FLOWERY BRANCH — Here’s what Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had to say about the Buccaneers, his team’s opponent at 1 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
On the defensive front: “Our offensive line has done a great job all season giving me enough time to get the ball out. Being able for me to make quick reads and get it out. Then when you look at this Tampa (defense). Again, they like to have five guys up there always. They like a lot of pressure. Whether that’s a single backer or a simulator. They are always going to try to pressure you and confuse the quarterback.”
On linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White: “Those two guys have played a lot of good football. They kind of feed off of one another. They are fast. They are physical. They are bigger guys and are able to cover. They like to get their hands on you when they do get in (man-to-man coverage). They come up and fill the run. They are also smart and instinctual players. When they see play-action, they drop back and get their eyes back to the quarterback. It will be a great battle for our tight ends, for our interior and for our running backs.”
On the defensive backfield: “(Antoine Winfield) is going to play kind of that deep field. Kind of his eyes on the quarterback. Kind of playing that center-field guy like in baseball. They are just ball hawks. At the corner position with Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean they are going to be physical at the line of scrimmage. Get (their) hands on (the receivers) and try to get (them) off (their) routes. They know that they are going to bring pressure, so they are expecting the ball to get out.”
The Bow Tie Chronicles
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