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Mike Nolan isn't instantly converting the Falcons into a 3-4 defense like the one he had in Miami, but he will bring some new schemes and packages to throw into the mix. PFF researched the topic of defensive backs rushing the passer, and one of Nolan's old players ranked towards the top.
Yeremiah Bell, who played strong safety in South Beach, went after opposing QBs on 60 snaps last year, ranking fifth among DBs.
| Rank | Name | Team | Pass Rush Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roman Harper | NO | 121 |
| 2 | Charles Woodson | GB | 83 |
| 3 | Eric Smith | NYJ | 70 |
| 4 | Tyvon Branch | OAK | 62 |
| 5 | Yeremiah Bell | MIA | 60 |
| 6 | Darian Stewart | STL | 59 |
| 7 | Bernard Pollard | BAL | 56 |
| 8 | Adrian Wilson | ARZ | 52 |
| 9 | Donald Strickland | NYJ | 48 |
| 10 | Kyle Wilson | NYJ | 47 |
Kelvin Hayden was the only Falcon mentioned in any of the statistics shown. He's off in Chicago now, and of course Atlanta had a completely different midnset under BVG.
I'm curious to see, though, what kind of pressure Nolan will bring this year. William Moore is a stud in my book, and if he stays healthy he can be one of the best in the league.
Moore isn't afraid to lay the hit on someone, so I wouldn't mind seeing him sent on blitzes throughout the game. I don't need to tell you how bad our pass rush was in 2011, but I'm confident Nolan will change that.
Of course Roman Harper made the top of the list. But in 121 rush snaps he only put pressure on QBs 17 times, not exactly the best percentage there.
Just some interesting stats I figured I'd point out. Nothing too major here.