It’s funny how sports works.
The Falcons defense was a huge area of concern before the game against the Miami Dolphins. Some thought that if the Falcons don’t reach the playoffs this year, it would be because of the struggles the defense would face against some potent offenses.
But the Falcons won 19- 7 on Sunday not because quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns and not because Tony Gonzalez had 73 yards receiving and one touchdown. They won because the defense played lights-outs throughout the contest and did not have any letdowns.
One thing that the defense was able to do is win the turnover battle. The unit was able to force the Dolphins to fumble three times and quarterback Chad Pennington threw an interception to new Falcons linebacker Mike Peterson, which led to a Falcons touchdown late in the third quarter.
Peterson also forced a fumble late in the second quarter which another newcomer, cornerback Brian Williams, returned to the Miami 31-yard line.
“Anytime where a guy makes a good play, whether he’s been here one week, five years or 12 years, it creates excitement,” head coach Mike Smith said after the game. “It creates excitement on the sidelines and it creates excitement in the stands.”
The defense was also able to apply pressure on Pennington, who is one of the most accurate passers in the game. Defensive end John Abraham proved that he is one of the best in the game, as he came up with two sacks. Second-year reserve defensive end Kroy Biermann, who had a strong preseason, had a great start to his 2009 year as he notched two sacks as well.
Peterson was not the only linebacker that played well. Curtis Lofton led the team in tackles with 11 and he forced one of Miami’s three fumbles. Stephen Nicholas notched six tackles and he even had one tackle on special teams.
The Falcons also won the battle on third down. The team was criticized in the preseason on its third-down defense, but it stepped up today as Miami only converted four of 11 chances on third down.
“When you win those third downs, you get the offense back out there on the field and they get an opportunity to go out there and play,” Smith added. “I think when you compound that with the turnovers that we were able to create, it really set us up well there in the first half.”
Now before fans get too excited, keep in mind it’s only the first week of the season and the defense has another test next Sunday when it takes on Steve Smith and the Carolina Panthers, who got hammered by the Philadelphia Eagles in their opening game. But it was a good start for a unit that still has some holes. If the defense can continue to improve, then it should be another magical season for the Atlanta Falcons.
Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.
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