The Film Don't Lie: Falcons

The Film Don't Lie: Falcons
October, 7, 2014
Oct 7
By Vaughn McClure | ESPN.com

A weekly look at what the Atlanta Falcons must fix:

The lack of a pass rush continues to be a problem for the 2-3 Falcons as they prepare to face the 2-3 Chicago Bears on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

During Sunday's 30-20 loss to the New York Giants, the Falcons managed just one sack: by veteran designated pass-rusher Osi Umenyiora. But even Umenyiora would admit it was a gimme, considering Giants offensive tackle Will Beatty slipped to the ground, allowing Umenyiora to get to Eli Manning.

There are too many instances in which the Falcons are getting somewhat close to the quarterback, but not finishing the play. They had just six quarterback hurries in the game, and at times, Manning had all day to scan the field. There were other times when he simply got the ball out quickly.

Now, the Falcons will face a quarterback in Jay Cutler who gets rattled by pressure and forces throws. In a loss at Carolina, Cutler was 1-for-5 with two interceptions on passes thrown 15-plus yards down the field, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Before Sunday's loss, he had a 24 percent completion rate on such throws, which ranked 31st out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, they really haven't generated enough pressure to knock any quarterback off his game, other than Tampa Bay's Josh McCown. The Falcons still rank second to last in the league in sacks per pass play and take just four total sacks into Sunday's contest.