Falcons DC Jimmy Lake says team will run base 3-4 defense

The Atlanta Falcons brought back a familiar face in Raheem Morris to be the team’s 19th head coach in franchise history, and the former Rams defensive coordinator wasted little time putting together his coaching staff.

Morris brought two assistant coaches with him from Los Angeles, naming Jimmy Lake as the defensive coordinator and Zac Robinson as the offensive coordinator. The team retained special teams coordinator Marquice Williams from Arthur Smith’s staff.

On Wednesday, all three coordinators met with the media. There’s a lot to cover but one notable quote came from Lake. As reported by Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Lake said the team will run a base 3-4 defense.

The Falcons will run a “base 3-4,” new DC Jimmy Lake says.

— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) February 14, 2024

The Falcons ran a 3-4 defense under Dean Pees from 2021-2022, but when Ryan Nielsen took over in 2023, the team switched to more of a hybrid scheme. In general, base defensive schemes tend to be overanalyzed since most teams spend more time in sub-packages these days.

Nonetheless, Lake and Morris have a clear vision for what this defense will be going forward.