The 49ers defense is one of the best in the league at “getting people off track,” according to Arthur Smith. The Falcons head coach continued by saying they consistently blow up double teams as well as attacking the edge of the protection.
Their physicality up front, Smith added, cannot be missed.
So, what does this mean for the Falcons? It means for them to have a chance against the No. 1 team in the NFC West they have to stay on track offensively and do so with a little bit of mystery. If the Falcons become too one-dimensional, as they did a bit in the first half against Tampa Bay, the 49ers can – and will – lock in.
“Those are the games within the game,” Smith said, “because when you’re playing a front like this and you make it really easy on them where they’re only thinking about one thing, it’s a nightmare.”
Smith brought up the need to limit negative plays, too.
“Whether they’re the penalties, poor execution, tackle for losses, sacks,” Smith listed, “then, you’re getting into too many third and 11-plus. More times than not the odds are against you and when you’re doing it against a really good front like this? That’s when they get you in a bind.”
“That’s what (San Francisco has) done most of the season to a lot of offenses.”
From the 49ers perspective, they’re working through a number of injuries that could factor into Sunday’s game. DT Arik Armstrong (foot, ankle), DE Nick Bosa (groin), DE Samson Ebukam (achilles), DT Javon Kinlaw (knee), CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee) and CB Jimmie Ward (hand) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Their statuses throughout the week will be something to monitor.
However, none of this should truly affect the Falcons prep this week. They have to clean up some things up offensively, and that doesn’t change whether they face these players on Sunday or not.
So, what actually needs to change? Mariota explains.
“It’s understanding, you know what? Taking a check down here or a two, three-yard run, those are efficient. They’re keeping the ball moving forward,” Mariota said. “We can’t have negative plays. We can’t have dropped snaps. We can’t have sacks. Those things really derail your entire drive. It’s being able to understand that we have to be more efficient on first and second down to get into third and manageables. We can keep ourselves on the field by converting those.”
If there’s a key to the Falcons offensive success this Sunday, it’s this.
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