Post by Guvmintcheeze on Oct 22, 2015 21:10:09 GMT
Falcons safety William Moore says he must prepare better
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- William Moore was far from the only reason the Atlanta Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints last week, but the veteran strong safety took the loss as if it was all on him.
Specifically, the hard-hitting Moore knows he had a few hiccups in coverage, like a play late in the third quarter when he allowed 34-year-old tight end Benjamin Watson to break loose for a 17-yard-gain, setting up a Saints touchdown. The Falcons sent outside linebacker Brooks Reed on a blitz, and Moore gave Watson plenty of room to flawlessly complete his crossing route. Plus, Moore was trailing steps behind, allowing Watson to pick up seven more yards after the catch.
"One thing I want to clear up is I'm not a pure in-the-box safety," Moore said. "Me personally, know my ability. I know what I can do. I can lock down any tight end in the league as far as covering them. I just haven't been on my technique.
"Every time I play man to man, I'm out of my technique. If I'm supposed to be inside leverage, I align outside leverage. It comes back to me. ... You damn right it bothered me. I'm in my seventh year. I've got expectations of myself. And the other night, that wasn't how I play ball. I need to learn how to relax and stop thinking so damn much."
Even in coach Dan Quinn's three-deep zone defense, Moore will have some coverage responsibilities despite the primary role of run support. In the fourth quarter against the Saints, a play-action fake by Drew Brees allowed the savvy quarterback to find a soft spot in the zone where Watson was free for a 14-yard gain. Moore, who made the tackle, was visibly upset after the play, although middle linebacker Paul Worrilow pointed to weakside linebacker Joplo Bartu once Watson crossed the middle.
No matter who was at fault, you have to wonder if the defenders are still getting accustomed to the scheme, a scheme Quinn firmly believes in and doesn't plan to alter much.
"It's not adjusting, because Coach does a great job of preparing us throughout the week," Moore said. "I take 100 percent of the blame for not being prepared as far as small things like leverage or technique-wise. If I've got a gap, be in my damn gap. I can't be out. I take 100 percent of it, man. I've got to prepare myself better. I'm a vet. So I take it upon myself."
We'll see what adjustments Moore and the rest of the defense make at Tennessee on Sunday. The Titans are likely to be without rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, who suffered a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament sprain in his left knee. That would leave Zach Mettenberger, more of a pocket passer, as the starting quarterback. It would be the ideal time for the Falcons to turn up the pressure and get some sacks.
The Falcons also have to avoid the mental lapses they had on defense last week. On a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Watson, there appeared to be some miscommunication between Worrilow and Moore about picking up Watson. But everybody had their eyes focused on the backfield and stopping the run anyhow.
"The biggest area we have to be better is in our communication," Worrilow said. "That's as a defense. The times where everyone is on the same page and communicating issues pre-snap is when we see success collectively.
"It's something we know is as simple as getting lined up and playing our correct assignments. Mental errors lead to bad ball in terms of coverage and leave you exposed as a defense. We're going to do a much better job at it."
As far as covering tight ends, Moore was asked if it irked him more that an aging player such as Watson looked like an All-Pro with 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, considering the Falcons still have to face the likes of Carolina's Greg Olsen, San Francisco's Vernon Davis, and even Tennessee's Delanie Walker, who leads the Titans with 22 catches.
"It could have been any damn body," Moore said. "We put different guys on (Watson). He just had one of those nights. When you've got a quarterback like Drew Brees, if you're open, he's going to find you. That's taking nothing away from Watson. He's a great tight end. So, we look forward to seeing him again."
That Falcons-Saints rematch is the final game of the season, by the way.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- William Moore was far from the only reason the Atlanta Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints last week, but the veteran strong safety took the loss as if it was all on him.
Specifically, the hard-hitting Moore knows he had a few hiccups in coverage, like a play late in the third quarter when he allowed 34-year-old tight end Benjamin Watson to break loose for a 17-yard-gain, setting up a Saints touchdown. The Falcons sent outside linebacker Brooks Reed on a blitz, and Moore gave Watson plenty of room to flawlessly complete his crossing route. Plus, Moore was trailing steps behind, allowing Watson to pick up seven more yards after the catch.
"One thing I want to clear up is I'm not a pure in-the-box safety," Moore said. "Me personally, know my ability. I know what I can do. I can lock down any tight end in the league as far as covering them. I just haven't been on my technique.
"Every time I play man to man, I'm out of my technique. If I'm supposed to be inside leverage, I align outside leverage. It comes back to me. ... You damn right it bothered me. I'm in my seventh year. I've got expectations of myself. And the other night, that wasn't how I play ball. I need to learn how to relax and stop thinking so damn much."
Even in coach Dan Quinn's three-deep zone defense, Moore will have some coverage responsibilities despite the primary role of run support. In the fourth quarter against the Saints, a play-action fake by Drew Brees allowed the savvy quarterback to find a soft spot in the zone where Watson was free for a 14-yard gain. Moore, who made the tackle, was visibly upset after the play, although middle linebacker Paul Worrilow pointed to weakside linebacker Joplo Bartu once Watson crossed the middle.
No matter who was at fault, you have to wonder if the defenders are still getting accustomed to the scheme, a scheme Quinn firmly believes in and doesn't plan to alter much.
"It's not adjusting, because Coach does a great job of preparing us throughout the week," Moore said. "I take 100 percent of the blame for not being prepared as far as small things like leverage or technique-wise. If I've got a gap, be in my damn gap. I can't be out. I take 100 percent of it, man. I've got to prepare myself better. I'm a vet. So I take it upon myself."
We'll see what adjustments Moore and the rest of the defense make at Tennessee on Sunday. The Titans are likely to be without rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, who suffered a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament sprain in his left knee. That would leave Zach Mettenberger, more of a pocket passer, as the starting quarterback. It would be the ideal time for the Falcons to turn up the pressure and get some sacks.
The Falcons also have to avoid the mental lapses they had on defense last week. On a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Watson, there appeared to be some miscommunication between Worrilow and Moore about picking up Watson. But everybody had their eyes focused on the backfield and stopping the run anyhow.
"The biggest area we have to be better is in our communication," Worrilow said. "That's as a defense. The times where everyone is on the same page and communicating issues pre-snap is when we see success collectively.
"It's something we know is as simple as getting lined up and playing our correct assignments. Mental errors lead to bad ball in terms of coverage and leave you exposed as a defense. We're going to do a much better job at it."
As far as covering tight ends, Moore was asked if it irked him more that an aging player such as Watson looked like an All-Pro with 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, considering the Falcons still have to face the likes of Carolina's Greg Olsen, San Francisco's Vernon Davis, and even Tennessee's Delanie Walker, who leads the Titans with 22 catches.
"It could have been any damn body," Moore said. "We put different guys on (Watson). He just had one of those nights. When you've got a quarterback like Drew Brees, if you're open, he's going to find you. That's taking nothing away from Watson. He's a great tight end. So, we look forward to seeing him again."
That Falcons-Saints rematch is the final game of the season, by the way.