Atlanta Falcons Aim for Balance, Playoffs in 2025

The Atlanta Falcons have spent the past several years building an offense capable of competing for championships. However, the defense had been put on the back burner for the most part. That was at least, until this season, when the Falcons poured a load of resources, including two first-round picks, into fixing a long-dormant pass rush.

The Falcons' overall DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) was 20th overall last season, indicating that they were roughly the 20th-best team in the NFL.

It’s no surprise that the Falcons were heavily skewed on offense last season, ranking 13th in offensive DVOA and 28th in defensive DVOA. Atlanta spent a good deal of resources in the offseason trying to balance a team that has seen most of its investment go into the offensive side of the ball in past years.

How much better does the defense need to be for the Falcons to get over the hump and become a playoff team?

“We asked DVOA’s creator, Aaron Schatz of FTNFantasy, and he believes that a Falcons team with a top-10 offense could make the playoffs with a defense in the top 20,” wrote Josh Kendall of The Athletic. 

The question then becomes, did the Falcons do enough in the offseason to jump into a the middle tier of defensive teams?

This version of the Falcons defense appears light years ahead of Jimmy Lake's attempt. Now, look at the subtractions. Granted, losing Grady Jarrett to Chicago does hurt, but is that loss devastating to the point of the team collapsing? No, the veteran played well, but it was time to move on and attempt to work in younger players.

The Falcons traded up to take Ruke Orhorhoro to step in for Jarrett or David Onyemata, and they now have a second-year plug-and-play replacement. 

Additionally, Matt Judon didn't stand out. He never provided the constant rush headache. In all honesty, that was a combination of his ineffectiveness and Lake's penchant for dropping him into coverage.

Jeff Ulbrich actually wants to pressure the quarterback. Under those circumstances, he will turn rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. loose. In return, the Falcons’ defense will be much more aggressive, instead of the passive-prevent scheme employed by Lake.

The Falcons were 28th in DVOA last season with a poor scheme from a first-year defensive coordinator. There’s virtually no way this defense gets worse in 2025; the same goes for the kicking game. 

If Michael Penix Jr. holds up his end of the bargain on offense, this version of the Falcons will be much more balanced, much more complementary, and playing well into January.