Falcons Know Pass Rush is 'Not Good Enough.' But They're 'Right There'

Last in the NFL in sacks, the Atlanta Falcons acknowledge their pass rushing numbers aren't where they need to be.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was not sacked -- or even hit -- in Sunday's game versus the Atlanta Falcons. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' NFL-worst pass rush may have hit a new low in Sunday's 31-26 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Atlanta's league-low six sacks not only remained unchanged despite Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield's 50 pass attempts, but so did the Falcons' 30 quarterback hits, which ranks fourth-worst league-wide. It was their first game this season without a quarterback hit.

And Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who has long acknowledged the team's pass rush struggles, is well aware Atlanta needs more production from its defense.

"It's not good enough," Morris said in a press conference Monday. "We've got to get better at pass rush -- it's something we've had an emphasis on. It's something we put the finger on and really dove into."

The Falcons have only one sack in their last three games, coming from outside linebacker James Smith-Williams against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. Atlanta has a sack rate of just 2.18%, the worst in the league by a full percentage point. Only three other teams have rates below 5.7%.

Exiting Sunday ranked No. 29 in pressure rate, the Falcons' pass rush struggles go beyond their lack of sacks -- something Morris is unafraid to accept.

"I don't really fear talking about it when it's not good enough because we've got to get it better," Morris said. "You want to find a way to make it better, so it doesn't hinder you from winning enough football games that you want to win. And that's the most important thing to me.

"How can we get it better so when we really need it, it shows up for us?"

Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, who has no sacks but is third on the team with four quarterback hits, thinks some of the team's struggles are overblown.

Ebiketie said Atlanta's issues aren't about getting to the quarterback, but rather finishing when the opportunity arises -- a view he feels is an area of disconnect between the team and those on the outside.

"I do read the comments," Ebiketie told Atlanta Falcons on SI after beating the Buccaneers. "I see it a lot. I feel like the sack number really doesn't tell the whole picture. At the end of the day, that's the position we're in now. We just got to keep working."

Morris noted the Falcons will continue discussing how to improve their pass rush, including the manner in which Atlanta's players are approaching their rushes.

But the over-arching theme for Morris is to find cohesion, be it when the team has a traditional four-man rush or sends blitz packages with linebacker Kaden Elliss or cornerback Dee Alford, among others.

"Hey, listen, we've got to find a way to rush five as one when Kaden’s going. We got to find a way to rush four as one when they're rushing," Morris said. "So, like, hey, we've got to pick that up. That's definitely got to be increased."

As the Falcons move toward their Week 9 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, who are tied for No. 16 league-wide with 18 sacks allowed, an opportunity exists to ignite the pass rush.

Now comes the hard part: doing it.

"I think we're right there," Ebiketie said. "It's just a matter of truly breaking down the film and bringing the quarterback down. It's not really about not getting there. Just got to start finishing some of them plays and the result is going to be completely different."

The NFC South-leading Falcons (5-3) and Dallas Cowboys (3-4) kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.