Brandon Dorlus checks each box of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s “Heart. Mind. Fist.” philosophy.

He knows his “why” – the Heart. He knows his assignment – the Mind. In the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 3 win against the Vikings, he puked and rallied — that’s the Fist.

“I got caught in there for like six plays straight,” the defensive lineman said. “I was tired. I came to the sidelines. I threw up. Then, I was like, ‘All right, I’m ready to go back in there.'”

Dorlus got a quick break to catch his breath, among other things. The offense didn’t. Imagine how those across from Dorlus at the line of scrimmage felt without a moment of relief. They’re taking on wave after wave.

“It’s hitting people, but it’s constant,” Dorlus said. “How much are you hitting a person? How long can you do it for? Is there any drop-off? Say, if you don’t start and you’re a backup, when you go in, will it look the same as the starter?”

The Falcons recorded six sacks against the Vikings, tied for their most in a game since 2018. Atlanta surrendered only six points, its fewest in a game since 2020.

Ulbrich’s attack-style defense should wear opponents out, just like it did that Sunday.

“It’s almost like what the fist does for boxers,” safety DeMarcco Hellams said. “They land punches. Just land punch after punch.”

This level of physicality is the most obvious part of Fist, which may seem like the most self-explanatory aspect of Ulbrich’s philosophy.

However, there are layers within Fist — one for each letter in the word — that build up to the overall goal of a dominant performance.

“This Fist part starts in the offseason,” Ulbrich said. “It doesn’t just happen on Sundays. You build your body to not only deliver punishment but to withstand it, too. Because it’s going to go both ways. Just the nature of the beast.”

For that reason, Steven Benjamin, the team’s sports registered dietitian, encourages players to begin making improvements to their bodies, whether that be through exercise or nutrition, as soon as the season ends. They really only have until training camp to do so. Because once contact is introduced, the focus turns to damage control and strength maintenance.

Ulbrich knows how important prioritizing health is from his own career. He was a linebacker in the NFL for a decade, playing for the San Francisco 49ers from 2000-09. His history has shaped the way he coaches, especially the basics, which are introduced in the preseason.

“That’s where I really think the ex-player in me helps because it’s like the way that we teach tackling, for example, our head is up and out,” Ulbrich said. “I’ve been around five million coaches that tell you, ‘Put your screws on people.’ I’d like to say that I teach tackling, I teach block protection with my hands, I teach a lot of things where I’ve taken your head out of contact. Because you break your arm, you break your arm. Yeah, I feel bad. But to me, it’s the brain. It’s close and dear to my heart because it got me retired. Concussions did. So, I’d like to say that we’re teaching a brand of violent football that’s also as safe as it can be.”