FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons heavily invested in upgrading their defense this offseason. The team added edge rusher Leonard Floyd, inside linebacker Divine Deablo, and four out of the five rookies in this year's draft class were defensive weapons — edges Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., and defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. — all of whom have instantly made an impact . The team knew they had to upgrade their pass rush and truly affect the quarterback from all angles.

On-field execution and finishing plays more frequently was the big message throughout the last week, as missed opportunities were something Atlanta knew it had to fix and capitalize on. The defense missed just four tackles on 52 attempts against Tampa Bay, a lower rate than they achieved in any game l

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