It hasn’t taken long for first-round draft pick Keanu Neal to make an impact for the Falcons. After missing the first two games following August knee surgery, the rookie safety has played well in three of his four starts.
Neal took his lumps when matched up with Greg Olsen, Carolina’s Pro Bowl tight end, but otherwise has held up in coverage. Coach Dan Quinn said Neal also has lived to his billing as a hitter.
“The thing I am most impressed with is the tackling,” Quinn said. “Man, is he playing physical. We knew that part of his game was going to come to life but it’s the style and the attitude and the way that he tackles that really jumps out to us. We’ve been really pleased with that part.”
Neal played probably his best two games in the last two weeks against Denver and Seattle. He had a forced fumble in each of those games and Quinn said he’d like to see more of the same.
“He’s such a physical guy and now can you force some fumbles, can you get the ball off of guys?” Quinn said. “The man-to-man (coverage) match ups he’s had, the tackling he’s had, it’s exactly like we hoped he would be. Now the next step as a ballplayer is having that same physicality and then, oh by the way, get the ball out.”
Neal appeared on the team’s injury report this week. Quinn said Neal “is doing fine” but likely will have post-surgery maintenance on the knee for the rest of the season.
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