Falcons reserve linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has eased into an elder-statesman role on the team.
He’s staying ready while backing up the young linebackers.
But Weatherspoon is an expert on the how teams finish the regular season, as he’s been to the playoffs in five of his seven seasons in the NFL.
He has played on three teams that went to the NFC title game and was with the Falcons last season, while on injured reserve, as they made a late-season push that ended up in Super Bowl LI.
Weatherspoon believes this team is hungrier than last season’s team.
“First of all, we don’t even got a spot,” Weatherspoon said of the Falcons (8-5), who trail the Saints (9-4) and Panthers (9-4) in the NFC South. “That what we focus on. We come in here every day like we don’t (have) anything. Nobody is going to give us nothing. So, we have to continue to work.”
Last season, the Falcons lost in their 12th game of the season, to Kansas City. They ripped off four consecutive wins – albeit against weaker competition – to finish 11-5, earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye for the playoffs.
This season, the Falcons lost their 12th game, to Minnesota. They beat New Orleans 20-17 in a hard-fought game Dec. 7. They may need to win their final three games against Tampa Bay, at New Orleans on Dec. 24 and against Carolina on Dec. 31 to re-claim their NFC South title.
“You see signs of us being in that same position a little bit,” Weatherspoon acknowledged.
Cornerback Desmond Trufant said, “We know what’s at stake.”
The Falcons made their move last year after coach Dan Quinn took over the defensive play-calling after the Kansas City loss from then-defensive coordinator Richard Smith. There isn’t that type of internal strife this season.
“This time of year, the one thing that you’ve got to look forward to is how detailed can you be series-in and series-out,” defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel said. “Can you dominate? Last week, we came in, stood and rose to the occasion. Can you do that consistently? The great teams play great defense down the stretch. (If) a team doesn’t score, they (can’t) win.”
The Falcons believe the key will be stopping the run. The defense held Tampa Bay to 53 yards rushing in the previous meeting. The defense held the Saints to 50 yards rushing, but gave up 201 yards to Cam Newton and the Panthers.
“That was kind of our recipe last year,” Weatherspoon said. “If we could get up on you, you have to pass against us. Our pass defense and our pass rush has grown. That plays in our favor.”
The Bucs feature running backs Doug Martin and Peyton Barber. The Saints have Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. The Panthers have Newton, Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey.
“It’s going to be predicated on stopping the run, and then you get those opportunities for those longer distances on third downs and we have the guys who can go get them,” Weatherspoon said.
Like last season’s Kansas City game, the Minnesota game left some scars.
“That Vikings game was a tough loss,” Weatherspoon said. “But we are focusing on what we can control and that’s Tampa this week. We have to stack them, but it starts with that one. Mainly, it’s up to us.”
Quinn acknowledges that last year’s success late in the season could provide an ancillary boost against a much tougher schedule. He believes the team can still improve and put together a full game of high-quality, championship-level football.
“I think any competitor, a good moment that they had, you look back on it,” Quinn said. “But for us, we really think there is another spot that we can go to a new ceiling to go for, offensively, defensively and on teams. We’re going to work like hell to get to that spot.”
Quinn likes the vibes he’s getting from his team.
“When you watch us play, our identity is coming through,” Quinn said. “That’s the real challenge. I think any competitor can look back on a good performance, during a good streak and what happened during that moment, is not something that I share with the team, looking back to a last performance.”
Free safety Ricardo Allen won’t allow himself to look back and compare the stretch runs.
"That does nothing,” Allen said. “You’ve spent that money. You’ve got to go earn new money, man. That does nothing for you. We’re playing different teams at different times and different locations.”
He’s right. The Falcons bludgeoned the Rams, 49ers, Saints and Panthers, who were all sub-.500 teams last season, on the way to the playoffs.
“You can take it that we’ve done it before, but you’ve still got to put the work in; it just doesn’t transfer,” Allen said. “It’s not like rollover minutes."
Running back Devonta Freeman concurs with Quinn. He believes the team is still working toward their masterpiece game.
“On offense, we could be more consistent, take care of the ball better,” Freeman said.
Against the Bucs, Freeman may have to carry most of the rushing load, as Tevin Coleman is trying to rebound from a concussion.
It was Freeman who didn’t play in the previous meeting with the Bucs. Ironically, he was out with a concussion.
"I’ll be excited just to get on the field,” Freeman said. “I love to play football.”
Weatherspoon, like Quinn, senses a good vibe from this team.
“We’ve got a lot of dogs in there,” Weatherspoon said, pointing to the locker room. “We know that once we get prepared, it doesn’t matter who we play. It’s just a matter of us going out and doing our thing.”
Weatherspoon is not expecting a letdown against the Bucs.
“We do not have a spot,” Weatherspoon said. “Whatever we want, we have to go and get it. We’ve got the guys to go do that.”
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