding players like cornerback Cobee Bryant and wide receiver Nick Nash, who were mocked to be drafted a lot earlier, highlights that. If those two are to make the roster, which wide receivers and cornerbacks are most at risk of losing their spots? — Edward Corrigan
The Falcons have 13 wide receivers on their 90-man roster, but only Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge are locks to make the team. Casey Washington probably will as well, which would leave one open position if the Falcons carry six wide receivers. They carried only five to open last season, but if there is a sixth spot to be had, Nash has just as good a chance of earning it as any of the other contenders on the team.
The numbers look similar at cornerback. Atlanta has 11 with only A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, Clark Phillips III and Mike Ford Jr. (primarily in a special teams role) secure in their spots. The Falcons kept five cornerbacks to start last the season, and Bryant's top contenders for that spot are Kevin King, Dee Alford and Keith Taylor.
I was surprised by the lack of moves to surround Michael Penix Jr. with more weapons. There were some notable wide receivers (George Pickens, Stefon Diggs, Cooper Kupp, etc.) available for the taking, but it looks like we are rolling with what we've got there. And we could have found another helpful tight end somewhere in case Pitts doesn't come back from the dead. Usually, teams give their young quarterbacks protection and weapons, and I am not sure the Falcons did that. — Eric W.
Atlanta already had a good offensive infrastructure in place for Penix and needed so much help on defense that I'm not surprised by its offseason acquisitions. The Falcons have three first-round picks (Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary) and one second-round pick (Matthew Bergeron) on the offensive line, two receivers with 1,000-yard season capability (Drake London and Darnell Mooney) and one of the best one-two running back punches in the league (Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier). If Penix can't succeed with this offensive personnel, he probably can't succeed in this league. I will say I'm surprised they haven't added a tight end.
Is there a scenario this year where Kirk Cousins gets the starting job back if Michael Penix Jr. is struggling and Cousins is healthy? Before you automatically say 'No,' remember that Penix is far from established and Cousins was a two-time NFC Player of the Week before he hurt his shoulder. Plus, this front office and coaching staff are on the hot seat and can't afford to be in 'QB Development' mode. — Jason M.
There should be that chance. Coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have been adamant that they make all decisions based on what is best for the team, and if Penix does struggle, then going back to a quarterback with Cousins' history definitely should be considered. However, because it's the quarterback position and Penix still is developing his game and his confidence, going back to Cousins might have long-term implications for his future.
This is the No. 1 reason I have been a proponent of the Falcons getting Cousins out of the building one way or another. Penix and Cousins are both pros and are friends, and I wouldn't expect any significant issues if they are both on the team next year, but if they are and if Penix struggles, it becomes a question. And that question is not good for Penix, whom Morris and Fontenot have said is the future for the team.
Has Kirk Cousins been around the team much? Do we actually anticipate him being the best backup QB in the league? Or are the Falcons going to have limited depth at the position if he decides to hold out or gets traded? — Griffin B.
We don't really know how much Cousins has been around, except that he was in the building on the first day of the offseason program. Questions about whether he intended to take part in all or most of the voluntary workouts have been deflected and those workouts and meetings are closed to the media. The first mandatory practice that will be open to the media is a minicamp practice on June 10, so I wouldn't expect much new information until then, unless the Falcons find a trade partner.
Random one. You can choose three players from all of Falcons history (offense, defense, special teams) to join the current roster and get the franchise to the promised land. Who are you taking? — Philippe C.
Julio Jones, Deion Sanders and Devin Hester. Sanders is a no-brainer and Jones is, too, unless you want to make the argument that Matt Ryan should be the choice despite the confidence in Penix. Sanders could handle the return duties, too, and allow me to pick someone other than Hester, but I don't want the injury risk that comes with that.
JULIO JONES. 54 YARDS.
Falcons take the lead! pic.twitter.com/Z9yNiAsAFy
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) September 16, 2019
The last seven years have been miserable, and I'm becoming jaded to expecting anything from this team. Can you provide some reason for excitement and optimism for the year ahead? — Joshua B.
Absolutely. Obviously, a team that has missed the playoffs and had a losing record the last seven seasons naturally leads to more skeptical storylines, but I am always a proponent of offseason optimism. This offense is going to be fun to watch (more on that in the next answer). Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had a good debut season, and there's reason to believe this year could be more fun because he'll have a full offseason to fit his offensive system (essentially the Sean McVay offensive system) with Atlanta's personnel, specifically a quarterback whose arm strength means the passing game can access every area of the field.
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'Obviously, you are watching yourselves, 'How can we get better? What's the way we can evolve?'' Robinson said. 'If you're not evolving in the NFL, you're going to get stuck behind.'
How did this Falcons team, without making the playoffs in God knows how many years, get as many stand-alone TV windows as they did? Is there actually a national demand to see this team? — Matt L.
You're not the first person to wonder this, and I think the answer is points. There's an expectation that Atlanta is going to score a lot of points in Penix's first full season as the starter. The Falcons were sixth in scoring (32 ppg) and fifth in points per drive (2.93) after Penix took over the starting job in Week 16 last season. There's also an expectation they are going to give up a lot of points. They finished the season 23rd in points allowed (24.9). The only thing TV likes more than 34-30 games is Aaron Rodgers speculation, and there could be lots of 34-30 games in the Falcons' future this season.
(Photo of Kentavius Street, left, and Ruke Orhorhoro: Ian Maule / Getty Images)