The Atlanta Falcons stumbled out of the gate in 2019, starting the season 1-7 and frequently trailing by insurmountable deficits at halftime. The team’s 6-2 finish may have been too little, too late, but defensive coordinator Raheem Morris established a strong foundation that the Falcons can build on in 2020.
Atlanta’s defense allowed 24.9 points and 355.8 yards per game last year, numbers that reflect an average unit. The impressive play by this group down the stretch was enough to make the top 12 of Touchdown Wire’s defensive rankings.
Check out what Doug Farrar wrote about the Falcons’ defense below:
The Falcons had as drastic a defensive turnaround as any team in the 2019 season, which occurred when now-defensive coordinator Raheem Morris took a more pronounced role. From Weeks 10-9, Atlanta gave up 24 passing touchdowns and came up with just two interceptions. From Weeks 10-17, the difference was graphic — just nine touchdowns allowed, and 10 interceptions. The team lost cornerback Desmond Trufant in free agency, but selected Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell in the first round, and Terrell is a much better player than he showed in his team’s loss in the College Football Championship. Expect this defense to play far more to its talent with Morris firmly in charge.
As Farrar pointed out, Morris has proven to be a great asset to the defense, and assuming he picks things up where he left off, Atlanta has a chance to be very good this season.
The team’s secondary is young and relatively untested. Plus, without De’Vondre Campbell, Desmond Trufant and Vic Beasley, it could take some time for this group to gel.
Some of the team’s early struggles in 2019 can be attributed to a painfully one-dimensional offense. The Falcons’ averaged 85.1 yards per game on the ground and often had to abandon the run game altogether by the second quarter.
Todd Gurley has a chance to turn that around this season. If Atlanta can get off to a better start, the team should be able to compete in a vastly-improved NFC South.
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