Atlanta Falcons’ well-rounded defensive effort stifles Buffalo Bills in upset win

• An epic defensive performance against an elite opponent: The Falcons limited the Bills to -0.241 EPA per play, their lowest in almost six years.

• Multiple players made impacts: Dee Alford, Ruke Orhorhoro and A.J. Terrell were among the contributors across levels of Atlanta's stout unit.

• The Atlanta Falcons upset the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football: Dive into the PFF game recap for advanced stats, snap counts, early player grades and more!

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

When the Buffalo Bills ventured into Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night, many anticipated that arguably the NFL’s best team would return to its dominant ways after a surprising Week 5 loss. Instead, the Atlanta Falcons asserted their playoff competitiveness with an overwhelming 24-14 victory — fueled in large part by the team’s resurgent defense under new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

While Bijan Robinson and Drake London were must-watch standouts that propelled Atlanta’s showstopping highlights and offensive efficiency, its defense contained the Bills in ways rarely seen. Indeed, Buffalo totaled -0.241 EPA per play, its worst single-game mark since Week 17, 2019. On top of that, the Bills recorded only 288 total yards, 14 points and a 22% third-down conversion rate.

How did the Falcons manage to pull off this remarkable feat? Largely due to a disciplined group effort at multiple levels, the underlying mantra of its defensive acumen this season.

In the secondary, Atlanta’s defenders swarmed to the ball all night, with the Falcons forcing five incompletions and collecting two interceptions. More specifically, cornerback Dee Alford was the team’s highest-graded defender, notching a 90.6 PFF coverage grade on first review. Star A.J. Terrell also impressed by permitting only two catches on four targets for eight yards, knocking away the other two passes thrown his way.

Likewise, the Falcons married effective coverage with a strong pass rush. The team totaled 24 pressures — tying its second-most over the last two years — on a 45.7% pressure rate. Yet, no one specific player truly carried the freight in that department, with four Falcons (Ruke Orhorhoro, Jalon Walker, Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata) each securing at least three pressures. While under duress on 45.7% of his dropbacks, Josh Allen completed only 4-of-9 passes for 42 yards, being intercepted twice and generating a 58.3 PFF passing grade on first review.

All told, the Falcons rendered life miserable for Allen and the Bills’ passing attack. Buffalo ended the night with a -0.427 EPA per play mark, which sits in the 4^th percentile this year. Allen’s 61.5% adjusted completion percentage on first review was his lowest since Week 5 of 2024, in part because he had to hold onto the ball longer — 3.16 seconds, on average.

The Falcons’ head-turning Week 6 victory is a microcosm of their defensive campaign thus far, with the team slotting sixth in EPA per play and fifth in average yards per play. Consider that only one Falcon — linebacker Divine Deablo — has produced an overall PFF grade above 72.0, and that first-round rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. have yet to really excel. Instead of a handful of superstars thriving, Ulbrich has developed a deep, well-coached unit that’s adjusted its identity, now blitzing at the league’s highest clip (41.6%).

Atlanta’s 2025 season has been an inconsistent one, which is representative considering the team’s 3-2 record. But if its defense — especially against the pass — can maintain this success, the team’s ceiling looks like the impressive effort on display Monday night.