EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Falcons’ defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown since the third quarter of a Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Three weeks, two games and nine quarters later, on Sunday afternoon, the Falcons held an opponent out of the end zone for the second time in just a few weeks, capping off a 13-8 victory over the New York Jets. .
The nine scoreless quarters is the longest stretch since 2019, when the Falcons defense went scoreless for 10 quarters between Weeks 8 and 11. The current nine consecutive quarters is tied with Baltimore for the longest streak this season.
Don’t get me wrong. Sunday’s win was an offensive effort by both teams. Due to the weather conditions (90% chance of rain from start to finish), the Falcons knew it would be difficult to win points or have any offensive success. That may not have been what the offense wanted to hear, but it was good for the Falcons’ defense, which found the recipe for success after a Week 11 bye.
Before the bye week, the Falcons allowed a combined 84 points and nine touchdowns to the Titans, Vikings, and Cardinals. All three teams scored at least 25 points in each game. The Falcons had yet to see a team score more than 25 points in the first seven games of the season. Since returning from the bye week, the Falcons’ defense has returned to its first third of the season.
The Falcons’ defense has not allowed a touchdown in the past two games. Against Atlanta, the Saints and Jets were a combined 0-for-6 in reaching the red zone (the Saints played in five of those six games). Since allowing a touchdown in the third quarter of the loss at Arizona, the defense has had 25 consecutive touchdownless drives. According to Sunday’s broadcast, this is the longest consecutive appearance streak in the NFL. Of the opponent’s 25 possessions, nine ended in field goal opportunities and six ended in turnovers (or turnovers on downs).
Needless to say, the key to success is keeping your opponent out of the end zone. That gives the team a chance to win, head coach Arthur Smith said. But what happened to this change in defense? It’s rare for an NFL offense to stay outside the end zone. It is even rarer for it to occur for two consecutive weeks. (And for those interested, New Orleans averages 20.8 points per game, New York averages 14.8 points per game. These numbers are nothing to be deterred by, but in either case, if either team is close to the average, they have a chance to win).
When asked about this dynamic play by the defense, those who make up the unit said there were some general changes the Falcons made that worked.
“There were plays that we were giving up on, so we started calling them a certain way,” Calais Campbell said. “…It’s us who are thinking about what we can do to counter what people are trying to do to us.”
As a defensive lineman, Campbell said one of the obvious changes that made a difference in his eyes was the Falcons’ decision to keep more linemen on the field on passing downs. This is a small change that has affected sacks (5), quarterback hits (9) and tackles for loss (13) over the past two weeks.
Linebacker Bud Dupree, who finished Sunday’s game with two sacks, seven tackles and one fumble, said he has to give credit where credit is due for his defensive play over the past two weeks. He has to give credit to the top.
“Thank you Ryan Nielsen,” Dupree said of his defensive coordinator. “He’s putting us in situations where we can play the ball. We’ve adjusted as the season has gone on. … It’s a call. He’s the one that got us the juice.”
Dupree said Nielsen’s enthusiasm and passion for the game “matches the play” of his unit over the past two weeks. That change also includes a mental change.
Even though the Falcons lost their last three games before the bye week, they still had their sights set on the NFC South for first place. That gave them room to compete, even though their record at the time was 4 wins and 6 losses.
Currently 6-6, the Falcons’ defense has played a big role in getting the team back to .500.
“We want to go to the playoffs. We want to win a district championship,” Campbell said. “So we’re fighting with everything we’ve got. There’s a mentality that comes with that.”