Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn speaks with middle linebacker Deion Jones (45) before Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports

It was on December 28th, 2014 when the Carolina Panthers came to the Georgia Dome for a winner takes all division battle with the Falcons, and absolutely beat the brakes off of Atlanta to the tune of a 34-3 scoreline.

That game was the valley for a Falcons defense that finished a distant 32nd (last) in the NFL in yards given up that season. Never was it more prevalent that the players on that side of the ball were just too slow and unathletic to be starters or even rotational players in the NFL.

The game ultimately cost head coach Mike Smith his job, and left GM Thomas Dimitroff hanging by a thread.

Looking at some of the names on that defensive unit, it’s no surprise that the birds struggled so mightily. The defensive line consisted of Kroy Biermann, Paul Soliai, Tyson Jackson, Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters and Jonathan Massaquoi within the rotation.

The linebacker trio of Paul Worrilow, Prince Shembo and Joplo Bartu was arguably the worst in the NFL. Only the young CB duo of Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford showed any real promise. They were joined by Dwight Lowry and William Moore in the secondary.

This defense looked like a project that would take years to even rebuild back up to mediocrity.

Enter Dan Quinn, the charismatic assistant coach from Seattle who specializes in defense. Hired on February 2nd, 2015, Quinn preached the words “fast and physical” in his first press conference at Flowery Branch. “Fast and physical” became his mantra, and over time fans would see that they weren’t just some buzz words, but rather words the Falcons’ defense would live by.

In his first draft in charge, Quinn oversaw the selections of Vic Beasley, Jalen Collins and Grady Jarrett on the defensive side of the ball. All three were key contributors to Atlanta’s Superbowl run.

Within that free agency period Brooks Reed and Adrian Clayborn, two solid rotational pieces within the front 7, were also brought in.

That 2015 defense showed some promise, finishing 16th in the league in total yards given up, although with the caveat that it played against many backup and below average QBs that season.

After bringing in more rotational help in the form of Derrick Shelby and Courtney Upshaw in 2016 free agency, it was time for Dan Quinn to paint his masterpiece — the 2016 draft.

Keanu Neal, Deion Jones, De’Vondre Campbell and undrafted rookie FA Brian Poole were an unprecedented unit of four rookie starters on a team that played in the Superbowl. That draft class expedited the rebuild of the defense by years.

While the young defensive unit was just 27th in the NFL in points given up per game (25.4), and ranked 25th in total defense, from the bye week up until the Superbowl it gave up just 18.5 points per game, many of which came in garbage time of games already decided. This is a mark which would have been good for fourth in the NFL over the course of a full season.

The oldest player to start on the defensive side of the ball for the Atlanta Falcons in the Superbowl was Robert Alford, at just 28 years of age. Seven of the 11 defensive starters in that game were either rookies or second-year players.

DE Takkarist Mckinley and LB Duke Riley, picked in the first and third rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, are both projected starters in this year’s defense. They are expected to be joined by former pro bowl DT Dontari Poe, who was brought in during the free agency period.

All of the sudden, the Atlanta Falcons are considered to have maybe the best young front 7 in the NFL. Just two years after having the worst defense in the game, this is astonishing.

Dan Quinn has rebuilt the Falcons’ defense with the fortitude of a skilled architect rebuilding a skyscraper. The sky is the limit for Atlanta’s defensive unit in 2017.