Rookie free safety Damontae Kazee, with starter Ricardo Allen in the concussion protocol, will make his first NFL start against the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“It’s his time,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said on Friday. “He finished the game last week. It will be his (opportunity) to get more reps and get going. You know how excited we are for him. He’s done an excellent job.”
Allen and right tackle Ryan Schraeder remain in the concussion protocol program. Defensive end Vic Beasley (hamstring), defensive tackle Courtney Upshaw (ankle) and running back Terron Ward (neck/shoulder) have all be ruled out for the game.
Allen has helped to get Kazee ready for the Bills.
“I don’t think he could have had a better mentor and teammate than Rico to show him an example of the plays,” Quinn said. “They spent a good bit of time together this week.”
Strong safety Keanu Neal will take over the signal calling responsibility that’s normally done by Allen.
“Keanu will take the lead voice,” Quinn said. “Keke is ready for that role as well. The communication piece is going to be key and Keanu is definitely ready for that.”
Kazee, a fifth-round raft choice from San Diego State, like Allen, is a converted cornerback.
Kazee played cornerback for the Aztecs, for whom he had 15 interceptions in his two final seasons, and the Falcons relish his ball-hawking skills. Allen was a cornerback in college, too, at Purdue, before transitioning into NFL defensive quarterback
Kazee has played just 25 of 223 defensive snaps – mostly in nickel and dime situations.
“The standard is the standard, man, and I’m not just saying that to say that,” Marquand said. “Keanu is going to do his job, but we’re not counting on Kazee to do every job that Rico did. I think from the standpoint that we’ve prepared him to go out and play, and that 10 other guys are going to help him do his job.”
Neal started last season as a rookie and he has an idea of what may lie ahead for Kazee.
As far as backups, Kemal Ishmael could play safety if needed and safety Sherrod Neaseman is likely to be activated for the second game in a row. He saw action on special teams last week in Detroit.
Kazee’s said he’s ready to go.
“Every week I’ve got to go through the process because you don’t know what could happen,” Kazee said. “Just like last week, I got in the last minute. You’ve got to stay ready. ” Kazee continued. “I feel much more comfortable than my first (exhibition) season game. That’s where all the jitters were.”
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