A Look Ahead: 2010 Atlanta Falcons Defense

As the Falcons finished out the 2009 campaign with their first back to back winning seasons in franchise history, there were many reasons to believe their success would continue into 2010. With a majority of their roster consisting of young, talented, home-grown players, the Falcons found themselves in a favorable position to offer free agent CB Dunta Robinson a lucrative contract. Robinson looks to provide the Falcons secondary with the shut down cornerback that they desperately needed the past two seasons, and allows talented young corners Brent Grimes and Chris Owens to move into more favorable matchups. Add into the mix a solid safety tandem consisting of veteran Erik Coleman, alongside promising 3rd year talent Thomas DeCoud, and the Falcons suddenly have a secondary that has the makeup to complete with Drew Brees and the high-flying Saints offense.

Looking at the front seven, the Falcons have put together a group that can be downright nasty, or simply putrid. Although John Abraham has certainly lost a step in his game, he is still an elite pass rusher when healthy. Entering his 11th year in the NFL, Abraham has only started all 16 games just 3 seasons, although 2 of those have come over the past 3 seasons. Abraham should be aided by the emergence of 2008 5th round draft pick Kroy Biermann. Biermann made a name for himself last season, piling up 5 sacks in limited action. Bottom line, this is a tireless worker with a motor comparable to that of Jared Allen. Expect him to reach double digits in sacks this year and be a constant force up front. Although Biermann and DeCoud were excellent steals of the 2008 draft, perhaps the biggest steal came in round 2 with the selection of Curtis Lofton. Lofton racked up 133 tackles last season and appears determined to make a strong push for his first pro bowl appearance this season. To many, he remains an unknown name for the fact that he had zero sacks or interceptions last season, primarily attributed to the lack of creative blitz packages with a young, unproven secondary. Lofton is still one of the elite run stoppers in the league and should be expected to get after the quarterback more this season. After Lofton, the questions really begin piling up for the Falcons on defense. With age and injury always a concern for Abraham, the same reigns true with 34 year old OLB Mike Peterson, who has started 10 or less games 3 of the past 4 seasons. 19th overall pick OLB Sean Witherspoon should be an immediate help for a linebacking corps that struggled in pass coverage last season, however it remains to be seen how he can play the run or get after that quarterback. All of the physical tools are certainly there for this kid; the only question is how long it takes him to put it together.

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Keys to the Defense - The Falcons need their defensive tackles to take their game to the next level for this defense to reach “elite” status. Peria Jerry showed very little to warrant being selected 24th overall in 2009. After sustaining a season ending injury just 2 weeks into the season, the 6-2 294 DT is undersized and has appeared overmatched at the NFL level. Jonathan Babineaux has continued to improve his game over the past several seasons, reaching career highs in sacks (6) and tackles (58) in 2009.

X-Factors - Look for second year 2nd round pick William Moore to challenge Erik Coleman for the starting strong safety position. The severity of any potential loss on the defensive line will be lessened by the Falcons emphasis on a heavy defensive line rotation. Chances are, if you are on the active game day roster for the defensive line, then you will see action on the field. Three names to watch are Corey Peters, Trey Lewis, and Jamaal Anderson. 3rd round pick Corey Peters has received praise from the Falcons brass as being further along in his development than anticipated when he was drafted. Trey Lewis was a bright spot for the Falcons in the dismal Bobby Petrino plagued season as a 6th round run stuffing defensive tackle with deceptive quickness for his size. After tearing his ACL in the tenth game of his rookie campaign, Lewis re-aggravated the injury post-surgery ending his 2008 season. After a lost year in 2009, Lewis has appeared healthy with a rejuvenated burst to his game, earning him the spot start in game one at Pittsburgh for the suspended Jonathan Babineaux. Finally, the Falcons are taking a new approach to high profile “bust” defensive end Jamaal Anderson. The fourth year pro who was taken 8th overall in the 2007 NFL draft has only recorded 2.5 sacks in his first three seasons. Anderson has put on 15 pounds over the offseason in an effort to see action at defensive tackle. Here he will have an easier time getting off the snap and using his quickness on interior lineman. Don’t expect his numbers to improve too much, but the overall effectiveness of his play will.

Final Product - The depth and “role players” are certainly in place for Atlanta. Their secondary is young but extremely talented. If Babineaux and Jerry can establish a presence in the middle, along with Lofton becoming more of a game changer, expect the Falcons defense to be top 10 throughout the season.

By Kevin Sirkin
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer