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The Atlanta Falcons may have to play the most important game of their season without the team’s top pass-rusher. Atlanta face the San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 15, still with the slim hope of reaching the playoffs.
Hope of qualifying for the postseason has been kept alive for a 6-7 team by the play of its defense. An improving unit has been feasting on turnovers in the last two games. The Falcons returned an interception for a touchdown against both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers.
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Those splash plays have boosted a defense often let down by a tame pass rush The Falcons have logged the fewest sacks in the NFL this season, just 16, per the league’s official site. One man has been responsible for a team-leading 4.5 of those takedowns, but he’s missed two-straight days of practice ahead of facing the Niners.
Pass Rush Lacks Punch Without Leading Man
His stats this season are far from gaudy, but Dante Fowler Jr. is a rare difference-maker on the Atlanta defense. He can generate legitimate heat off the edge, but he injured his calf during Week 14’s 29-21 win over the Panthers.
Fowler hasn’t practiced since the injury, according to Scott Bair of the Falcons’ official website. Bair noted how Fowler was continuing to deal with the calf problem on Thursday, so he didn’t participate in the December 16 session.
Meanwhile, the team’s full injury report revealed Fowler also sat out Wednesday’s practice. Missing two sessions in a row means the signs don’t bode well for Fowler being ready to start at Levi’s Stadium.
Head coach Arthur Smith indicated on Wednesday Fowler’s status would be monitored “day to day,” per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons’ official site.
Not having Fowler line up at outside linebacker on Sunday would be a major blow for defensive coordinator Dean Pees. He would be forced to get even more creative scheming pressure without one of the few players along Atlanta’s front seven able to win one-on-one matchups.
Fowler had been steady at best before Week 14, but he finally showed against the Panthers the type of explosiveness the Falcons’ pass rush needs. He was in on a key sack of Cam Newton in the fourth quarter:
The sack was part of a performance that also included three tackles for loss and another hit on the quarterback, according to Pro Football Reference. It was the kind of stat line the Falcons hoped to see more often from the player selected third overall in the 2015 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fowler has never lived up to the draft billing, even after a stop with the Los Angeles Rams from 2018-’20. Even so, he remains a key part of what the Falcons do to put pressure on the pocket.
Replacing Fowler won’t be easy, but if necessary, Pees could turn to former New England Patriots role player Brandon Copeland. Another alternative might involve giving more playing time to John Cominsky.
He’s a defensive end, but Falcons Wire analyst Scott Carasik noticed Cominsky had been moved “to an OLB role” against the Panthers:
Pees has options for coping without Fowler, but Atlanta’s problems with a weak pass rush aren’t going away beyond this season.
Pass-Rushers Must Be Falcons’ Priority This Offseason
Adding more oomph to the pass rush has to be the priority for general manager Terry Fontenot this offseason. Pressure is key in the NFC South, where Tom Brady continues to help the Bucs dominate. Fortunately, there are no shortage of options, both on the veteran market or via the collegiate ranks.
In terms of established talent, Pro Football Focus recently suggested a possible “reunion” between Pees and Harold Landry III. The latter plays for the Tennessee Titans where Pees called the defense from 2018-’20.
Landry’s a good fit for Pees’ complex and versatile schemes, but the price tag could be too heavy for the Falcons. Atlanta is projected by Spotrac.com to have just $14,037,788 worth of space under the salary cap. PFF projects Landry to fetch a contract valued at “$15M per year” if he hits the open market.
The Falcons may be best served waiting for the 2022 NFL draft to add the elite edge-rusher this defense needs. In the meantime, Pees will have to continue cobbling together pressure with various players blitzing from multiple angles. It’s a task that will be harder still if he can’t count on Fowler in the Bay Area.
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