Post by Guvmintcheeze on Sept 15, 2015 17:20:14 GMT
Falcons defense looks to 'set it off' moving forward
Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer
ATLANTA -- Dan Quinn has a saying, and this one doesn't include the words "fast" or "physical" either.
The Atlanta Falcons head coach has a way of inspiring his defensive players to elevate their games. Outside linebacker O'Brien Schofield, who also played under Quinn in Seattle, has grown accustomed to the brief but effective motivation tactic.
"Coach always asks the question, 'Who's going to be the one to set it off?' And I think that fires us up before the game," Schofield said. "Then you get the fans rocking, like they were rocking (Monday night). We just want to keep that energy and juice going."
Give Schofield and the defense credit for "setting it off" in Monday night's 26-24 season-opening win against the Philadelphia Eagles -- a win sealed by free safety Ricardo Allen's last minute interception of Jordan Matthews' dropped ball. A Falcons defense considered arguably the worst in the league the past few years looked energized and actually carried the offense in spurts. The defense held the high-octane Eagles to 3 of 12 on third down for a 25 percent conversion rate. Last season, the Falcons had the league's worst third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert 46.8 percent.
Schofield helped set the tone on the Eagles' second possession. He was the one who fought off two blocks to knock Eagles running back Demarco Murray back 5 yards on a stretch play. Murray stayed afloat for a second then was devoured by a host of Falcons, including rookie Vic Beasley, Jonathan Babineaux, and Adrian Clayborn. The result was 2-yard loss and a second consecutive three-and-out against the fast-paced Eagles.
"To see the rest of the defense swarm, man, that was energy right there," Schofield said. "We're playing for one another. We talk about knocking guys back and giving everybody a chance to get to the ball, and that was very evident."
Quinn's influence on the defense was clearly evident, too. The former Seahawks defensive coordinator had his share of playmakers in Seattle. No one was sure what to expect with the guys he inherited in Atlanta and the influx of veterans who hadn't reached their potential -- primarily because of injuries. But his attacking, 4-3 under defense with 3-4 personnel tendencies allows his defenders to play loose and free.
Newcomers Schofield and linebacker Justin Durant flew all over the field from the jump, and their teammates fed off it. Ascending middle linebacker Paul Worrilow carried over his playmaking from the preseason and came up with what proved to be the crucial stop of the game when he dropped Eagles running back Ryan Matthews for no gain on a third-and-1 play from the Falcons' 26-yard line. It led to a missed 44-yard field goal by Cody Parkey with 2 minutes, 32 seconds left that allowed the Falcons to maintain the lead.
"It's such a team effort, and everybody brings something different," Worrilow said of the defense. "We're all unique, but we're playing with that identical emotion and that passion. And I think that's huge. We're growing together.
"At the same time, it's one game. We're going to grow more. And we're going to go through some more hardships. It's going to bring us closer. But (Monday), the way we finished, I could [not] have been prouder of my teammates."
Not all was perfect, of course. The Falcons had some second-half hiccups which allowed the Eagles to erase a 20-3 deficit and take a 24-23 lead. They gave up five plays of 19-plus yards in the second half. Part of the adjustment going into Sunday's road matchup with Eli Manning and the New York Giants will be correcting those errors, which included a couple of missed tackles and blown assignments.
Strong safety William Moore, who had a tone-setting big hit and a key interception before the half thanks to pressure by rookie Grady Jarrett, was far from satisfied.
"We've got to come out with the same intensity in second halves," Moore said. "We let down a little bit in the third quarter (Monday), but we finished. We just have to come back with a little more energy in the second half."
Starting Sunday against the Giants.
"Same mindset: Go out and play fast and physical," Moore said. "It's not about them. It's more about us about knowing what we've got to do and playing fast."
Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer
ATLANTA -- Dan Quinn has a saying, and this one doesn't include the words "fast" or "physical" either.
The Atlanta Falcons head coach has a way of inspiring his defensive players to elevate their games. Outside linebacker O'Brien Schofield, who also played under Quinn in Seattle, has grown accustomed to the brief but effective motivation tactic.
"Coach always asks the question, 'Who's going to be the one to set it off?' And I think that fires us up before the game," Schofield said. "Then you get the fans rocking, like they were rocking (Monday night). We just want to keep that energy and juice going."
Give Schofield and the defense credit for "setting it off" in Monday night's 26-24 season-opening win against the Philadelphia Eagles -- a win sealed by free safety Ricardo Allen's last minute interception of Jordan Matthews' dropped ball. A Falcons defense considered arguably the worst in the league the past few years looked energized and actually carried the offense in spurts. The defense held the high-octane Eagles to 3 of 12 on third down for a 25 percent conversion rate. Last season, the Falcons had the league's worst third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert 46.8 percent.
Schofield helped set the tone on the Eagles' second possession. He was the one who fought off two blocks to knock Eagles running back Demarco Murray back 5 yards on a stretch play. Murray stayed afloat for a second then was devoured by a host of Falcons, including rookie Vic Beasley, Jonathan Babineaux, and Adrian Clayborn. The result was 2-yard loss and a second consecutive three-and-out against the fast-paced Eagles.
"To see the rest of the defense swarm, man, that was energy right there," Schofield said. "We're playing for one another. We talk about knocking guys back and giving everybody a chance to get to the ball, and that was very evident."
Quinn's influence on the defense was clearly evident, too. The former Seahawks defensive coordinator had his share of playmakers in Seattle. No one was sure what to expect with the guys he inherited in Atlanta and the influx of veterans who hadn't reached their potential -- primarily because of injuries. But his attacking, 4-3 under defense with 3-4 personnel tendencies allows his defenders to play loose and free.
Newcomers Schofield and linebacker Justin Durant flew all over the field from the jump, and their teammates fed off it. Ascending middle linebacker Paul Worrilow carried over his playmaking from the preseason and came up with what proved to be the crucial stop of the game when he dropped Eagles running back Ryan Matthews for no gain on a third-and-1 play from the Falcons' 26-yard line. It led to a missed 44-yard field goal by Cody Parkey with 2 minutes, 32 seconds left that allowed the Falcons to maintain the lead.
"It's such a team effort, and everybody brings something different," Worrilow said of the defense. "We're all unique, but we're playing with that identical emotion and that passion. And I think that's huge. We're growing together.
"At the same time, it's one game. We're going to grow more. And we're going to go through some more hardships. It's going to bring us closer. But (Monday), the way we finished, I could [not] have been prouder of my teammates."
Not all was perfect, of course. The Falcons had some second-half hiccups which allowed the Eagles to erase a 20-3 deficit and take a 24-23 lead. They gave up five plays of 19-plus yards in the second half. Part of the adjustment going into Sunday's road matchup with Eli Manning and the New York Giants will be correcting those errors, which included a couple of missed tackles and blown assignments.
Strong safety William Moore, who had a tone-setting big hit and a key interception before the half thanks to pressure by rookie Grady Jarrett, was far from satisfied.
"We've got to come out with the same intensity in second halves," Moore said. "We let down a little bit in the third quarter (Monday), but we finished. We just have to come back with a little more energy in the second half."
Starting Sunday against the Giants.
"Same mindset: Go out and play fast and physical," Moore said. "It's not about them. It's more about us about knowing what we've got to do and playing fast."