It’s certainly fair to say that the first year of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has not lived up to lofty expectations some might have had entering the 2021 season.
Watching an unproven Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles carve up the defense to the tune of 32 points in Week 1 was certainly a letdown and left a lingering, bitter aftertaste that hasn’t fully been rinsed away by the passage of time.
But this weekend’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers presents a great opportunity and litmus test to see how far the team has come since then.