ATLANTA - Blessed with more speed than bulk, Patrick Kerney has always known he belongs on the edge of a defensive line as the end in a four-man front.
Unfortunately for Kerney, that conclusion has not been so obvious to every Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator.
Kerney spent the last two seasons miscast as an end in a three-man front, a role designed for a lineman with a wider, thicker frame. Kerney (6-5, 273) even willingly agreed to try outside linebacker when asked by former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips two years ago.
``If they tell me to go play free safety, great,'' Kerney said.
But Kerney, named Thursday the NFC Defensive Player of the Month, has again proved he belongs in a 4-3 scheme. Kerney, who leads the NFL with five quarterback sacks, is the first Falcons player to be named Defensive Player of the Month since Deion Sanders in 1993.
First-year coach Jim Mora and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell have moved Kerney and the Falcons' other starting end, Brady Smith, back to their natural positions this season. Kerney relies on his quickness and speed, but he gained about 10 pounds the last two years to try to hold up in the 3-4 scheme, when he often was double-teamed by tackles and guards.
When Kerney faces two blockers this season, it's usually a tackle and tight end the matchup he prefers.
``The difference between me at 270 and at 280 I think is a lot of athleticism sacrificed,'' Kerney said.
Kerney is a perfect fit for the aggressive, attacking philosophy of the new coaching staff. While the Michael Vick-led offense has misfired at times while adjusting to the West Coast offense, defense has led the way as the Falcons have won their first three games, including last week's 6-3 victory over Arizona. The Falcons play at Carolina Sunday.
Kerney set a career high with three sacks against Arizona.
Smith and defensive tackle Rod Coleman each have three sacks and two forced fumbles for the season.
The Falcons, who had only 35 sacks all last season, are tied for the league lead with 14.
``I have confidence in my teammates I haven't had before,'' Kerney said. ``It's a great feeling to have.''
Tackle Ed Jasper also has a sack, giving the four starting defensive linemen 12 of the 14 sacks. The balance of pass-rush potential across the line makes it difficult for blockers to focus on Kerney or any one lineman.
``I'll tell you, they work real hard,'' said linebacker Chris Draft. ``When you have four guys who are working their butts off like they are, it's like they can't really key in on one guy. Pat's really taking advantage of the fact that when they look at our defensive line, they're saying 'Well, which one's the guy?' ``
Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme says it is obvious the Falcons' defense is playing in more of an attacking mode.
``It is a different look,'' said Delhomme, who said Kerney and Smith ``kind of feed off one another. ... They really get after the quarterback.''
``You just watch them on film, they're having fun and they're flying around,'' Delhomme said.
Kerney says sacks usually reflect strong play by the entire defense, not just the pass rushers.
``It's a team thing,'' he said. ``Sacks are a team statistic. I've got five sacks and probably four of them are coverage sacks. Sacks don't happen without coverage.''
In only his sixth season, Kerney already ranks fourth on the team's career records with 39 sacks. He began the season eighth on the list with 34 sacks and has moved past Don Smith, Travis Hall, Lester Archambeau and Jeff Merrow. Now, only Claude Humphrey (94.5), Chuck Smith (58.5) and John Zook (47) are ahead of Kerney.
Kerney doesn't want to be known as just a pass-rusher.
``You're not going to hit the quarterback if you're not stopping the run,'' he said.
Second on the team with 20 tackles this year, Kerney posted 191 tackles the last two years, the fourth-highest total among the league's ends.
The tackles win him respect, but the sacks often followed by his muscle-flexing, Hulk-like poses win more attention.
``It's an expression of what's on my mind at a particular moment,'' said Kerney of his flexing pose.
Kerney says he's not too impressed by his three-game totals.
``Doing it for three games is OK,'' he said. ``If you can do it for 16 games, then it's something special. So we've got a long way to go.''
Sunday
August 31st, 2025
5:14PM
