All in all, in the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Seahawks, the secondary failed to slow down quarterback Russell Wilson, who completed 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards (averaging 9.2 yards per pass) and four touchdowns.
On an individual level, however, Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris liked what he saw out of rookie cornerback A.J. Terrell in his NFL debut, even if Terrell made a few mistakes.
“I thought the guy played pretty well,” Morris said. “You’re talking about a rookie who’s out there playing hard, playing fast, playing physical. He went throughout the day and played some sticky coverage on some really good wideouts. He stood up in some really big moments. He gave up a big play on a four-minute drive where he was taking a shot at jumping a ball. I can’t blame him. In that moment, if he makes that play it’s a big-time play for us.”
Through a combination of film study and muscle memory, Terrell prides himself on not making the same mistake twice, and that’s something that’s a priority for the Falcons as they move on from the loss and prepare to play in Dallas Sunday, he said.
“That’s also what they’ve been preaching to us as a defense and as a unit, as a whole team, just not making the same mistake twice and just getting the things corrected and just going out there next time, being alert for it and making a play when it comes,” Terrell said.
Terrell, who attended Westlake High School in Atlanta and played three seasons at Clemson before the Falcons drafted him in the first round, registered six tackles in Sunday’s 38-25 loss. He played every snap on defense.
He thought he played decently in Week 1, but the 21-year-old will look to improve and tighten things up moving forward. The biggest difference he noticed in transitioning from college to the NFL, he said, was the increased speed and pace to the game. Terrell was targeted on defense five times, according to Pro Football Reference, and allowed all five passes to be completed.
“Just watching film, no specific play in particular, but just watching film overall, I feel like I had a decent game for the first time stepping out there," Terrell said. "Of course there’s always things to get better on, anything in technique, tackling, just little keys and details of the defense, just watching more film, little things like that.”
Battling receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in practice helped Terrell prepare for his NFL debut, as did all the big-game experience he garnered at Clemson.
So, when Week 1 came along, Terrell was ready to go, despite all the anticipation.
“Just playing the game for so long, of course you have nerves and just eagerness and anxiety going into a game, but at the end of the day you’ve just got to be confident in yourself, trust the system, and just make plays and just ball out,” Terrell said. “Just don’t think too much of it and just all I do is just go out there and have fun.”
From what coach Dan Quinn has seen so far, Terrell has the potential to give the secondary a boost, provided he keeps developing.
“This is a very good competitor," Quinn said. "The corner, the support in tackling in the run game, the ability to stay down and challenge guys, there will be some growing as he’s going to go but he’s the type of person who doesn’t repeat a lot of mistakes. That’s the sign of a guy who is turning the corner, when the same mistake doesn’t show up twice. There will be some on-the-job training, it will happen with him, with Matt Hennessy, with Mykal (Walker), all the guys going through that. But the advantage of that as you’re going through it, you’re gaining that experience and they improve at such a fast pace. I’m very excited about A.J. and what he can bring to the team.”
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