The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS
After regressing vs. 49ers, defense faces test from Lions’ ground game.
FLOWERY BRANCH — Defensive coordinator Dean Pees was still wondering what happened to the Falcons’ improved run defense.
After holding the previous two opponents to 91 and 57 yards rushing, the Falcons were gashed for 162 yards in a 31-13 loss to San Francisco on Sunday.
The Falcons (6-8) will face another stiff rushing challenge when they face the Detroit Lions (2-11-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-benz Stadium.
The Lions average 111.6 yards rushing per game, which ranks 17th of 32 teams in the NFL.
“They’ve got a bunch of good backs,” Pees said Thursday. “(D’andre) Swift wasn’t even there last week, and they ran the ball very good with the third-team back (Craig Reynolds). This, I think, is more about the personality of the head coach (Dan Campbell) and who they want to be as a team. It’s a physical team, and they play hard.”
Pees believes the Lions’ record is deceiving and noted they are 1-6 in one-score games and lost one game on a 66-yard field goal by Baltimore’s Justin Tucker.
“The record means nothing to us,” Pees said. “They are a good running football team.”
Since the 43-3 blowout loss to Dallas on Nov. 14, the Falcons’ defense had been playing solid and respectable football.
“We just did some things that were uncharacteristic,” Pees said. “Nothing we’d done in practice. I asked the players, and no one really had an explanation. It wasn’t just one group. It was everybody.”
The defensive players had some tough video-review sessions this week.
“We made some (adjustments) that we
never make . ... So, I just think guys were pressing a little bit (and) trying to do too much,” Pees said. “That’s what happens when you think too much and you just don’t follow what you need to do.”
Pees didn’t like the big plays that were allowed Sunday, especially a screen pass to tight end George Kittle that went for 25 yards and a deep pass down the middle to Kittle that went for 28 yards. In all, the Falcons’ defense gave up five plays of 21 yards or more against the 49ers.
“We missed tackles,” Pees said. “We just really did some uncharacteristic things. One of the things that we’d taken a lot of pride in is not giving up many very big plays. We did in that first half. Everybody kind of gets in a panic mode. We did some things in the red area that were just, I didn’t understand them, and they really didn’t have an explanation for them.”
The Falcons believe they can put the defense back together.
“I think we’ve got to get back on track,” defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “Get back to stopping the run. Limiting the big plays. I think making tackles, across the board, is definitely big.”
The Lions could get Swift, their leading rusher, back from a shoulder injury he suffered against Chicago on Thanksgiving Day. He has missed the past three games.
In addition to Swift and Reynolds, the Lions have Jamaal Williams, who’s back from a stint on the NFL’S reserve/covid-19 list.
“They are running the ball really well,” Jarrett said. “It’s a physical unit up front. Their running backs are hitting the hole hard and playing with a lot of pride right now. We definitely have to be ready to play them.”
After stopping the run, the Falcons want to mount a pass rush. They didn’t get a sack and had only three quarterback hits against the 49ers. The Falcons rank last in the league with 16 sacks.
“Yeah, that’s something that’s definitely been dry,” outside linebacker Steven Means said. “It’s been dry for us. We are just trying to figure out how to do that within the scheme and not getting behind the quarterback.”
Means, who doesn’t have a sack this season, spent some time after practices working on his pass rush.
“We are trying to work the lanes, just trying to collapse the pocket almost in a sense,” Means said. “It’s just tough right now for us. Once that door gets open, hopefully, the floodgates will just rain for us . ... Just trying to not really reach outside of our elements, but still try to scratch and claw to get there.”
Rookie outside linebacker Ade Ogundeji has a sack and two quarterback hits.
“Still working with my hands and trying to shed off blocks,” Ogundeju said. “I think in the past, you can always work on your pass rush. I think just for me, I feel like I’m using my hands a lot better. I’m really getting up the field on the pass rush. I can get better with that. Those things you are trying to get better on the field, for me, it’s continuing to learn and continue to get better at those things.”