FLOWERY BRANCH — In their most recent outing, the Falcons increased their sack total for the season by 50% by getting three against the Cowboys on Sunday.
However, they still rank last in the NFL with nine sacks.
When the Falcons (6-3) face the Saints (2-7) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, they will be looking to build off the good showing.
“When you are struggling with something, the only way I know to get better is to work,” Falcons outside linebacker coach Jacquies Smith said. “You have to do work on the practice field. You have to do some mental study. You have to go back and critique yourself and your game. Continue to fix things that help you get out of slumps.”
The Falcons also had six quarterback hits against the Cowboys. The pass-rush hit a new low for the season Oct. 27 against the Buccaneers, when they didn’t get a hit on or a sack of Baker Mayfield on 50 drop-backs in the 31-26 victory.
The previous low came in the 38-20 win over the Panthers on Oct. 13. The Falcons didn’t get a sack against the 36-year-old Andy Dalton. The Falcons did get three quarterback hits, but they let him escape for an 18-yard gain.
“If you are dealing with a slump ... the only way I know (to get out of it) is to work,” Smith said. “I think these guys are doing a great job of coming to work. They are listening to all of those things we are trying to instill in them. Now, we just have to get the results. That’s it.”
Smith felt enough practice time has been allotted for the pass rush and said the weekly pass-rush plan is a collaborative effort among the defensive coaches.
The Falcons traded for outside linebacker Matthew Judon in August. The Falcons sent a third-round pick to New England for Judon, a former Pro Bowl player who entered the season 66.5 career sacks. He was coming off a pectoral injury that caused him to play only four games last season.
He now has 68 career sacks and has not sacked the quarterback since Week 2 of the regular season.
“The thing about it when you add new people, the OTAs, spring, and I know in the NFL right now that whole spring and OTAs has been cut short,” Smith said. “But it’s very important when you are trying to build some consistency, come camaraderie.”
Quite frankly, there has been a transition period.
“When you just basically put jumper cables on something, you are still trying to feel each other (out),” Smith said. “What works well? What doesn’t work well. You get to see a person every day. From a leadership and all of (those) aspects, he’s going about everything the right way.”
Smith believes Judon’s timing is off.
“I think the timing and the things of that nature,” Smith said. “This guy didn’t play football last year. Those type of things with timing and all of that. But he’s doing everything we’re asking him (to do). … We just need to get the results on Sundays.”
Judon has won some of his one-on-one matchups, but the ball has been thrown quickly, in come cases.
“The ultimate goal is to get him (the quarterback) on the ground,” Smith said.
The Falcons also are trying to figure out how to best use outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie. He finished last season with six sacks. He got his first sack against Dallas.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Ebiketie is playing with better awareness.
“(He can) drop, show as a rusher, an athlete in space,” Morris said. “Run (stunts) with (defensive linemen) David (Onyemata) and Grady Jarrett. “I’m really fired up about where he’s going and his development.”
Ebiketie also had three quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss against the Cowboys.
“I think we just made (it) an emphasis,” Ebiketie said. “We knew that’s one aspect that we had to get better at moving forward. … Hopefully we will be able to keep that going and even get better at it.”
The Falcons heard all of the talk about getting quarterbacks off the spot and making them hurry their throws. They want sacks.
“Definitely, it’s a huge momentum swing for the defense and the team as a whole,” Ebiketie said. “So, every time we are able to bring the quarterback down it helps the team’s confidence, with the goals that we have.”
The Falcons could get a boost from the return of speedy linebacker Troy Andersen. He’s missed the past five games with a left knee injury.
“We’ve been making an emphasis of that in practice,” Andersen said. “Practice habits become game-day reality, is what we’ve been saying. Finally, to get a couple of sacks and have that come to fruition is exciting. We’ll try to keep moving forward.”
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