From scheduling the guests for the team’s popular Internet show “D-Block” to calling the signals on defense, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon attends to every minute detail.
He also has the guest lineup in mind.
“I think we have to get Osi (Umenyiora) on the show pretty quickly,” Weatherspoon said. “With Osi coming in, we have to welcome him to ‘D Block’ and show him how we do it around here.”
As far as calling the defense for the second season under coordinator Mike Nolan, Weatherspoon has a plan for that, too.
The Falcons’ defense has been maligned over the offseason for blowing leads of 17 and 20 points in the playoffs. In Nolan’s first season with the team, the defense was the classic bend-but-don’t-break unit in 2012.
They gave up yards — 355.6 per game (24th in the NFL) — by the bushel, but they would stiffen inside the 20 and keep points off the scoreboard, as they gave up 18.7 points per game, which ranked fifth in the league.
The defense ranked 21st against the run (123.2 yards per game) and 23rd against the pass (242.4 per game). The yards didn’t hurt as much because they weren’t giving up points and were able to create turnovers.
The Falcons tied for fifth in the NFL with a plus-13 turnover differential.
Weatherspoon, the second linebacker taken in the 2010 draft with the 19th overall pick, appeared headed to his first Pro Bowl through the first seven games last season.
He suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia on Oct. 28 and missed three games. He battled back to finish second on the team with 114 tackles.
Instead of Weatherspoon, Arizona’s Daryl Washington, who was picked in the second round (47th overall), became the first linebacker from the 2010 draft class to make the Pro Bowl.
“What’s great about Spoon is he’s never satisfied with where he’s at,” linebackers coach Glenn Pires said. “He is improving, and he knows the things (he needs to improve on). All the guys look at what happened last year, and they want to improve.”
Weatherspoon knows that the spotlight is on the revamped defense.
“We’ve got to be one step ahead because these offenses are running the hurry up and running the zone option, you’ve got to be able to put your defense into everything you need to be on right away,” Weatherspoon said. “It’s a task, but at the same time we’re getting more comfortable.”
The Falcons struggled with read-option offenses last season. They’ll face read-option teams Seattle, San Francisco, Washington and Carolina (twice) this season.
“I think that ultimately we just have to trust each other and play together,” Weatherspoon said. “We need to get some more sacks and stop the run. Stopping the run is the main thing so that we can get them in those third-and-longs, and we can go after them a little bit.”
Weatherspoon, who had an interception and a fumble recovery last season, hopes that the Falcons continue their ballhawking ways.
“If we can take the ball away from the other team’s offense and get our team more possessions, we’ll have a better chance of winning,” Weatherspoon said. “We’ll focus on that and try to do a good job of simulating that in practice. We just have to take that to the game.”
The Falcons made some personnel changes on the defense.
Rookie cornerback Desmond Trufant will be counted on to replace Dunta Robinson, who was released and has signed with Kansas City. Also, Umenyiora, a free-agent signee from the New York Giants, is expected to replace John Abraham, who was released.
The rest of the unit appears set to remain in place.
Right after stopping the run, the defense wants to increase its pressure on quarterbacks.
“The difference is, the pocket guys, you work on that quarterback differently than the read-option guys,” Nolan said. “The read-option guys, their magic is performed in the backfield. The magic that is performed by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning is on the second level of your defense.”
The Falcons can reduce the yardage totals by eliminating missed tackles.
“The path to the ball is the biggest thing,” Weatherspoon said. “You have to take the right path to the ball in order to make the tackle. That is one thing that we focus on throughout camp and having proper leverage and using all of the guys out there.”
Weatherspoon is fine with his role.
“In Mike Nolan’s system everybody is going to make plays,” Weatherspoon said. “My job is to go out there and get everybody lined up and make plays when they are presented.”
Weatherspoon has bonded with Nolan.
“He does a great job of teaching you football,” Weatherspoon said. “The more that I talk with him, the more that I think I might end up being a coach. That’s the type of impact that he’s had on me.”
He’s come to relish their sessions talking about X’s and O’s.
“I’m not sure about the other guys, but he’s a guy that you love to talk ball with and just learn from him,” he said. “From being with him and talking to him, it’s given me the opportunity to understand him and actually relay his message the way that he wants it done.”
There are times when Weatherspoon has to translate in-game messages from Nolan to the rest of the defense.
“We’ll come to the sideline, and I’ll pick up the phone,” Weatherspoon said. “He’ll tell me the exact message that he wants to send to the defense. I have to be able to relay that message and maybe get guys to step it up.”
Weatherspoon plans to step it up and hopes the rest of the defense is ready to move on with him in 2013.
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