For much of Sunday afternoon, the Falcons defense looked terrible as Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense moved the ball at will. The veteran quarterback easily picked apart Atlanta’s zone defense with all the time in the world in the pocket. After a botched read option exchange between Marcus Mariota and Tyler Allgeier that resulted in a fumble recovered by Seattle late in the fourth quarter, it seemed the Falcons would once again lose in heartbreaking fashion.
The Seahawks were set up inside the Falcons’ 25-yard line, and a quick screen pass put Seattle inside the 10-yard line. However, a critical holding penalty backed up the Seahawks’ offense on second down, and then a DK Metcalf catch and run set up a game-deciding third and long with two minutes left to play.
After not pressuring Smith all afternoon, the Falcons’ defensive front came up huge in the biggest moment of the game. Grady Jarrett burst through the line of scrimmage and sacked Seattle’s quarterback for a 10-yard loss, which set up a fourth-and-long that resulted in a game-sealing interception from Richie Grant.
Despite being Swiss Cheese for the entire game, Jarrett and the Falcons’ defense showed out when it mattered most. The win capped off an incredible performance from the Falcons’ defensive leader, who just signed a three-year contract extension this offseason. Jarrett notched five tackles, three for a loss, one sack, and a quarterback hit.
Through three games of the 2022 season, Jarrett has more sacks and tackles for loss than he did all of last season. The Falcons’ pass rush really hasn’t been that impressive, outside of an atypical performance in the season opener, but Jarrett has been the exception. He looks as strong and fast as he ever has. At 29 years old, Grady Jarett is still very clearly in his prime, wreaking havoc in his eighth season with the Falcons.
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Photographer: Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire
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