There were a number of surprising developments in the Atlanta Falcons' 22-6 road win over the Vikings. None was more shocking than an unstoppable pass rush, harassing J.J. McCarthy from the first quarter and consistently getting home. While it is important to note that Minnesota was dealing with offensive line injuries, this has rarely propped up Atlanta's pass rush in seasons past. Watching the Falcons get after the quarterback at this level was genuinely shocking and left hope that perhaps Jeff Ulbrich's unit is truly going to be capable of getting to the quarterback.
What made the game so exciting was the fact that it wasn't one player having an outlier performance, but an incredible group effort. Zach Harrison, Brandon Dorlus, Jalon Walker, Leonard Floyd, Ruke Orhorhoro, and James Pearce Jr. all got to J.J. McCarthy throughout the course of the game. It was the first time the Falcons had managed six sacks in the same game in nearly eight years.
Falcons Pass Rush Torments J.J. McCarthy, Leaving Hope of What Jeff Ulbrich's Defense Might Accomplish
The last time the Falcons reached this sack number was back in 2017 when Adrian Clayborn had a career game against Dallas. A feat the veteran wouldn't again come close to matching in the remainder of his career. Getting Dak Prescott six times in the same game was a clear outlier and not nearly the same level of production the Falcons saw in Minnesota. What makes it more exciting is the fact that it wasn't an individual accomplishment.
Ulbrich's defense made a clear effort to mix up its blitzes and consistently rotate its edge rushers. This resulted in incredible production and left room to wonder if the pass rush is finally fixed. It has been a long road for Atlanta fans searching for a reason to believe the defense could finally rush the quarterback with some level of consistency. Sunday's performance is enough to bring a cautious level of hope to a frustrated fan base.
A large piece of this is the fact that both Pearce and Walker are only going to get better as the season goes on. Both rookie pass rushers are learning at warp speed and have made a clear leap only two weeks into the season. This level of evolution leaves an unknown ceiling for a group that is about to play two questionable offensive lines in the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders before an early-season bye.
Falcons fans are quickly going to know if this is truly fixed or simply an outlier of a Minnesota team playing on a short week on the road. The latter seems unlikely when you consider the obvious improvements Ulbrich made and the talent the Falcons flashed. No question, it seems Atlanta finally has a pass rush, one that is good enough to support an improved secondary and leaves reason to believe the playoff drought will finally reach its end.