The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WHERE THE FALCONS SAW IMPROVEMENT SUNDAY
First-round pick leads charge as Falcons show promise in pass rush.
PITTSBURGH — Long a point of emphasis, the Falcons pass rush appears to be coming along.
“I felt the speed defensively, early on especially,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said after the 17-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Heinz Field.
The Falcons had one sack and three quarterback hits, one by first-round pick Takkarist McKinley, who made his NFL debut.
“He was very excited to get going,” Quinn said. “He played a little bit at right end in our nickel package and a little bit on the punt return game. For him, getting his first NFL action was exciting for him.”
Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett also had a hit on Steelers quarterback Joshua Dobbs and backup linebacker Jack Lynn forced an interception.
Defensive end Charles Odom had the team’s only sack while J’Terious Jones had a sack taken away when cornerback Deji Olatoye was penalized for lining up in the neutral zone.
McKinley, who was the 26th player taken in the NFL draft from UCLA, has recovered from a surgically repaired right shoulder. His combination of speed and power has been impressive in practice but he was held out the exhibition opener against Miami.
On Sunday, he entered the game in the third quarter against the Steelers and continuously pursued the ball, chasing plays away
from him.
Drafted to help the pass rush opposite of Vic Beasley from the right side, McKinley didn’t register a sack nut in addition to his quarterback hit, he flashed on an inside stunt with Courtney Upshaw.
“I think he had a couple of pressures,” Beasley said of McKinley. “He’s starting to get acclimated with the game. Soon, he’ll be good to go.”
Beasley said he can feel the pass rush developing.
“I feel that our young guys are playing exceptionally well,” Beasley said. “The guys we brought in are playing exceptionally well. We’ve got a lot of big things coming.”
In a demonstration of his mobility, McKinley showed his speed on a two-man stunt, going up field and then cutting inside while Upshaw looped outside.
“I have to take a look at the tape,” Quinn said. “He didn’t get a lot of turns or a lot of opportunities. But
it was good having him out there.”
Jack Crawford, a defensive end who was signed in free agency, also made his debut with the Falcons.
“It felt good being out there because being in a game is a different feel,” said Crawford, who has been recovering from a groin injury. “I was in there for a long drive, like eight plays. It felt good to get my wind going.”
Crawford senses that the pass rush is coming along, too.
“I feel pretty good about the whole group,” Crawford said. “Rushing with these guys, we are so deep and we have some big-time pass rushers on this line. I just feel pretty good right now.”
Last season, the Falcons pass rush went from being anemic to encouraging. They are hoping with the addition of McKinley, Crawford and defensive tackle Dontari Poe, the rush will progress further.
Poe, a two-time Pro Bowler, has only 13 sacks over 78 NFL games. He had a career-high six sacks in 2014.
The Falcons believe that
Poe and Jarrett, who had three sacks in the Super Bowl, in the middle of the defense, the unit has a basis. Last season, Quinn had to blitz and send more than four players too often. His preference is to rush with only four players.
While with Kansas City, Poe had been asked mostly to anchor at nose guard in a 3-4 defense. He played some at defensive end, but wasn’t frequently asked to rush the passer. But after reviewing three seasons of film on Poe, the Falcons believe he can play in their attacking front.
The Falcons registered their 34 sacks last season over 655 pass attempts. Their 4.9 sack per attempt ranked 27th in the league. The team had just 19 sacks over 561 pass attempts in 2015.
The 34 sacks were the most by a Falcons team since the 37 in 2007.
“We’ve got a good rotation of guys who really battle at the defensive line spots,” Quinn said. “I’m encouraged by the work that they have put in. Takk is going to be an important part of that. We’ll go back, take a look and see how it went.”