After the Falcons played the Dolphins last week, Vic Beasley said the pass rush “ain’t working right now” which is a problem for a player who was drafted eighth overall in 2015 in order to provide pressure off the edge for the Atlanta defense.
The Falcons moved Beasley from defensive end to linebacker this year in hopes of improving on the four sacks that he produced during his rookie season, but the preseason results haven’t looked too different. That’s led some to question whether Beasley will break through at the level the Falcons hoped, but defensive line coach Bryan Cox is not among the doubters.
“I don’t think that he’s not going,” Cox said, via ESPN.com. “It’s not about one man. It’s about our unit. When you look at the tape from last year, he had several opportunities off the edge where the quarterback was able to step up and he didn’t get the pressure or the sack, and a lot of people made a lot of it. But I don’t buy into it. I believe in Vic as much as I believe in my son.”
Cox is certainly right that it is always a team effort, but the highest profile players always face greater scrutiny for lackluster results. That will be Beasley’s lot as a highly drafted edge rusher and a quiet second season will find Cox with little company in Beasley’s corner.