When William Moore went down with a groin injury against Tennessee, the Falcons replaced him with Kemal Ishmael and Robenson Therezie at strong safety.
Both players will be expected to rise up in Moore’s expected absence against Tampa Bay at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
“You know, when he came in, he did a good job,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said of Ishmael. “He was on the details for it just like you’d expect him to be.”
Ishmael, a seventh-round pick out of Central Florida in 2013, started 10 games last season when Moore was injured. He’s a hard hitter and returned an interception for a touchdown against Tampa Bay last season.
The Falcons also used the Ishmael-Therezie combination in practice.
Both will have to be ready for Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Jameis Winston.
The Buccaneers have executed big plays. They’ve completed 22 passes of at least 20 yards this season and have seven rushes of 20-plus yards.
They had seven of those 29 explosive plays during their 31-30 victory over Washington on Sunday and five in their 38-31 victory over the Jaguars.
The Falcons didn’t allow the Titans any plays of 20 yards or more in Sunday’s 10-7 victory. The Buccaneers present more of an offensive challenge than the Titans.
“All of the guys have been doing a good job of stepping up in there and making plays,” Ishmael said. “It’s way different from last year. It’s more running. More eyes on the quarterback. When the ball is out, you have to break.”
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