Xavier Watts & Kaden Elliss on returning to practice after the bye week | Atlanta Falcons

Xavier Watts & Kaden Elliss on returning to practice after the bye week | Atlanta Falcons

And what you what did you do during this time away? Uh yeah, went back home to Omaha, Nebraska. Just recovered, lay low, hang out with family and friends, just took some time away from football. What’ you think about the uh receiving the award that you got last week? Were you surprised? And how did you find out? Uh yeah, it was a it’s a great accomplishment, you know, just a testament to my hard work I put in and also just credit to my teammates. Um without them, there’s no way I could possibly do what I’m doing. So, and then I found out from coach Ra when he texted me uh text me like a day before or so. So, hey, what are um some of the matchups with the the Bills? I guess Concade’s been uh kind of the crutch for with the receivers having separation issues. How do y’all see the tight end in their offense and how he operates? Yeah, uh you know, Concade’s a good great player. Um you know, he’s going to uh be a good matchup. Uh you know, they want to try to get him the ball. him and Dawson Knox, they’re part of their offense, so you know, they’re trying to get them the ball. And what do you see overall for, you know, with a quarterback that runs and uh, you know, does some things that Josh is able to do? Yeah, I mean, he’s just a great playmaker. Uh, he knows how to extend plays, you know, has to make make plays anywhere down the field. So, just being able to, you know, always play the second play. You know, the first play is going to be over, but then it’s going to be a second play after that. So, watch him Sunday night. Go ahead, sir. Did you watch him Sunday night? What were you watching? What were you watching them play Sunday night? Uh, I didn’t watch Sunday night. You didn’t watch him? No, I didn’t watch Sunday night, though. Well, whenever you watch him play, what kind of things you watch for when you see? Uh, I mean, really just like I said with him extending plays, kind of just what his reads, who he wants to throw to. Um, just watching him, what mannerisms, how he plays the game. So, how do you keep how do how do you keep yourself like kind of grounded after you get the honor from last month? How do you like I don’t want to say like one up what you were doing, but like how do you keep yourself like week by week? Uh I mean it’s just the will to continue wanting to get better. Um just always want more. Um you know, it’s awesome award, but it’s not the end all be all goal. Um and also just me personally, you know, I’m not really selfish. I kind of just want to see team success as well is really um overrides individual glory. What’ you focus on for the fight? Uh just relaxing, getting my mind off football. uh had a long combine straight into OTAA camp and just coming straight to the season just needed some time away. Did you have a chance to like kind of reflect a little bit on just what your journey’s been like just over the last couple of months? Yeah, definitely. Um like especially just being back at home with my family just talking about talking with them about like you said the journey so far and you know what’s to come next. Would you consider yourself a quick learner? I mean you’re four starts in and already getting such an honor. Uh yeah. Uh feel like yeah, I say quick learner. Uh I don’t want to like boast or anything, but like yeah, I feel like it’s, you know, been a process has been difficult. Um but I feel like I’ve been able to pick up on certain things quickly and you know, like I said, just it’s been awesome having guys like Jesse and AJ, you know, teach me things along the way. When you think back to when you switched from wide receiver to safety, how long did it take you to get the hang of the defensive position? Uh, I don’t know like the exact timeline, but I feel like it was kind of quick. Um, I had played safety in high school, so it wasn’t like a complete diff like transition all the way, but um, I feel like I quickly kind of picked up on it as well. Talk about the fact you mentioned team, the fact that this defense is progressing and maybe that had a little something to do with it too. The way you guys have come together that surprised you or pleased you? Uh, no, it hasn’t really surprised me. I feel like uh just the bond we’ve built overall is kind of it was expected. Um you know um it’s not always going to be an easy journey, but I feel like like the bond we had, the work we have, the will that everyone wants to be better. Um it’s kind of not surprised that you know we’re starting to become better each week. Did you have any tips from or did get any tips from like a Jesse Bates or somebody else in the secondary? I mean just for the rest of the season just to prevent like a burnout or something like that. Uh I mean it’s really just really taking care of your body. Uh, I mean that’s the best tip you can really get to be honest. I mean it’s just such a long season. Um, you really need to truly take care of your body and that’s pretty much it. When you did make that switch, was it your idea or was it your coaches? I assume actually it was your coaches but like what was your reaction to it? Uh, I mean I was open to it. Um, you know, Coach Kelly had brought the idea up to me and I was like I mean sure why not. Um, some guys had gone down so obviously like I said the team aspect wanted to help out with the team. Um, but yeah, just kind of it’s both our decisions. He asked me and I said, “Yeah.” Sorry, someone asked this, but I came up a little bit late. What did you do on the by-week and, you know, do you just kind of like get away from football or do you do a little bit of football and just try to stay in it? Yeah, like I said, I got away from football. Um, just focus on family, friends, just relaxing to get my mind off football. Is it a good thing or kind of a curse that you guys had such an early by week, do you think? Uh for me it was a good thing cuz I like I said I had gone straight into uh the season with all the combine and championship stuff. So for me it was good. The other guys I don’t know how how good it was for them. But I know it’s my first byee so I enjoyed it but I know what later down the line is what