Falcons cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford both gave up deep passes Sunday in the rain-soaked game against the New York Jets.
Trufant and Alford will be on the hot seat when the Falcons meet the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. Sunday in Charlotte.
The Panthers traded Kelvin Benjamin this week in part because they want to take more deep shots to rookie speedster Curtis Samuel.
“They do a lot of things that mess with your rules,” Trufant said. “They get you going one way, and they are going the other way. We just have to stay disciplined with our techniques, and we’ll be all right.”
Trufant knows that the Panthers reached the Super Bowl without Benjamin over the course of the 2015 season.
“They have played a lot without him,” Trufant said. “They just plug guys in. So, regardless of who’s out there, we have to do our job and play our technique. Just play with energy and play together.”
The Falcons have seen improved play from Carolina wide receiver Devin Funchess.
“They definitely have bigger receivers,” Trufant said. “They use their bodies well. (Quarterback) Cam (Newton) throws the ball to only where they can get it because they are taller. They definitely have some good players. We have to do our thing, and we’ll be all right.”
The Falcons expect to see more of Samuel and rookie Christian McCaffrey.
“They will give (Samuel) more touches,” Trufant said. “They’ll probably use McCaffrey more in the pass game as well. Whatever they do, we’ll be ready. We’ll be prepared. We just have to play our rules.”
About the Author
