With the offensive grades out of the way, it’s now time to take a look at Atlanta’s defense.

Obviously, much work needs to be done with the Falcons’ D in the offseason and the club could use some help at cornerback and on the defensive line. (We’ll talk more about Atlanta’s needs later this week).

Whether that affects this season’s grades is something that remains to be seen.

Defensive Line: John Abraham was absolutely, positively missing in action in this one, notching 5.5 sacks – the worst total in a season in which the three-time Pro Bowler had played in more than eight games. When fellow linemate Jonathan Babineaux wasn’t too busy hitting the bong, he was leading the unit, posting six sacks on the season. But let’s face it: The D-line’s numbers weren’t good. Atlanta sacked the opposing QB just 28 times this season, tied for fifth-worst in the NFL with the likes of the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. Only their decent play against the rush (10th out of 32 teams) and the early injury to top pick Peria Jerry saves the unit from a grade of complete and utter failure. Grade: D

Linebackers: Not the flashiest group of guys, but not terrible by any stretch of the imagination. MLB Curtis Lofton finished sixth amongst his peers with 105 tackles, forced a pair of fumbles and probably should have made it to the Pro Bowl. OLBs Mike Peterson and Stephen Nicholas were also among the top 50 in tackles. These guys could probably walk down the middle of Peachtree Street without garnering much attention, but were solid contributors to the Falcons’ 9-7 season. Grade: B

Stephen Nicholas was a key contributor for Atlanta's solid yet fairly anonymous corps of linebackers.

Secondary: Stormy with a silver lining. The pass defense was terrible, allowing a whopping 3,873 yards in the air this season – hands-down the worst in the NFC South and fifth-worst in the league. Atlanta’s 25 passing touchdowns allowed were tied for 11th worst in the league and their 15 picks were right at league average. But there is hope. The play of Brent Grimes was outstanding for the Falcons. The second-year cornerback made a serious bid for Pro Bowl consideration, notching a league fifth-best six INTs. He got better as the Dirty Birds' season went on and is a piece the Falcons can rebuild the tattered secondary around. Grade: D+

Special Teams: How good can the grade be when your perennial Pro Bowl kicker (Jason Elam) somehow loses his groove and you have to sack him midway through the season? Atlanta’s special teams, which was its strength a year ago, turned just plain mediocre this season. Michael Koenen’s average of 42.6 yads per punt was tied for 24th in the league. Eric Weems' average of 25.3 yards per kickoff and 10 yards per punt return were 28th and 23rd, respectively. Grade: D

Coaching: Couple the rigors of the third-toughest schedule with the added bonus of five teams coming off a bye week to face you and add a deluge of late injuries to the mix and you’re going to be in for a challenging campaign. Nevertheless, the coaching staff never quit and kept the team motivated and hungry to reverse the curse, even with the club well out of the playoff hunt by Week 15. The results weren’t always pretty and the play calling was suspect at times, but given the hand they were dealt, the Atlanta coaches did an admirable job in 2009. Grade: B

-- PHIL FOLEY