guys usually want. So what’s the vibe kind of like about coming back from the by week because everyone gets kind of away and now you come back together. I mean it’s still a good vibe. Um, you know, we had uh won our last game uh going into a buy and you know, just having that excitement of coming back on the field and want to continue to prove each week and you know, come out with another win on Monday. So, can you can you still feel that momentum coming back, you know, a week or however many days it is later? Yeah, 100%. Uh, I feel like that type of moment momentum doesn’t just die, especially, you know, we played a good game against a good opponent. So, I feel like it’s going to continue until Monday. And now you have, but you come out of the bye-week and now you have two teams right off the bat that have Super Bowl aspirations. Like how do you prepare for the like opponents like this? Uh I mean I feel at the end of the day I mean it’s just another football game. You can’t treat it anything bigger than what it is. Um everybody wants to win. Um they want to win, we want to win. So I mean it’s just going to come down to who just plays better on Monday and prepares the best. Do you feel like it’s kind of a surreal moment that now I mean you’re rookie in the NFL and now you’re facing the reigning MVP? Uh yeah. I mean it’s awesome. It’s pretty cool. I don’t think about it too much like off the field, you know. I think about when when I get on the field, I’m not gonna be like fanboying over him or nothing like that. So, but I mean, it’s gonna be a cool opportunity. How did you find out about the defensive rookie honor? Uh, yeah. Uh, like I said, Coach Ra had texted me like I think it was like a day before um in the morning or something. So, did you celebrate in any way? Uh, not really. No. Yeah. You know, you don’t want to make the moment too bigger than it already is, but Monday Night Football in the bench, just how excited are you and some of the other guys on this team for this opportunity? Yeah, I mean, it’s just an awesome opportunity. Um, like I said, going against a good opponent opponent, um, like the Bills. Um, it’s a, you know, awesome game playing at home Monday night and can’t ask for anything else. It’s been successful through four weeks, five weeks of the season. Um, a lot of hard work, you know, um, obviously Terry and Raw and that whole department brought us all here and, um, they got Brick here. Um, and, uh, you know, Brick’s pushed us really hard. Um, but it’s been worth it so far. We still got strides to take. Um, still got things to correct, ways we can get better and, uh, and become truly dominant. Um, but it’s been fun playing with this group so far. Has it fit? Have the pieces fit together so far more smoothly than you thought they would early on? It it seems like that process might take some time. I wouldn’t say than I thought it would. Um, you know, I think going into a season, you see things, but you know, in OTAA’s training camp, um, even before that, you see the all the different pieces and and you do wonder how it’s going to fit. Um, but I don’t think I’ve never tried to put a cap on it or, uh, you know, a ceiling on it. Um, but I’ve been really pleased with how it’s fit. I I love the guys that we got. I feel uh when you’re out there, you can play free because there’s um so much uh speed and effort on the field that guys are making up for uh guys all the time, you know, like I know I can go take a shot cuz I know I got 10 other guys that are flying to the ball. Um so it’s freeing to play that way. I know that you guys have played Baker and Marcus, but I wonder does Josh Allen make your job Monday night harder than it is most days or different? I mean, yeah, he’s a super special player. I mean, it is what it is. He’s got an MVP in the trophy trophy closet. Um he’s got his team competing for a Super Bowl every single year. Um he’s a very special player. So uh you know getting to go up against the best is fun. Brings a challenge. Uh you had linebackers got to help corral him and um it was going to be fun getting to play him. What did you see Sunday night when you watched them? That’s one thing everybody had a chance to see this team already. Yeah. Um you know I saw the the Patriots went out and challenged them. Uh I was watching very close to the Patriots. My brother was over there. Um he played him well. Um and uh you know they they challenged him and made him earn everything. thing and obviously the Bills are a really good team that um you know they do their thing often and frequently. They win most games. Um so uh watching the Patriots went out and played them aggressively. Um you know just play them aggressively. How do you emulate that? Um you know I’ll leave that up to the coaches. Obviously they’re still working on the game plan. They’ll get it to us here soon. Um but I think what a player can take of it is kind of what I was talking about earlier. We got a a fast defense that plays around with a great effort. Um so let’s attack. you know, when you got a shot on someone, when you got an opportunity to go make a play, go and uh make the Bills react to it. Um try to put them on their heels and and play aggressive and uh know that your brother’s got your back. When you play a quarterback like this, when you break the huddle, is there a checklist already in mind of things when you face him? Yeah, I mean, again, he’s so good and he’s, you know, everybody sees the talent, the throws, the athleticism, um you know, shaking off defenders, running, all the things that he does great. Um but he’s also very cerebral. He’s very good at using his cadence. He’s very good at using the entire play clock. um he gets to the to the ball fast enough that you know he can go through all of his checks and still give you cadence trying to get you to show what you’re going to do. Um and then he makes adjustments necessary. So he’s a very cerebral player so it’ll be fun not only you know getting to play physically and um you know go against his talent that everybody sees but also the mental side of the game. It’ll be a fun challenge. Week away good for you? Great. Blessed man. It was a good time with the family. Ken, do you recall uh any moment whether it’s last year or this year where you know you saw Michael