{
  "id": 20177311,
  "title": "Stark numbers show how much Falcons defense has fallen off",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/stark-numbers-show-how-much-falcons-defense-has-fallen-off",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-15T13:17:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stark-numbers-show-much-falcons-131726468.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Atlanta Falcons have experienced a significant decline in their defensive performance over the course of the NFL season. Despite initially ranking second in the league with a defensive success rate of 63.9 percent, they have since plummeted to 30th in the nation. Their defensive yard per play against allowed decreased from 4.9 to 5.8, while their defensive expected points against dropped from 6.4 to minus-0.8. The once-tough defensive unit has become one of the league's weakest. The Falcons' defensive struggles have coincided with the rise of formidable opponents. From their first four games, they faced strong teams like Pittsburgh, Carolina, Green Bay, and New Orleans, which were not as formidable as the Ravens, Bears, 49ers, Bucs, and Bengals they have faced since Week 5. Four of these five teams are currently playoff contenders, potentially even Super Bowl contenders. The upcoming challenges will only intensify, with the Chiefs and Lions posing significant threats.",
  "summary": "Atlanta defense has gone from great to terrible in first half of 2026",
  "key_points": [
    "Falcons' defense ranked 30th in NFL, down from 2nd",
    "Defensive yard per play allowed increased from 4.9 to 5.8",
    "Opponents since Week 5 include playoff contenders"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}