De’Vondre Campbell and the Falcons have been there and done that before, so when they square up Sunday against the Lions’ burgeoning backfield boys it will be business as usual against Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick.
Sort of, at least, because Falcons scout-team running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are pretty good.
The fact the Falcons work in practice against one of the NFL’s best running-back tandems figures to help in Detroit, where the Falcons will try to split the Lions’ double-trouble. Abdullah and Riddick both run well, are elusive, and well beyond the median as receivers out of the backfield.
Sounds familiar, right?
“They’re very similar to what our offense is; 21, Abdullah, is very similar to Free,” said Campbell, the Falcons’ strongside linebacker. “He’s a guy who can make full-speed cuts. ... He’s stronger than he looks, so you have to bring your legs when you tackle him or else he can make you miss in space.
“Riddick is more of their gadget guy. They want to use him in pass situations; they want to get the ball in his hands in space. You know, real quick, real shifty. A real good duo.”
Reads kind of like a scouting report on the Falcons’ backfield, don’t you think?
Abdullah (5-foot-9, 203 pounds) and Riddick (5-9, 201) are built similarly to Freeman (5-8, 206) and so far they’re being used in somewhat-like fashion.
They’re much more than runners.
In two games, Riddick has caught nine passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, and Abdullah has three receptions as well. Freeman has four receptions for four yards, and Coleman has caught six passes for eight yards and a score.
“I wouldn’t say they’re mirror images (of each other) for sure, (as) Riddick in his career has been such a factor in the pass game,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said of the five-year veteran out of Notre Dame who has caught 180 passes in four-plus NFL seasons, including 80 in 2015. “That’s one of the things that really stood out.”
Both Detroit backs share a trait often demonstrated in Atlanta, especially by Freeman. They’re particularly strong from the waist down, and they do some jitter-bugging.
“They can run and break tackles and make you miss,” Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn said. “So, we’ve just got to play team defense and try to stop them.”
Taking a skeptical eye, the fuss about the Falcons’ matchup against the Lions’ running backs looks a bit like a creation of the recency principle.
Abdullah and Riddick were especially impressive in their most recent game, which just so happened to be on national television Monday night against the Giants.
In the grand scheme, Abdullah has rushed for 116 yards in three games, averaging 3.6 yards per tote, and Riddick’s only gone 10 times for 19 yards.
Sure, Riddick’s caught those nine passes and scored, but Abdullah’s three receptions have gone for 11 yards.
Might this all be a TV creation, some sort of reality show?
Quinn’s not going there.
“I actually worked out Abdullah when he was coming out (of Nebraska) ... and the bounce-out, cutback style ...” he said. “Both of their running backs play in a style more like our guys do; they’re equipped to catch it out of the backfield, and bounce out or cutback.”
Quinn suggested that having his defense practice against Coleman and Freeman is a good thing, especially going into this game.
Falcons linebacker Deion Jones seemed to agree, saying, “it helps us track.”
Defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel is showing nothing but respect. He watched that Monday night game.
“The balance that they had the other night ... continued to create problems for the Giants’ defense,” he said. “That keeps you off-balance about what to call, when to call it.
“It’s going to be a challenge. It’s a change-up. They’re pretty similar to what we have here, but it’s a change-up. They can run between the tackles.”
It will be no surprise if Abdullah and Riddick are chiefly involved in the passing game, on the receiving end of passes from former University of Georgia star Matthew Stafford.
“We know it’s a part of it,” Quinn said. “The good news is we have two guys (Freeman and Coleman) who help us (prepare). There could be some completions down low, so that’s where our tackling has to come to life, where our compression tackling, and it’s not a one-man tackle.”
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