Penny Jr. make a play and you realize that he, you know, he was kind of unshakable, you know, cool and calm and he’s kind of shown that already. But is there any kind of moment you remember? I I I remember in training camp last year cuz uh I know he’s a firstrounder, but like when you got a rookie quarterback in training camp and especially we go ones versus twos most days in most team periods. I was like, “Yes, I’m about to get my hands on a bunch of interceptions. I’m about to play, you know, make a bunch of big plays.” And I didn’t get him once all training camp. And it wasn’t he just didn’t do ill-advised things, but he still let his arm talent show every single day. You know, there’s a lot of guys with amazing arm talent that maybe aren’t a couch that aren’t starting in the NFL that can throw make every throw in the NFL, but who can blend letting their arm talent and their talent shine while also playing smart and Pennix does both in such an amazing way. So, I’m so glad he’s our quarterback and I know he can take us uh as far as we want to go. Hey, uh Ken, what did they do to uh the Patriots against the Bills to take on James Cook in that game? like, yeah, you know, they uh they uh they, you know, their corners and their DBs had to stand up in man coverage and that way the backers and, you know, a safety, the D line were really able to focus on stopping the run, stopping Josh Allen. Um, and obviously they they executed it. Their Bills still made plays because again, Bills have great players at receiver, too, and at tight end and at running back, great pass catchers. Um, you know, that’s looks like that’s kind of what the Patriots did and um, you know, we’ll see what our coaches want to want to put together for how we play them. Ross mentioned that uh I mean pass rush was going to be something that he was going to be focusing on in the during the by-week. How can you see improvement from that group just as we move into into Monday’s game and then beyond? You know, just keep working, just keep doing your thing. Um whoever’s gotten the opportunity to pass rush um go and um just get the quarterback down when we get there. You know, I know Mark is a amazing athlete, right? Like he’s been since he was at Oregon. He made us miss some times. It is what it is. You know, don’t let it slow you down. Keep attacking the old lineman and when you get back there, make the play. Brooklyn said that this defense it might take time for it to come all together. Are you surprised how quickly it has? Yeah. And um what I think is cool is it it hasn’t even fully yet. Like there’s so much cool stuff that we’ve put on the field. There’s so many great plays that guys have made. Um we’ve had great games. Um we’ve had good games. Um but man, I I just see elite and dominant games coming our way. uh if we can continue to work and and uh you know you know just attack the process every single week and continue to you know look in the mirror and um see you know these this is the vision that we have for this defense. Let’s keep getting closer and closer and if we do we’ll be special. Just feel differently for prime time games. Does it feel different playing on Monday night? Um you know you want to say that they’re all the same but at the end of the day you know the world’s watching and the energy is just there. The energy is different. So the great teams bring that energy no matter where you’re at. Um, but I’m almost like these. Everybody’s got it because it’s a it’s a special moment. It’s what you grew up wanting to play. Um, so yeah, it’s it’s special. What do you expect the environment to be like in the big game? Haven’t had a Monday night game here in quite a bit. So, when’s the last time, you know, four years? Four years, I think. Man, I think it’s going to be special. You know, rise up, man. We We got our uh our our Falcons fans that are, you know, most special in the world, and I know they’re going to come through for us. We’ll bring the juice. What’s about that? The fact that there was expectation. That’s how you get these games, right? There’s an expectation nationally for what you guys Let’s go. We’re thankful for it, but you know, let’s just go do it. That’s all I want to do. Let’s go out here and make the plays necessary to to earn some more Monday night football games, right? D Alford was very complimentary of Diablo just in terms of his ability to to, you know, stuff out big routes and things like that. What have you seen from him just in past coverage? I mean, just based off of what we’ve seen at camp versus what we’ve seen now. Um, man, he’s doing such a good job. um he’s got all the tools to be elite in everything, right? And then he’s, you know, former safety and he’s tall and he’s got this length and he’s got the speed. Um so he’s someone that you can just trust out there in the open field to go cover everything. But what’s been really cool is just how smart he’s been like just picking up the routes, picking up the concepts, knowing what’s coming and playing it perfectly. Um and I know he’s still got steps he wants to take and I know he, you know, like he wants to catch the ball, right? But man, he’s getting his hands on so many and he’s taken away so many throws. Um, man, he he can have a really he’s already having he can continue to have a really really special year. I’m excited for him. Especially since it happened over the buy and the Bills are your next opponent. Did you text your brother at all like tips and tricks? Yeah, we you know, we we passed a couple ideas along. You know, he played the Panthers a week after we did and now I got the Bills a week after him. So, we’ll uh we’ll talk this through. Just coming off of the buy going into two really big prime time matchups against some really quality opponents. How important is this stretch of these next couple of games for this team? Yeah, just go out and, you know, win this next one, win the one after that, win the one after that, and we’ll be sitting pretty, right? Let’s just keep winning. And, uh, I believe this group, we’re going to get it done.

Xavier Watts and Kaden Elliss speak to the media following practice ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

0:00 – Xavier Watts – S
7:00 – Kaden Elliss – ILB

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