With another season of no playoff football and major questions surrounding the future of the current regime, all the Falcons can do is maximize the remaining five games and identify who can be counted on going forward. Pride is usually emphasized when a team is searching for motivation after falling well short of expectations. That leaves the question of what can fans watch for during this grim period.<\/p>\n
There are still things to accomplish and things to prove for players across the roster. Young players must continue establishing themselves. Veterans are playing for future contracts, whether it\u2019s in Atlanta or likely elsewhere. There is plenty to play for within the locker room, especially with matchups against three playoff teams, with two of them on primetime. Here are things to watch for that can help shape the team going into 2026, while celebrating a potential major achievement and the final games of a true fan favorite.<\/p>\n
When a team has only produced more than 50 sacks in a season once in franchise history, it means significantly more to earn that feat. When you have been the NFL\u2019s poster child of not being able to pressure quarterbacks for most of the last ten years, it has to be extra gratifying for fans to see quarterback pockets collapse consistently. The last time the Falcons produced more than 50 sacks was in 1997,<\/a> led by the great Chuck Smith. Surprisingly, the memorable 2004 defense missed it by two sacks, despite Patrick Kerney and Rod Coleman dismantling opposing offensive lines.<\/p>\n The Falcons are currently at 41 sacks, which puts them in striking distance of the total with five games remaining. It will be fascinating to see if someone ends up having a ten-sack season, whether it\u2019s James Pearce Jr. continuing his impressive surge, or Jalon Walker picking things back up after a few quiet games, or Brandon Dorlus continuing to make timely plays. All three players are at the top of the team\u2019s sack list, which is hugely encouraging for the unit\u2019s progression. They are all ascending players who will be counted on to lead the defensive front.<\/p>\n Pearce Jr. is rapidly building up his pass-rushing arsenal, which has led to four consecutive games with at least one sack. Although Walker is still finding his niche as an edge rusher, he possesses the intangibles to be a force. Dorlus has overwhelmed guards with his blistering get-off and relentless effort. With Leonard Floyd playing his best football of the season and Arnold Ebiketie remaining a capable option, there is no reason why they can\u2019t produce nine sacks in the final five games. Seeing the 50-sack total next to the Falcons would be eye-opening, considering how the defense has looked incapable in attempting to rush the passer during long periods over the last decade.<\/p>\n Interior offensive line\u2019s future<\/p>\n Given the lack of draft resources and personnel question marks elsewhere on the roster, it\u2019s unlikely the franchise will significantly invest in the offensive line, unless a new coaching staff and front office decide it\u2019s a major priority. Matthew Bergeron and Ryan Neuzil are players who could be potentially replaced. After playing well last year, Bergeron has looked sloppy at times, missing assignments and failing to pass off stunts properly in pass protection. He is far from a liability, but it shouldn\u2019t be a foregone conclusion that he will be the starting left guard for years to come.<\/p>\n The same applies to Neuzil, who is more at risk of losing his role due to his undrafted status and not exactly being a tone setter. Not being able to make blocks at the second level has hindered Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier on several occasions. While Neuzil has been relatively decent, there are notable limitations in his game that put a floor on the running game\u2019s ceiling.<\/p>\n At their best, Bergeron and Neuzil can make a massive difference as run blockers. That was evident in the upset win over Buffalo. Improving as communicators in pass protection and positionally as run blockers will be major factors in their development from being promising, mistake-prone players to dependable, technically sound blockers.<\/p>\n Interior defensive line\u2019s uncertain outlook<\/p>\n On the other side of the trenches, there are plenty of questions about the defensive tackle rotation. It\u2019s an undersized group that has looked overmatched under difficult circumstances. It\u2019s no secret that the coaching staff\u2019s decision not to add an interior lineman who can take on double teams and occupy space has come back to haunt them. Deciding to use five-man fronts with three defensive tackles ranging from 280 to 305 pounds proved to be an ineffective strategy.<\/p>\n Who will be counted on going forward from this group will be interesting to monitor. Dorlus has been the biggest standout as previously mentioned. Although he isn\u2019t built to play full-time inside, Zach Harrison can be counted on to cause havoc across the defensive line. It\u2019s unfortunate his season has been derailed by injuries. With David Onyemata likely not returning next season, it creates a major hole up front with no clear replacement on the roster based on performance.<\/p>\n Ruke Orhorhoro hasn\u2019t been the disruptive penetrator the coaching staff envisioned him to be. There are promising flashes as a pass rusher, but he remains a work in progress with his hands. What\u2019s most concerning is his inability to disengage from blocks and generate movement up front against the run. Only two tackles for a loss in 12 games is disappointing from a player who has played at least 36 snaps in every game since Week 7. A strong finish to the season would be vital for Orhorhoro, as the unit needs capable players up front to build their base around going into what will be a challenging offseason.<\/p>\n Tyler Allgeier\u2019s likely farewell<\/p>\n One of the most lovable players in recent memory will be a free agent in 2026. After four stellar years as a Falcon, many teams are going to be interested in adding the bulldozing running back to their offense. The possibility of him running behind Patrick Mahomes or Denver\u2019s outstanding offensive line is tantalizing. Wherever he ends up, it will be exciting to see him take on an expanded role. He deserves a greater opportunity for how hard he runs and works to grow as an all-around running back.<\/p>\n Before that happens, it\u2019s important to take the time to appreciate his journey as a fifth-round pick who was a walk-on at BYU. Allgeier has overcome the odds to establish himself as a certified playmaker in the NFL. Instead of relying on his assets as a power back who can thrive in between the tackles and punish second-level defenders, he made strides as an outside runner who can evade tackles and contribute in the passing game. His reliability as a pass blocker must be highlighted, given how young running backs can struggle picking up blitzes and knowing where to provide support.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had the pleasure of getting to know Allgeier over the years, starting back when I interviewed him<\/a> after he got drafted in 2022. His desire to evolve<\/a> has allowed the team to put him on the field whenever Bijan Robinson needs a break. The violence he runs with has made him incredibly effective in wearing down defenses in the fourth quarter. What the former Cougar has done to help dog owners within the community<\/a> is admirable. Allgeier will be missed in Atlanta. Enjoy the final games in what will conclude one of the most enjoyable, late-round success stories in franchise history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With another season of no playoff football and major questions surrounding the future of the current regime, all…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575499,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2074],"tags":[223,254,79029,2591,2595,2554,224,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-575498","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-atlanta-falcons","8":"tag-atlanta","9":"tag-atlanta-falcons","10":"tag-atlanta-falcons-analysis","11":"tag-atlanta-falcons-news","12":"tag-atlanta-falcons-roster","13":"tag-atlantafalcons","14":"tag-falcons","15":"tag-football","16":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115661570278451510","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}