Falcons defense prepares for Lions cut blocking

Flowery Branch — Under new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto, the Detroit Lions are implementing the zone-cut blocking scheme that the Falcons used to help them lead the league in rushing from 2004 to 2006.

On most running plays, the Lions’ offensive linemen will try to hit the legs of the Falcons’ defensive linemen and get the players turned sideways or knock them down to the turf.

It was not a popular scheme amongst defensive linemen when Denver first popularized it in the mid-1990s. Now, with more teams doing it, defenses have figured out ways to combat the tactic.

“I don’t hate it,” Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson said. “It’s just that penetration destroys it and they are going to do their zone-cut blocks. You just have to know how to play it.”

Jackson spent fives years with the Oakland Raiders (1997 to 2001) and played Denver twice a year.

“You just have to get off, play ball and go at them,” Jackson said.

Sometimes the tactic ticks off defensive players.

In 2006, New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce delivered a thunderous hit on Michael Vick as he was running out of bounds. Pierce said he didn’t mind the penalty because he was tired of the Falcons’ linemen trying to cut block his legs.

“You are always going to get tired of guys cut blocking you,” Jackson said. “You just have to go in there and be a dominant force, play your block well, play the cut block.”

Since so many teams now use some variation of the cut block, the Falcons prepared for it during training camp with various drills .

Defensive end John Abraham doesn’t have much respect for the blocking style.

“It’s not the hardest thing to do, just dive on the ground,” Abraham said. “It’s not hard. I definitely know they’ve been working on it. In the preseason it looks like they have been doing it pretty good.”

Colletto connection

When Falcons head coach Mike Smith broke into the NFL in 1999, Colletto was Baltimore’s offensive line coach.

“He wants to be able to control the line of scrimmage very similar to what we do,” Smith said. “He’s an offensive line coach by trade. He’s been a head coach at the collegiate level (at Purdue, 1991-96). He has a very good understanding of the entire offensive scheme.”

Babs to fight lupus

Jonathan Babineaux and his brother Jordan, who plays for the Seattle Seahawks, have taken up the fight against lupus.

“We became aware that lupus was common in our community (of Port Arthur, Texas),” Babineaux said. “We wanted to try to be a voice for our community and help raise some money to treat the disease.”

Through their Babineaux Brothers Foundation they have been sponsoring fundraisers in their hometown to benefit lupus research for four years.

Jonathan has now joined forces with the Georgia chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America and hopes to help highlight the programs, services and events provided by the Georgia chapter.

Injury report

Safety Thomas DeCoud (ankle) and linebacker Coy Wire (ankle) were listed as questionable (50 percent) and offensive lineman Alex Stepanovich (back) is doubtful (75 percent chance of not playing).