Now that the dust has settled on a disappointing Week 1 performance by the Falcons, it’s time to dive a little deeper into the issues the team experienced on Sunday. The offensive issues—misfires on 4th down, failure to convert in the red zone—have been pretty well covered, so I’ll turn my attention to the defense today. While there were some encouraging signs, things ultimately did not go well for Atlanta on opening day.
Let’s start with the positives. The defensive line looked downright dominant against the mediocre offensive line of the Seahawks. Russell Wilson was under pressure constantly, and the Falcons picked up 3 sacks.