Normally, we get the coordinators for you all on Tuesdays, but with the short week they were not made available until late Wednesday.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
We’ll have to check with the league and try to make sure we get them earlier in the week next year when the Falcons play on a Thursday night.
Since the coordinators are so good on their topic areas it’s important to share their insight about their units.
Sorry that it’s coming just hours before kickoff, but here’s what defensive coordinator Mike Nolan had to say:
WHAT WAS COACH SMITH TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE MENTIONED THE 'I'VE GOT MINE'S' MENTALITY: For example, there is always a blocker and a ball carrier to go with it. I think what he is saying is to do your job is to say I've got you controlled and I've got my gap, but I don't make any plays. In other words, you have to get rid of your block and go tackle the ball carrier. He's just talking about making plays. As you see, the good players don't get blocked. They get off the block. In order to make a play (you have to get off your block.) It just has to do with making plays.
ON THE PLAY OF THE DEFENSIVE ENDS: Their job some of the time, but not all of the time, is to set the edge where the ball has to go back inside. We gave up the edge in the game the other day far too many times. . . .It's not just their sole job. Sometimes it's the safety and the corners' job as well. That would be one of their jobs as far as the run goes. Outside of that, sometimes they have an interior responsibility. Maybe not all the way inside, but maybe the next gap inside. … The pass rush is an area whether if its (Kroy Biermann) or (Stansly) Maponga or anyone that plays defensive end, pass rushing. We need to get more production out of that (position). That's what obvious from our first two games. We've had low production. We have to make some plays. We can't have guys on a screen jumping over the top of us. The one time we almost had a sack and he flipped the ball to the little running back and he went for a (46-yard) gain.
ROOM FOR PAUL WORRILOW TO PLAY AT A HIGHER LEVEL: Sure there is. But we don't have anybody on defense at this point that is playing at a high level. I think they all would say that they want to play better than they've played. Some have played better than others, don't get me wrong. But I think to a man, they want to play better.
WHAT ABOUT PAUL SPECIFICALLY: The entire defense has to play better. I don't want to get too specific.
WORKING ON THE PASS RUSH WITH LIMITED CONTACT IN PRACTICE: First off, although the practices have changed from years past....I don't want to stand here and say that's had a big effect on us. Or put the blame there. It's really not a reason. It's a combination of a lot of things. Obviously, the best players always make the most plays. If you're not one of the best players and you're trying to get there, the only thing you can really do is do the things that make your skills better. . . .in practice we get plenty of time to work on those things. The fact that we don't have pads on could have a little bit of an influence on it. Primarily, it's just a matter of honing in our techniques and just working at it. It's a simple thing like hard work.
ON TAMPA BAY'S BIG WRs: When you have those big receivers, you hope they go up and get balls like we have Julio. That's what the challenge is going to be for our two young guys (Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford). They are both competitive. Our corners are competitive as well, but there is going to be a size match-up that is an offensive advantage.
ON ALFORD BIG GAMBLE AGAINST THE BENGALS: Simply, when you teach that. It's like bunting and swinging. When you're up there holding a bat and they throw one 100 miles at you and you're bunting it, you'll hit the ball. Even if it's 200, you'll have a chance to hit it. But when you take a bat and swing at it, you're not going to hit it. So, it's the same thing, when the ball is thrown, if you're swatting at the ball, which is not what you teach, you're not going to hit it. If you just put your hand out, you're going to have a chance. That's what you tell them. They teach you to do it like this and do it like that because the swat doesn't work. With experience they train themselves not to do that anymore. But really that's the simplest way to look at it. You can bunt that ball, hit it and be in good shape. If you swing at it, you're not trying to hit it out of the park. You're just trying to keep him from catching it.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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Falcons quoteboard from Bengals' loss
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Two Bengals who have something to play for
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