Quinn: Riley shined while replacing Jones at middle linebacker vs. Chiefs
The Falcons were forced to shuffle their linebackers Friday with Deion Jones (strain) out against the Chiefs.
“Duke (Riley) moved over the play what we call the (middle linebacker) and we put Foye (Oluokun) at the (weakside),” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “So, I was glad to see the progress made from Game 1 to Game 2 from a tackling standpoint he was really rock-solid, and that’s part of what we were looking for from him.”
Riley had an uneven debut in the exhibition opener against the Jets on Aug. 10.
“I would say two bright spots from that game, one defensively was Duke, and the other offensively was (backup quarterback Matt) Schaub,” Quinn said. “Those are two guys at different spots in their careers, but really are showing that their game is on point with whatever role they’re asked.”
The middle linebacker spot is the defensive signal caller for the Falcons, and they are comfortable with Riley’s communication skills - which can be helpful if he needs to spell Jones at the position in the future.
“That’s one of Duke’s strengths, to make sure he can communicate at a high level, but make no mistake Deion plays at a real high level, so by sometimes taking a guy out and forcing him in it’s helpful to know . . . run it, read it, kind of direct the whole thing,” Quinn said. “That’s an important part of it.
“Maybe his strain and getting Duke some reps there is a good thing for us because now we’ve got Duke some experience at the position.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
