De’Vondre Campbell is no more likely to act like a grizzled veteran than he would vote for Bucky the Badger in a mascot contest, but the Falcons’ linebacker has been around long enough to see a tight end or two.
The second-year pro has learned how to study, too, and he has nothing but respect for Buffalo's Charles Clay, even though he's seen him only on videotape.
Campbell will have to put in a good day of work Sunday, when the Falcons (3-0) play the Bills (2-1) in Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 1 p.m. The man is going to have to chase Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor sometimes, stack up running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy others, and more than now and then chase down Clay.
And that dude’s pretty good, maybe even on par with Detroit’s Eric Ebron, who made Campbell earn his paycheck last week.
“Personally, I think he might be a little more physical run-after-the-catch; he likes to use the stiff arm a lot. Pretty good stiff arm, but they’re pretty similar players,” Campbell said of Clay. “I never played against anybody (in college) that’s like the guys in the League. That’s why they’re here.”
It might be said that Campbell’s No. 1 nemesis among college tight ends while he was at Minnesota was Wisconsin’s Troy Fumagalli, who was every bit as squirrelly as the Badgers’ mascot, Bucky.
Yet more often than not in the college ranks, tight ends are left to be covered by safeties. That’s not so much the case in the NFL. It’s more of a shared duty.
With that in mind, Campbell and Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal are sure to get up-close and personal Sunday with Clay, who has caught 13 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Clay, a seventh-year veteran from Tulsa, was one of the men last Sunday when the Bills upset the Broncos 26-16 in Buffalo. He caught six passes for 39 yards and a score.
“He’s a great player,” Neal said. “Really, it boils down to what I do and whoever else is covering him. It boils down to technique and playing our ball.”
At 6-feet-2, 235 pounds, Campbell has the size to match with the 6-3, 255-pound Clay, and the greater question may be whether he can match wheels and anticipate his opponent’s routes. Campbell worked hard in the offseason on his pass-rushing skills, and he registered his first career sack Sept. 17 against Aaron Rodgers.
But Campbell has to cover in the passing game, too, and he has an idea what to expect, although Buffalo offensive coordinator Rick Dennison does a nice job of mixing up play calls week to week.
“Shorter routes, kind of similar to Ebron,” Campbell said in summarizing his video review of Clay. “Quick outs, quick stuff across the middle, just trying to get the ball in his hands and let him make plays.”
Clay is more of a YACster than many tight ends. He’s not often going down the seam, and rarely is he involved in the vertical passing game.
But he’s big on gaining yards after the catch.
And he’s got quite a weapon in his arsenal.
That stiff arm can be brutal, and while the Falcons love to talk about how well they are able to prepare every week by practice against their own talented teammates, the Falcons’ best stiff-armer may be wide receiver Julio Jones and Campbell rarely squares up against him.
Plus, nobody tackles all the way to the ground in NFL practices any more anyway. So how in Hades is Campbell supposed to get ready for the Clay claw?
It’s rudimentary, Misters and Missuses Watsons.
“You don’t practice that,” Campbell said. “That’s natural football instincts. You’ve just got to know how to knock the stiff arm down.”
No, really, come on; if you can’t swipe the stiff arm away, what do you do? Grab the arm and pull Clay in to tackle him or what?
“Yeah, sometimes it works like that,” Campbell said. “You’re not going to always be able to get to it so sometimes you’ve got to try to grab it or go low.”
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