The story for the Atlanta Falcons this year has been all about the quarterback room. First, it was Cooper Rush's disastrous play, now it's Michael Penix's triumphant return to the lineup. What discussion that's leftover is reserved for running back Bijan Robinson, who's off to a brilliant start so far this season.
It's a shame, because Atlanta's defense is doing some special things despite losing several pieces up front. Even though Jalon Walker is on injured reserve, James Pearce is suspended and Da'Shawn Hand is out for the season, the Falcons are dominating against the run and consistently getting pressure on the quarterback without blitzing.
Heading into Week 4, Atlanta has allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL by a wide margin.
They also have the league's third-highest pressure rate while only one other team is blitzing less often.
The #Falcons are third in the NFL in QB pressure rate (41.6%) despite blitzing only 19% of the time, the second lowest mark in the league.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 29, 2026
So far, the most-impressive defender up front has been defensive end Cameron Thomas, who has 1.5 sacks and leads the team with seven quarterback hits. Veteran Za'Darius Smith is also balling with a team-high 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss.
This isn't just a player-led phenomenon, though. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich deserves a lot of the credit for keeping this group performing at a high level despite missing several important pieces.
If the Falcons can keep this up for the entire season, Ulbrich may get some head coach buzz when it's over.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons defense defying losses up front through three games
