The impending return of linebacker Divine Deablo could do wonders to revive a struggling Atlanta Falcons defense. Such a resurrection should help the Falcons snap their five-game losing streak this weekend
against the New Orleans Saints, in the hopes of reversing the downward spiral that is the 2025 Falcons season.
Deablo suffered a broken forearm early in the Falcons’ Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, prompting him to miss the better part of five games. That absence has sparked a massive production downturn for the Falcons over the past month.
The Falcons’ pass defense has been abysmal without Deablo
During the Falcons’ first five games with a healthy Deablo in the lineup, the defense ranked fifth in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play, according to the website Running Backs Don’t Matter. Since then, the defense ranks 27th. That drop in performance has been directly due to a decline in the team’s pass defense, since the Falcons’ run defense was already on the struggle bus before Deablo’s injury. The team’s EPA allowed per dropback with Deablo in the lineup ranked fifth, also, but 25th since. According to TruMedia, cited in a recent Locked On Falcons podcast, opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 76.7 with Deablo on the field versus 111.2 without him.
Clearly, the Falcons sported one of the NFL’s most dangerous defenses with a healthy Deablo earlier this season, and expectations are that it’ll return to that level for a stretch run in which the team will face some of the NFL’s top passing attacks. That won’t be the case this Sunday against the Saints, but subsequent opponents like the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and even the Arizona Cardinals sport passing attacks that rank in the upper half of the NFL in EPA per dropback. Restoring an elite pass defense could give the struggling Falcons a chance to compete against those teams and others during the final seven games, with quarterback Kirk Cousins back at the helm.
A dominant Deablo-led defense can compensate for an expected sinking Falcons offense
As the Falcons’ defense has slumped with Deablo out of the lineup, the team’s offense has also flopped with Cousins under center. Cousins has stepped in for Penix thus far on 18 offensive series, with the team scoring a total of 16 points (three field goals, one touchdown). That means the Falcons’ scoring rate is 22 percent, and they’re averaging 0.9 points per drive with Cousins under center. That puts them firmly at the bottom of the NFL’s scoring offense, with the Cleveland Browns’ scoring rate of 26 percent and the Tennessee Titans’ 1.1 points per drive currently ranking last according to Pro Football Reference. Those figures represent a massive dropoff from 2024, when the predominantly Cousins-led Falcons offense ranked 15th in scoring rate and 14th in points per drive.
Perhaps with Cousins getting more practice reps in the coming weeks, it will lead to another resurrection on that side of the ball. But based on the results so far, there should be low expectations that the Falcons will suddenly be lighting up the scoreboard over the next seven games. If that is the case, then the Falcons’ ability to win games will rely on a dominant defense.
Deablo’s presence helps the Falcons match up against the Saints
They can achieve that if Deablo provides that much-needed shot of adrenaline to the passing defense. And that injection should help immediately in this weekend’s matchup against the Saints. Adding an athlete like Deablo back in the middle of the defense will help the Falcons deal with the athletic, young passer in Tyler Shough. While Shough hasn’t been much of a scrambler in his first two starts, he’s shown a propensity to extend plays outside the pocket, leading to some explosive plays down the field. Deablo’s ability to cover ground at warp speed should help limit the young passer.
Deablo’s presence should also spark linebacker Kaden Elliss to play his best football, which hasn’t been the case since Deablo’s exit. With Deablo able to handle more coverage opportunities, that will allow Elliss to blitz more, which is what he does best. According to PFF, Elliss’ pressure rate increases from 19 to 26 percent when Deablo is on the field. This ability to elevate his fellow linebacker is a significant element of Deablo’s value to the defense. The Falcons’ defense has been at its best when blitzing this year, and Shough has been at his worst when blitzed this year. His 41 percent completion rate when blitzed would rank dead last among qualifying starters, according to Next Gen Stats.
Deablo is a coverage eraser of backs and tight ends
But the most apparent result of Deablo’s coverage abilities is how it limits pass-catchers. That’s pretty self-evident, especially when you learn how bad the Falcons have been at covering running backs and tight ends in Deablo’s absence. With a healthy Deablo on the field in their first five games, the Falcons allowed a total of 146 yards combined to running backs and tight ends, which was the lowest of any team through the first six weeks. Without Deablo over their last five games, the Falcons have allowed 570 yards to backs and tight ends, which is the second most since then. The Falcons struggled to contain running backs like Christian McCaffrey and Rico Dowdle, along with tight ends Hunter Henry and Tyler Warren, in recent games. Slowing down those positions will be important against the Saints, since running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Juwan Johnson are featured weapons behind wide receiver Chris Olave.
Deablo’s return should trigger a cascading domino effect that reinforces the Falcons’ defense on multiple levels this weekend against the Saints and beyond. Without a young quarterback to root for in these final seven games—and possibly beyond —the Falcons’ only hope centers on their young defense sparking optimism for a brighter future. Deablo is at the centerpiece of that young defense, and his return now should allow them to shine in many ways.
