Reporters’ notebook: New Falcons defender’s film study on team’s new QB

The following, a new weekly feature of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, allows our reporters to open their notebooks and provide even more information from our local teams that we cover daily. We think you’ll find in informative, insightful and fun.

Calais Campbell was recruited to the Falcons by coach Arthur Smith, but did some research of his own before landing in A-town.

And some of his film work included watching tape of the franchise’s new starting quarterback Desmond Ridder – who was only 9 years old when Campbell played in his first NFL game in 2008.

“I watched tape on (quarterback) Desmond Ridder,” Campbell said. “I watched tape with the coaches, which was funny because you don’t get to do that too often. I watched tape ... the whole process, I’m watching all of the guys.”

He came away impressed and eventually signed a one-year deal with the Falcons. But – let’s not get it twisted – the defense and new coordinator Ryan Neilsen played a big role for the big man.

“We had a really long conversation, and I really liked his vision for how he wants to play defense,” Campbell said of Neilsen. “He made me feel like that my presence can help a lot and the way he wants to do things. I agreed based off of our conversations. I feel like this defense can be a force. We can have a stout defense with the offense that scores points, with the run game controlling the clock, I think this can be a very strong team.”

In the 2008 NFL draft ...

The 36-year-old Campbell was drafted in the second round in 2008 out of Miami (Fla). The Falcons, of course, selected quarterback Matt Ryan No. 3 overall in that draft. They took offensive tackle Sam Baker with an additional first-rounder.

Then, with their second-round pick, they took linebacker Curtis Lofton at No. 37 – 13 picks before the Cardinals took Campbell. All this to say: Campbell assembled quite the career for himself.

Family affair at Tech

Several new Georgia Tech offensive position coaches raved about coach Brent Key this week, stressing that he values a family atmosphere that’s already created strong relationships among the staff.

As new receivers coach Josh Crawford explained: “What stood out to me just in talking with (Key), he was somebody that was very big on family, and that is important to me. This is something Coach says all the time: Organizations are about the people. When he went out to put this coaching staff together, I think that’s what he had in mind. So as he’s talking to you, who are you as a person, right? And I think in his mind, it’s like, ‘If I get great people, the coaching part will take care of itself.’”

New(ish?) face at offensive coordinator in Athens

When breaking in a new offensive coordinator, it’s helpful when the person in question has been on staff serving as offensive analyst. As an added bonus, Mike Bobo was Georgia’s offensive coordinator under former coach Mark Richt, so it’s not even the first time he’s held this title.

Georgia also will have a new starting quarterback, presumably either junior Carson Beck or sophomore Brock Vandagriff, next season. So far, though, it sounds like Beck and Vandagriff are happy with Bobo’s elevation to OC.

“Coach Bobo, he’s pretty intense,” Vandagriff said. “On the first day he came in the quarterback (meeting) room and said, ‘I’m going to coach y’all hard, and I hope y’all are open to that.’ Heck, he didn’t really give us a choice. He said, ‘I’m going to coach y’all hard, and that’s the way it’s going to go.’ We all said, ‘Yes sir,’ and I think it’s been really good. He has a reason for everything he does. His meetings go well.”

Bobo is different than his predecessor Todd Monken, who left Georgia to take the same position with the Ravens, but Beck is loving the energy Bobo brings to the position.

“I think every offensive coordinator is very different and brings their own spark and calls different plays, calls different things, calls things different,” Beck said. “Bobo is very energetic; love the way he’s been coaching recently, and I’m excited to keep working with him.”

Winning in front of the home fans

Some might consider this hard to comprehend: This week begins the Braves’ seventh season at Truist Park. Since going 37-44 in their debut season at the ballpark, the Braves had a winning home record in each of the ensuing five seasons. They won the division in all of those seasons and won the World Series in 2021. They had a 7-1 postseason record at Truist Park during that championship run.

At the Masters, it’s all about the start

If you want to win the Masters, you better be in the top 10 after the first round.

So says recent history.

Since 2005, only one golfer has won the Masters without being at least tied for 10th after the opening round. That golfer would be Tiger Woods. He was tied for 33rd in 2005 after famously opening with a round of 74 and coming back to win. Woods was one spot outside the top 10, tied for 11th, in 2019.

Every other golfer to win got off to a good start. The players who finished in the top 10 (including ties) after the first round of this year’s Masters were: Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Young, Jason Day, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, Gary Woodland, Scottie Scheffler, Sam Bennett and Sam Burns.

“Excluding the back nine on Sunday with some of the hole locations, I think it’s a very difficult course to chase on,” said Rory McIlroy, who has come close at Augusta, but still needs the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam. “You start to fire at pins and short-siding yourself, and you’re missing in the wrong spots, it’s hard to make up a lot of ground …

“Yeah, say you shoot a couple over that first day, then you start having to chase just to make the cut or try to get yourself back in the tournament, that’s when this golf course can really sort of step up and bite you.”

Here’s how the past 18 winners stood after Round 1.

2005 – Tiger Woods T33

2006 – Phil Mickelson T4

2007 – Zach Johnson T5

2008 – Trevor Immelman T1

2009 – Angel Cabrera T6

2010 – Mickelson T2

2011 – Charl Schwartzel T7

2012 – Bubba Watson T4

2013 – Adam Scott T10

2014 – Bubba Watson T2

2015 – Jordan Spieth 1

2016 – Danny Willett T9

2017 – Sergio Garcia T4

2018 – Patrick Reed T4