The Falcons only recorded one sack against the Seahawks. Too often, Geno Smith escaped pressure, and Atlanta’s pass rush disappeared for long periods of the game.
It’s inexcusable against the worst offensive line in football, especially with their fourth-string tackle. However, it could be seen as a good thing. There’s a zero percent chance that the Falcons brass can say it isn’t a major concern.
While Zac Robinson and Kirk Cousins struggled in Week 7, that shouldn’t be a long-term concern. The Falcons pass rush is, and Terry Fontenot deserves the lion’s share of the blame for it.
As Atlanta’s GM, it’s his sole responsibility to acquire talent, both through the draft and on the pro personnel side of things, both of which he hasn’t delivered upon in regards to the pass rush.
As far as the NFL draft goes, the Falcons have spent eight picks on defensive linemen, five of which were top 100 selections, since Fontenot took over in Atlanta. Those draftees have accumulated zero sacks through seven games in 2024. Those eight defenders have only totaled 16.5 sacks in their Falcons careers, some of whom aren’t even on the team anymore.
To be fair, he’s never been good at drafting. Terry Fontenot’s expertise resides on the pro personnel side of things, and his track record speaks for itself, except in the pass rush department.
Through free agency and trades, the Falcons haven’t acquired one impactful pass rusher. Lorenzo Carter should be nothing more than a depth piece. David Onyemata has proven to be a quality addition but hasn’t provided much as a pass rusher. James Smith-Williams doesn’t move the needle, and this theme goes further than just 2024.
On the pro personnel side of things, the one notable addition in Fontenot’s tenure was the Matthew Judon trade. The veteran was acquired from the Patriots in exchange for a third-round pick and hasn’t lived up to the billing.
Judon has totaled 1.5 sacks and five pressures in seven games, according to Pro Football Reference. The veteran put up 4.0 sacks and 11 pressures in just four games last year with the Patriots before a season-ending injury, so suffice it to say, he’s dramatically underperformed in his short Falcons career.
At this point, I’m not sure the Falcons pass rush is ever going to come around, and it has everything to do with the people making decisions.
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Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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