Ricardo Allen to match wits with savvy Hasselbeck
Falcons free safety Ricardo Allen, who’ll be matching wits with 40-year quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, must most embody coach Dan Quinn’s fast and physical style of play against the Indianapolis Colts at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
Allen, a converted cornerback who played at Purdue, is having a solid campaign. He leads the Falcons with 30 solo tackles, has one interception and two pass breakups.
If there’s a big play, Allen has to make the stop, which explains why he leads the team in solo tackles. He’ll have a tough challenge against the accomplished Hasselbeck.
“He gets the ball out of his hands fast,” Allen said. “He’s really professional with what he does. He doesn’t make too many mistakes. He’s very good with his preparation. He knows where the defense is going to be and what they are going to be doing.”
Allen also must be ready in run support against Frank Gore, the Colts’ hard-charging running back. Hasselbeck also has a nice fleet of receivers in T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Andre Johnson.
“With all of them, they get into different alignments and have different assignments,” Allen said. “But they all can run. They are big and they are fast. They have the reverse guys. They have the trick play guys. They have the deep ball guy. All of them can do it.”
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.
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