Atlanta is getting contributions from everywhere. The rookie class — James Pearce Jr., Jalon Walker, Billy Bowman, and Xavier Watts — has grabbed most of the headlines, but the second- and third-year players have been just as impactful. Brandon Dorlus, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Zach Harrison are all playing some of the best football of their young careers.
The front office nailed free agency, too. Leonard Floyd and Divine Deablo have been standouts, giving the defense a perfect mix of young talent and veteran presence. All of this points back to general manager Terry Fontenot, whose roster-building over the past couple of seasons is paying off in a big way.
And it’s not just the players, the coaching staff has been just as impressive. New defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich looks like the single biggest offseason upgrade, bringing a level of aggressiveness and creativity that had been missing. Raheem Morris clearly has his fingerprints on this unit as well.
Through two weeks, the Falcons are top-10 in every major defensive metric — top-five in most of them — and lead the NFL in one of the most telling categories: havoc plays.
Havoc plays are the percentage of plays that result in a sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble, interception, or pass break up. Essentially, they are a clear defensive win, something Atlanta is doing 48% of the time.
Top NFL defenses in “Havoc” which is the % of plays a defense gets a pressure, TFL, forced fumble, INT, or pass breakup:
1. ATL (48%)
2. GB (46.2%)
3. CLE (46.1%)
4. DEN (45.1%)
5. LAC (44.7%)
6. SF (42.7%)
7. LV (42.3%)
7. BUF (42.3%)
9. ARZ (41.8%)
10. NE (41.2%)
11. PHI…
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 16, 2025
It’s only been two weeks, and facing a first-year starter like J.J. McCarthy certainly helped inflate the numbers. But compared to what we’ve seen from this team in recent years, this defense might as well be the ’85 Bears. The Falcons defense is no longer holding the team back. It’s now a group capable of winning games on its own, something Atlanta fans haven’t been able to say very often over the last two decades.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire