Babineaux anchors line

FLOWERY BRANCH --- During the first half of the Falcons' win over Washington on Sunday, the defense was knocking quarterback Jason Campbell around like he was in a pinball machine. The player who was getting in the most licks was defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux. "I thought Jonathan may have played his best game as an Atlanta Falcon ," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "He had a big game." When the dust settled in the 31-17 victory, Babineaux had a season-high 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three tackles for losses. "He did a nice job of knocking the line of scrimmage back," Smith said. "That was something that was a must for us." Even Babineaux was stunned by the showing. "It was actually kind of shocking," he said. "I really don't think that I tackled [11] people, but as the game goes on, you just try to move on to the next play." Babineaux, a second-round pick (59th overall) in the 2005 draft, broke into the starting lineup last season. He played well enough to earn a five-year, $25 million extension. His strong play through the first half of this season is making the team's early investment look like a pretty smart move. The Falcons regularly use seven to eight defensive linemen in each game, including star defensive end John Abraham, but they need Babineaux to anchor the middle of the defense. The Falcons have replaced nose tackle Grady Jackson with either Trey Lewis or Thomas Johnson in running situations, and Jamaal Anderson slides down from defensive end to nose tackle in passing situations. "We have got a good rotation working in there," Babineaux said. "We are starting to gel. Jamaal is out there playing fast. I think he loves it." At 6-foot-2 and 296 pounds, Babineaux is not a mammoth tackle. He utilizes a blend of speed and power to penetrate and be disruptive. "It all evolves around Babs," defensive line coach Ray Hamilton said. "Myself, Mike Smith and [defensive coordinator] Brian VanGorder, we all get kind of nervous if Babs is not in the game. He's our workhorse." Babineaux thought his job against Campbell and Washington was simple. "We knew that his drop was 9 to 11 yards, but at the same time we knew that if he got pressure from the outside that he was going to step up," Babineaux said. "I was just there to clean it up." Babineaux has 25 tackles on the season and four sacks. "He's probably the most consistent player that we have on the [defensive] line," Hamilton said. While Babineaux has been steady for the Falcons and appears to have his play on an upward swing, he's not a household name around the league. But if he keeps it up, Hamilton can see that changing. "He's been a solid player, and he's gotten a lot better in the last two years, I think," Hamilton said. "You can be a good solid player, but what gets you to the Pro Bowl are the sacks." Hamilton believes Babineaux is starting to distinguish himself from the group of good tackles in the league. "There aren't very many defensive tackles that get a whole lot of sacks," Hamilton said. "If he can get more sacks, get in the double digits on sacks, he'll have a chance to go to the Pro Bowl and make the All-Pro team and obviously help us win." Next for Falcons Who: at Panthers When: 1 p.m. Sunday TV; radio: Fox; 92.9