2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 3-5
Falcons defense
Every snap the Falcons defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.04 EPA a play allowed, 11th of 32, and 0.06 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (9th).
- How they playThey blitz on 25% of dropbacks, the 27th-most in the league, and get pressure on 25%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.6 a carry, 26th, and runs at right guard gain 4.5 a carry.
- Who hurt themChristian McCaffrey (SF): 100 yards and +7.9 EPA on 14 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Bengals, whose offense ranks 5th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.04 | 11th of 32 | 67th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | 0.00 | 11th of 32 | 67th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.08 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 44% | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| Yards per play | 5.3 | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| Yards per carry | 4.6 | 26th of 32 | 20th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 42% | 18th of 32 | 45th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.8% | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 25% | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 17% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.0% | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 63% | 17th of 32 | 48th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.91 | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.4 | 13th of 32 | 58th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.06 | 9th of 32 | 73rd |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Falcons. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 5 of 8 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 1 against the Steelers, 0.31 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.02 a play elsewhere, the 7th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at PITL 13-20-0.30usual +0.01
vs CARL 3-34+0.14usual +0.02
at GBW 35-14+0.01usual +0.00
at NOW 45-24-0.07usual -0.03
vs BALL 23-30+0.04usual +0.02
vs CHIL 23-31+0.04usual +0.05
vs SFW 29-20+0.01usual +0.21
at TBL 0-16-0.17usual -0.08Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate middle: +1.61 EPA a throw against a league +0.59. The lockdown zone is deep right, -0.40 a throw (league +0.33). Completions against them run 2.0 points over expected, 21st-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.6 yards a carry against them, 26th of 32. The leak is at right guard: 4.5 a carry and +0.10 EPA (league 3.8, -0.13).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 18.920th | 150.120th | +0.2619th-toughest | 18.111th-fewest24.113th-fewest30.115th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 7.616th | 54.917th | +0.1010th-toughest | 8.015th-fewest10.916th-fewest13.916th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 7.630th | 32.517th | -0.088th-toughest | 21.74th-most24.44th-most27.14th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 15.612th-fewest15.612th-fewest15.612th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | SF | 14 | 100 | 1 | +7.9 |
| Chris Olave | NO | 12 | 116 | +7.2 | |
| Rome Odunze | CHI | 4 | 51 | +6.6 | |
| Darren Waller | CAR | 3 | 33 | 2 | +5.6 |
| Rashod Bateman | BAL | 6 | 62 | +5.0 | |
| Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 14 | 64 | 1 | +4.8 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 36% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in 2nd down (-0.13 a play, league +0.00) and weakest in the two-minute drill (+0.13, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 219 | +0.01 | +0.02 | 0.00 |
| 2nd down | 173 | -0.13 | +0.00 | -0.14 |
| 3rd down | 110 | -0.06 | -0.04 | -0.02 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 35 | 71% | 61% | +11 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 28 | 36% | 44% | −8 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 47 | 23% | 27% | −3 pts |
| Red zone | 94 | +0.06 | +0.03 | +0.02 |
| Two-minute drill | 66 | +0.13 | 0.00 | +0.13 |
| When they lead | 205 | -0.03 | +0.01 | -0.04 |
| One-score game | 281 | -0.07 | -0.01 | -0.06 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 111 | -0.05 | +0.03 | -0.09 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 25% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 75% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.08 EPA when they blitz and +0.05 when they do not.
They put 6.5 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 4%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 3.3 a carry; into eight or more, 1.5.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 3 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.29 EPA against them on 22% of throws; screens -0.14.
24 defensive penalties for 265 yards, 13 of them first downs, the 19th-fewest. They miss 7% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 7th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Cameron Thomas leads the pass rush with 13 pressures and 2 sacks on 63% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99Cameron ThomasDE | 63% | 13 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| 95Gervon Dexter Sr.DT | 56% | 6 | 1.5 | 5 | 4 | 21 | |
| 92Maason SmithDT | 55% | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 1 |
| 54Brandon DorlusDE | 54% | 11 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 13 | |
| 94LaCale LondonDE | 44% | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 | |
| 52Samson EbukamDE | 40% | 11 | 2.5 | 9 | 2 | 11 | |
| 96Zach HarrisonDE | 31% | 4 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | |
| 51Jared IveyLB | 23% | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
| 55Za'Darius SmithDE | 21% | 8 | 4.5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 22Yasir AbdullahLB | 15% | 5 | 4 | 2 |
Kendal Daniels plays 66% of the snaps with 52 tackles and 1 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53Kendal DanielsLB | 66% | 52 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 65.5 | 6 |
| 0Divine DeabloLB | 62% | 29 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 108.5 | 1 | |
| 56Harold Perkins Jr.LB | 56% | 38 | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 32 | 65.6 | 3 |
| 42Josh WoodsLB | 16% | 14 | 1 | 1 | 108.3 | |||
| 48Bralen TriceLB | 13% | 2 | 3 | 100.0 | 1 | |||
| 45Christian HarrisLB | 1% | 3 | ||||||
| 41Brian Asamoah IILB | 0% | 1 |
Billy Bowman Jr. is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 71.4 passer rating on 17 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31Xavier WattsSAF | 98% | 29 | 22 of 29 | 270 | 1 | 92.4 | 1 | 2 |
| 3Jessie BatesFS | 96% | 26 | 16 of 26 | 215 | 5 | 100.2 | 1 | 4 |
| 21Mike HughesCB | 73% | 40 | 26 of 40 | 389 | 4 | 114.0 | 5 | |
| 26C.J. HendersonCB | 66% | 44 | 24 of 44 | 252 | 1 | 79.0 | 8 | |
| 24A.J. TerrellCB | 38% | 12 | 5 of 12 | 89 | 71.5 | 3 | ||
| 12Avieon TerrellCB | 37% | 14 | 7 of 14 | 73 | 63.5 | |||
| 29Sydney BrownSAF | 34% | 10 | 9 of 10 | 50 | 1 | 92.1 | 1 | |
| 33Billy Bowman Jr.CB | 24% | 17 | 9 of 17 | 99 | 71.4 | 2 | ||
| 23DeMarcco HellamsSAF | 4% | 3 | 2 of 3 | 7 | 70.8 | 1 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.