The Atlanta Falcons secured their second straight victory on Monday Night in a very hyped up rivalry showdown with the New Orleans Saints that wound up turning into a blowout in their own building. 

For as impressive as the efforts from Bijan Robinson and Drake London have been especially since the return of Michael Penix Jr., it's not the offense which has been the straw that has stirred the drink for this team in the mini winning streak. Being able to run the ball makes things easier and Penix has been very steady since the first couple of drives against the Green Bay Packers.

With that being said, the identity of this team lies on the defensive side of the ball right now. Specifically in the trenches, the unit has been doing an absolutely incredible job of not only getting to the quarterback, but also completely shutting down the opponents run game.

According to PFF Stats, Atlanta leads the league in total pressures with 87 as a team while no other team in football has crossed the mark of 80. New Orleans was flat out unable to run the ball on Monday with only 50 yards on the ground, and the Packers before that were unable to even reach 20 yards on the ground.

Teams are simply not able to get their offenses going on this unit right now, and while the personnel has been sensational, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich might just be the best in all of football.

What he has done over the last two years for this side of the ball simply cannot be understated, and four weeks into the year, the group is really just now starting to hit its stride. If they can continue to get even better, not only is this Falcons team potentially the ones to beat in the NFC South, but could even be a contender in the NFC.

Atlanta has a legitimate shutdown defense, and no matter what the offense does, that is going to give you a chance every single time you line up to play. Should the offense be able to hold up its end of the bargain, this is a Falcons team that will win a whole lot of games and could continue to ascend with the sky being the limit.

Time will tell if both sides can keep it up, but things are starting to click in Atlanta.