Falcons Legend John Abraham Blasts Defense after Meek Showing vs. Broncos

The Atlanta Falcons defense has progressively gotten worse as the season goes along, with a total collapse in a 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Atlanta Falcons legend John Abraham ripped the defense following a total collapse against the Denver Broncos. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons were embarrassed by the Denver Broncos 38-6 on Sunday as their already porous defense completely collapsed ahead of the bye week. 

Former Falcons star John Abraham knows a thing or two about defense. He’s second-all-time on the Falcons with 68.5 sacks, including 16.5 in 2008. 

After the game, Abraham made an appearance on 11Alive News with Maria Martin. She asked Abraham what’s gone wrong with the Falcons and how does it get better during the bye week?  

“When I saw this team today, and I’m a fan, listening to the fans, they can see ‘What are they doing?’ If we've got to ask what are they doing, they've got to ask themselves the same thing,” Abraham said.

“Cause when I see Grady Jarrett running ten yards down the field trying to make a tackle, that’s bad, that’s bad … that’s a team thing … it’s kind of embarrassing.”

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Jarrett was the first Falcons defender to touch Broncos receivers Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin as they went into the end zone on screen passes. The play to Mims was a 12-yard catch and run from Bo Nix with 25 seconds left in the first half that pushed the Broncos lead to 21-6.

“You watch how they play, in order to play fast, physical, hard football, you got to know the person inside,” said Abraham. “You got to know what’s going on, you got to know the teams they’re playing.”

Abraham intimated there was a disconnect between Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and the defensive personnel, and the game plan for the Broncos was misappropriated. 

For example, please explain why, though it is traditionally stylistic for Raheem Morris, it is soft-cover 3 zone with one bunched-up linebacker-blitz package being the weekly “creativity” on display defensively. 

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is the most-short, intermediate-centric quarterback on the schedule. Head coach Sean Payton has been dicing Atlanta's defenses with his quick pass offense for years. So Lake’s answer was to back off the line of scrimmage and ask linebacker Kaden Elliss and Nate Landman to chase receivers in space? 

This Falcons staff team was not prepared on Sunday.

Abraham hinted there is a lack of trust between the players and the staff, and the bye week may be best spent trying to form a better connection.

“My schedule changed,” said Abraham of the pending week off. “Whatever I had, vacation, whatever time I had off, it’s going to be in there watching film, trying to connect with my teammates cause right now, they don’t have a connection. 

“You watch how they play, in order to play fast, physical, hard football, you got to know the person inside. You got to know what’s going on, you got to know the teams they’re playing.” 

The closest sentiment to John Abraham’s comments in the Falcons locker room was Elliss post game speaking with Fox 5’s Justin Felder. When asked of the Falcons mood following the game, Elliss didn’t hold back.

“Pissed off,” Elliss said. “But we’ll let that fuel us. We’ll let the leaders keep going and make that pissed off for greatness.”

The Falcons return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1st to take on the (7-3) Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert-led Los Angeles Chargers. 

The Falcons have the bye week to do some soul searching. Is the soft, passive team we’ve seen the last six weeks who they want to be, or not?

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Future HOF Pass Rusher John Abraham’s Credentials

• 13th overall pick
• 3x 1st Team All-Pro
• 1x 2nd Team All-Pro
• 5x Pro Bowl
• 15 seasons
• Falcons All-Time Sack Leader (68.5)
• 133.5 sacks (13th All-Time)
• 47 Forced Fumbles (4th All-Time)
• 8 double-digit sack seasons (9.5 in 2011)