Erik McCoy has been the anchor for the New Orleans Saints offensive line, and he's once again showing just how good he can be when he's healthy. On Monday night, he'll be tasked with an objective that's rarely put on centers. McCoy is going to be a vital part of stopping the Atlanta Falcons pass rush.
Typically, we view pass rush from a perimeter standpoint, offensive tackles and edge rushers. The Falcons, however, generate their best pass rush from the interior. Part of that has to do with their top two edge rushers, James Pearce Jr. (suspension) and Jalon Walker (torn ACL in training camp), missing the beginning of the season, but the interior defensive line has also played well.
When pass rush from the interior is a pregame focal point, it's typically because a star is in the game, but the Falcons are doing this with no household name. Gervon Dexter leads the team with 15 pressures, and he's tied with Jeffery Simmons for the most in the league by an interior defensive line. His partner in crime, Brandon Dorlus, is right next to Dexter on the field and in Falcons pressures.
Erik McCoy will be the key to Saints passing game success
Dorlus has 12 pressures on the season. The Falcons have a total of 27 quarterback pressures from their interior between him and Dexter, and that's the most by a interior defensive line duo in the NFL.
Fortunately for the Saints, McCoy is one of the best pass protectors in the league. Per Pro Football Focus, McCoy has the second best pass block win rate in the NFL among all offensive linemen. He's currently winning 97.3% of his pass rush snaps.
It'll be a fun matchup to watch when McCoy is lined up with Dexter or Dorlus. The battle of good on good could be one of the deciding factors in the game.
There's going to be some moments in which McCoy is a free roamer if the Falcons choose not to blitz. In those occasions, he'll still need to help David Edwards and Cesar Ruiz. Dorlus and Dexter are the most effective pass rushers on the team, so looking for extra work will be important for McCoy.
Want to see the impact of pass rush on an offense? Look no further than the Saints' loss last week. Those first two turnovers were both products of pass rush getting to Tyler Shough. Even if there isn't a turnover, that interior pressure can completely disrupt the flow of the game.
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