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Atlanta Falcons: Pass Rush Beginning To Thrive Under Quinn

By John Buhler

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The Atlanta Falcons through two preseason games seem like they will actually have bite on their pass rush in 2015.  How Head Coach Dan Quinn and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff built this defense in the offseason might result in a massive defensive turnaround for the Falcons this fall.

The decision to hire Dan Quinn away from the Defensive Coordinator position with the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks was in all likelihood the best new head coach hiring of the seven NFL teams bring in new regimes.  Because the Atlanta Falcons had the best quarterback situation of any team needing a new coach, Owner Arthur Blank and Dimitroff had the pick of the litter so to speak when deciding on a replacement for Mike Smith.

-= Dan Quinn: Live (And Die) By The Ball =-

By bringing in Dan Quinn, the Atlanta Falcons look to build their defense in a fashion similar to what is in place in Seattle for HC Pete Carroll.  Atlanta did have talent on the defensive side of the ball last year, but were largely ineffective as former DC Mike Nolan’s 4-2-5 Base Package was far too complicated for young players to mentally grasp a hold of.

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    • Since Day One at Flowery Branch, Dan Quinn preaches size, length, and quickness with all of his players, especially on his 4-3 Base Defense.  The players bought into his philosophies and many came back to training camp after having the best offseason of their lives.  Defensive Linemen Jonathan Babineaux, Ra’Shede Hageman, Tyson Jackson and Paul Soliai all came back noticeably slimmer to better fit in Quinn’s scheme on the defensive line.  We’re talking about defensive linemen proactively shedding pounds to play faster, people!

    The free agent acquisitions of DE Adrian Clayborn, OLB Justin Durant, and LB O’Brien Schofield have helped cultivate a new pass rushing identity on the edge for the Atlanta Falcons.  Let’s not forget that the Falcons used the 8th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft to select OLB Vic Beasley out of Clemson to become the franchise pass rusher the Dirty Birds have dearly missed since letting DE John Abraham walk after 2012.

    I know it has only been two preseason games, but this front seven looks completely different for the Atlanta Falcons.  We’ve seen the Falcons get after the quarterback against two pretty solid offensive lines in the Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets.  In Preseason Weeks 3 and 4, the Atlanta Falcons will face stronger quarterbacks in Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins and possibly Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens if HC John Harbaugh elects to play Flacco in the final tune-up before the regular season.

    -= Atlanta Falcons: First Team Strong, Depth Concerning =-

    Though the entire front seven is playing far better than last year’s team, three players have really stood out in my mind from this transition to a new scheme: Jonathan Babineaux, Adrian Clayborn, and Stansly Maponga.

    Babs shed weight like the rest of his fellow D-Linemen, but his inherent quickness really shines when he’s playing the 3-Technique.  Babineaux is a great DE/DT hybrid player for Quinn and DL Coach Bryan Cox to use in a plethora of ways up front.  Jonathan is showing that he can do more than just take on two offensive linemen, eat up space, and factor in run stoppage.  Expect Babs to contribute heavily in getting after the quarterback this fall.

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    Clayborn came to the Atlanta Falcons after four injury-riddled years with the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Adrian always seemed to play his best games against the Falcons and perhaps that’s what Thomas Dimitroff remembers the most about the former Iowa Hawkeye.  Clayborn gives the Falcons that other premier pass rushing threat besides rookie Vic Beasley in the front seven.  Quinn can decide to play Clayborn and Beasley on opposite sides or stack one to further confuse the defense.  A healthy 2015 from Adrian Clayborn could give the Atlanta Falcons some serious bite in the pass rush in 2015.

    Lastly, Stansly Maponga came to Atlanta in the 5th Round of the 2013 NFL Draft after playing for Gary Patterson at TCU.  Under Patterson, the Horned Frogs usually have a strong defense.  It is when the QB play is competent (Andy Dalton and now Trevone Boykin) that TCU is one of the best programs in College Football.  Maponga had great pass rushing promise coming out of college, but Mike Nolan’s scheme buried Stansly on the depth chart.

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    Though the second unit has not been electric by any means defensively, Stansly Maponga has been a bright spot with two sacks and a forced fumble in two games of preseason action.  I wouldn’t say that Maponga is fighting for a roster spot with how well he has performed in camp, but his effort should not go unnoticed.  Expect Maponga to continue to grow under Dan Quinn’s leadership as a solid situational pass rusher in 2015.

    It’s early, but I can already tell there’s a difference up front with the 2015 Atlanta Falcons defensively.  Even if injuries do happen on the defensive line, I feel that the Falcons can at least tread water up front because the 4-3 Base is such a good scheme fit for this roster.  It’s the secondary that I’m worried about heading into Preseason Week 3 against Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins.

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