Falcons second-year linebacker Duke Riley is trying to bounce back after a rough outing against the Jets.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he saw some improvement in Riley, but also said there's still room for more improvement.
Riley allowed five receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown, according to profootballfocus.com. He also had a missed tackle. Last season, Riley missed eight tackles of 31 tackle attempts, according to profootballfocus.com.
“I feel comfortable,” Riley said on Monday. “The game has slowed down for me a lot. I put in so much work this offseason. I’m always feeling confident in myself. Yeah, I made a couple of mistakes, but at the end of the day I know what I’m capable of. I know what I can do.”
Riley, who opened last season at the starting weakside linebacker, is still listed with the first-team defense. The Falcons need him to improve in pass coverage.
Riley, a third round pick from LSU in 2017, played 40 defensive snaps and 10 on special teams against the Jets. He finished with three tackles.
“It doesn’t matter, first year or second year, I’ve got to put better stuff on tape which I will,” Riley said. “At the end of the day, I’m not perfect. No one is. The game is not perfect. You’re not going to go out there and win every snap and win every play. I’m just focusing on what I can do today to get better.”
