Atlanta Falcons Defensive End Dilemma Versus New Orleans

The Atlanta Falcons are decimated by injuries. The area hit hardest this week is defensive end. Who plays snaps at defensive end against New Orleans? How do the Dirty Birds generate a pass rush on Drew Brees?

The Falcons have been hit hard by injuries so far this season. Our Kit Anderson ran down the injury list here. Gone is strong safety Keanu for the season with a torn acl. We covered the injury here.

Left guard Andy Levitre is also done for 2018 with a torn triceps. Linebacker Deion Jones will miss at least seven more games on injured reserve, as documented here.

Thankfully defensive ends Takkarist McKinley and Derek Shelby are not expected to be out long-term. Unfortunately both defensive ends will miss Sunday’s game. Coach Dan Quinn, and Defensive Coordinator Marquand Manuel have the tough task of replacing both men.

Takk McKinley a second year defensive end, is tied with cornerback Brian Poole for the team lead in sacks with two. Pro Football Focus ranks Takk the number 79 edge defender in the NFL this season. His grade is a 54.4 (out of 99.9) so far through two games.

McKinley has a pass rush grade of 64.2. That is first of qualifying Atlanta Falcons’ edge defenders. His run stop grade is 56.7, last of Atlanta Falcons edge players.

Derrick Shelby has played the least amount of snaps of the Atlanta Falcons’ four main defensive ends with 31. His PFF grade of 69.1 would be first among Atlanta edge defenders, if he had enough snaps to qualify.

Derrick Shelby‘s balance and versatility have been valuable to the team in limited snaps. Shelby’s pass rush grade of 65 would lead Bird edge players, if he qualified. His run defense grade of 64.2 would be second among the Atlanta Falcons defensive ends.

Who Starts?

Vic Beasley will continue to start at left defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons. Beasley has graded 42.6, number 94 in the NFL, and last on the Falcons’ team.

Beasley who lead the NFL in sacks in 2016, surprisingly grades first of the team’s defensive ends in run defense, with a grade of 65.3. On the flip side he is last of the Atlanta Falcons’ edge players with a grade of 53.1. Atlanta desperately needs Beasley to get back to his 2016 sack form.

Brooks Reed is expected to replace Takk McKinley, in the starting lineup at right defensive end. Reed’s strength is setting the edge in the run game. He ranks as the number 87 edge defender in the league, and third on the Dirty Birds, with a grade of 46.8

Brooks Reed is second among Atlanta Falcons’ edge defenders in run defense, with a 63.1 grade. Unfortunately his pass rush grade is last on the team at 48.4. His inefficiency as a pass rusher will force the Falcons to look elsewhere on obvious passing downs against Drew Brees.

Who Else Receives Rotational Snaps?

The Atlanta Falcons are dangerously thin at the defensive end position with McKinley and Shelby ruled out. Behind starters Vic Beasley and Brooks Reed, newly signed Steven Means, is the only other true defensive end on the roster.

Steven Means stands at 6’3 262 pounds, and was signed after being one of the last players released in Philadelphia. Means has played in 26 career games over four seasons, with zero starts. His signing was mentioned in this article.

Means played 78 snaps for the champion Eagles last season, the most since his rookie year. He recorded one of his career two sacks, and notched three tackles. Means was graded 62.0 by PFF, with a run defense grade of 64.5, and a pass rush grade of 56.2.

With the inexperience Steven Means brings, he hardly seems like the answer to the Atlanta Falcons’ injury issues. With him being the only reserve defensive end on the roster, the Atlanta Falcons must be creative in their rotations.

Defensive tackle Jack Crawford has the ability to play some defensive end. He could possibly replace Vic Beasley on some early downs, and obvious running downs. Crawford has 49.5 PFF grade at defensive tackle this season. He grades 47.5 in run defense and 54.7 as an interior pass rusher.

Jack Crawford has the size and strength to over-power run blocking tight ends, and at least hold his own against tackles on the edge, in the run game. Look for Crawford to play several snaps at defensive end against the sAints.

Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Justin Zimmer, should be a beneficiary of the injuries. With Crawford splitting time at defensive end, Zimmer should be active, and see some snaps in a regular season game, for the first time in his NFL career.

The Atlanta Falcons also need additional pass rushers to step in for Brooks Reed, in obvious passing situations. Starting sam linebacker De’vondre Campbell is the man the Birds should call on.

De’vondre Campbell has a 69.2 pass rush grade by PFF, in a limited ten snaps. That would be first among Atlanta Falcons’ front seven players, if he had the snaps to qualify.

Former Falcons sack artist, and current pass rush instructor Chuck Smith, speaks very highly of Campbell’s pass rush ability. Dave Choate of the Falcoholic wrote about Smith’s praise for Campbell.

Chuck Smith has trained De’vondre Campbell, as well as defensive tackle Grady Jarrett at his pass rushing camp. For the first time in his career, Campbell should see extended pass rusher snaps. Should he excel in the role, he will provide a much-needed jolt to a Falcons pass rush that ranks number 24 in sacks.

The Falcons will likely spend majority of the afternoon in nickel defense against Drew Brees, and pass happy New Orleans. This will allow the team to use only two linebackers, replacing one with a defensive back.

When De’vondre Campbell slides down to defensive end in the nickel defense, rookie linebacker Foyesade Oluokun or veteran Kemal Ishmael will reap the reward of extra snaps at linebacker beside Duke Riley. Should Riley struggle mightily as he did last week, both men may see extended snaps.

Prediction

The Atlanta Falcons have so many injuries that it’s difficult to envision then holding the hated sAints to a low score. That means Matt Ryan and the offense must repeat or even improve on last week’s breakout performance.

When Atlanta and New Orleans meet, the games go down to the wire more often than not. I expect much of the same this week, another nail biter.

I expect the Atlanta Falcons to have the ball last this time. Unlike week one against Philly, the Dirty Birds will only need a field goal. Matt Ryan and Matt Bryant will provide just that.

Atlanta Falcons 34

New Orleans sAints 31

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