The Falcons defense was among the best in football through the early parts of the season. Atlanta’s offseason investment in that side of the ball had paid immediate dividends.
Jessie Bates III, David Onyemata, Kaden Elliss, Calais Campbell, Bud Dupree, and Jeff Okudah headlined the acquisitions. All have had instrumental roles in Ryan Nielsen’s unit improving dramatically since last season.
However, it’s faltered in recent weeks. The losses to the Cardinals and Vikings can be directly attributed to the defense’s shortcomings, poor tackling and an obsolete pass rush being the primary reasons.
Though the sack totals never materialized, the Falcons produced pressure at a rate that was vastly improved from a year ago; in fact, Atlanta’s pressure rate during the early parts of the season ranked among the best in football.
However, that hasn’t been the case in recent weeks, and there’s a direct correlation between Grady Jarrett’s injury and the decrease in pressure rate. The Falcons stalwart defender’s presence goes far beyond the gridiron, but he’s pretty damn important to Atlanta’s on-field success.
He’s consistently among the most under-appreciated players in the league, but Jarrett did receive a bit of recognition recently. In The Athletic’s annual player poll, Jarrett received votes among the most underrated players in the NFL.
“Other” led the way with 61.8% of the votes. Tee Higgins was the most popular individual, garnering 5.4% of the votes, followed by Kenny Moore II with 4.1%. Then, it was Grady Jarret and ten others, including Calvin Ridley at 2.7% of the votes.
Grady Jarrett has been a one-man wrecking crew in Atlanta for the past several years, and it’s nice to see the Falcons star recognized for his greatness.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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