Falcons Giving 2 Defenders Bigger Roles vs. Giants

In Sunday's game against the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone and defensive lineman Zach Harrison are expected to play more.

Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Zach Harrison has earned a larger role, according to defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' defense is surging, and it's doing so behind the momentum of a resurgent pass rush.

Atlanta has 13 sacks over the past three games, which is second in the NFL, trailing the Dallas Cowboys by one. The last time the Falcons had at least four sacks in three consecutive contests came at the end of the 2004 season.

How's Atlanta, which had just 10 sacks in 11 games, fostered such a turnaround since its Week 12 bye week? Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said it's the continuation of a process that began this offseason, and as results have started flowing in, confidence has skyrocketed.

The same is true for a pair of young Falcons defenders in second-year defensive lineman Zach Harrison and third-year outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone.

Harrison played his best game of the season in Monday night's 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, securing his first sack and quarterback hit of 2024 while adding two tackles for loss. He made a run stop in the endzone, firing off the line of scrimmage to force a safety and gift Atlanta's defense two points early in the victory.

Additionally, Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams credited Harrison -- among others -- with helping create space for receiver KhaDarel Hodge to block and deflect punts.

Harrison, who bulked up and transitioned from an edge to an interior role this season, is one of the best embodiments of Lake's explanation for the Falcons' improving pass rush. The 23-year-old Harrison is steadily growing more comfortable inside, and results have followed.

Now, playing time will, too.

"I'm so proud of Zach," Lake said Thursday. "Another guy that has had his role increased as well, playing different positions for us across the front and he's been extremely effective wherever we put him. So, he's another guy that also his role will continue to grow because of his production."

Malone is a similar position to Harrison. The two share in being third-round drafts, Malone in 2022 and Harrison in 2023, along with breaking out in Las Vegas. Malone is also a standout special teams player, a fact Lake acknowledged Thursday.

And Malone's ability in the game's third phase not only helped him win a roster spot this summer but has enabled him to see more snaps on defense.

"The first thing is him just dominating his role on special teams," Lake said about Malone. "Probably easily one of the top five special teams players in the National Football League. And so completely dominating his role. And when people do that, you want to also find other things for them to do."

The Falcons tried to expand Malone's defensive role earlier this season with hopes of adding a spark to their pass rush. It didn't necessarily work.

After playing only two snaps on defense in 2023, Malone spent the first eight games of this season working solely on special teams. He played 23 defensive snaps in Week 9 but only saw the field for 14 total defensive snaps over the next four games.

Malone matched that number of snaps Monday night and he capitalized on the opportunity, notching two sacks and three quarterback hits. He entered the game with just one career sack, which came Oct. 23, 2022, against the Cincinnati Bengals, but reached new heights in Las Vegas.

As one may expect, Malone is expected to play more over the season's final three games.

"He's starting to get a little bit of production," Lake said. "We saw the pass rush heating up, and now he's getting some results. And now here moving forward, you'll probably see him even get a little bit more of a role. That's how it really works throughout the whole football team.

"The guys start producing, and all of a sudden you start getting more roles and more reps in the phases that you're involved in."

How big of roles will Harrison and Malone get to close the season? Only time will tell -- with the first test coming at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the Falcons (7-7) face the New York Giants (2-12) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.