Atlanta Falcons Coordinators look ahead to Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup | Press Conference

Atlanta Falcons Coordinators look ahead to Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup | Press Conference

Hey, how’s preparation going on week for Tampa Bay New? Yeah, it’s good. It happens fast. Obviously, you got to turn the page. You kind of start watching um you know, really Sunday right after the game. You clean up the the tape from Sunday’s game and you got to move move quickly. So, um it’s good. You know, we we know these guys, but they you know, of course, everybody kind of shifts and changes throughout the season uh based on their personnel that’s available, all those different things. But really good defense as always. It’s coach BS and he does an unbelievable job. He’s he’s done it for a long time and so we know that we’re going to get their absolute best. We know they’re right in the thick of things and so um we’re have to going to have a great week of prep and and know it’s going to be these games are always hard against these guys. So um we’re anticipating that kind of game and and our guys will be excited for it. Um what what’s uh you know how’s Levante David been able to you know stay in power in the league as a one top linebacker? He’s he’s unbelievable. I mean, he he uh he looks the exact same as you remember him from 10 years ago. I mean, he is uh he’s still flying around. He’s still making a ton of plays. He can still run. He’s he’s still a huge impact player for them. So, he’s had a great career. Always, you know, watched him from afar. And then being in the division, you have that much more appreciation for a guy like that. But, um gosh, he must be taking care of his his body and doing all the right things because he still looks the exact same to us. And who’s Steph with or Kenzie going down uh inside with Vita? Yeah, they have a number of guys kind of rotating through there. They’re always going to have tough interior players. I mean, that’s kind of how they’re built. They’re built through the front. Um obviously they’re they’re heavy inside with with Vita and and the other guys they got in there. So, uh anticipating a good rotation of guys, but uh whoever’s in there, um you know, sometimes you can’t even tell just by their play style and the way that they they they’re coached. So, um all those guys are a challenge inside for sure. when a uh defense is blitz heavy, there’s always a trade-off with that. As as an offensive play caller, what are some of the things you’re trying to take advantage of when a team relies on the blitz so much? Yeah, I think you always are looking at what kind of blitzes are coming uh when they’re when they’re occurring. Um you know, what what are the plays that match up within your scheme based on first down, second down, third down to make sure that you do have sound answers. That’s the biggest thing is making sure you have sound answers for the players and uh making sure that you know you have quick element throws and and those types of things and the protection is always, you know, overrides everything. And so you’re you’re you know, clipping through a number of blitzes at this part of the year. I mean, they’ve obviously put a ton on tape and so you’re filtering through and and you’ve seen every single pressure and you know, you’re prepared for all of them and I’m sure they’re going to have have new ones as well. They’re always scheming different things up. So, you got to have sound answers across the board, but uh the protection, communication, and and all those things kind of takes precedence over anything. And then you just want to make sure that you have uh good routes distribution, sound route distribution throughout the field and uh give your quarterback just really good answers across the board. aspect about uh third down been you know difficult for you guys uh you know for for you know this season just from your experience you know what what are the things that go into success or failure on third down? Yeah, it’s hard cuz um you know that’s that’s the most disappointing part of our offense is the third down. We started off the season kind of not playing that well in the red zone. we were playing well on third down and then obviously um you know it just has not has not gone well in terms of third down I’ve always in when my time in LA I was you know in charge of third downs and so that’s always been kind of an area that I’ve always focused on when I was an assistant coach a quarterback’s coach and so uh for it not to be going down the way that you’re hoping um is very frustrating number of things that go into it um first and foremost is always going to be the protection on third downs you got to make sure that you have sound protection you got to make sure that we’re IDing things properly, we’re getting to the right people. I think we’ve had we can be a lot cleaner in that area just um from an upfront standpoint. And then a lot of it is just, you know, execution of the call, you know, based on the coverage. Uh there’s a number of different coverages that you see. So, you got to have uh sound answers. I think we’ve had opportunities to execute. And then there’s certainly times throughout the game where I say, “Ah, man, I that wasn’t a great play call there.” You know, so it’s always going to be a combination of everything. But, um, there there’s there’s typically answers out there. You got to find them. Um, you know, third down a lot of times it comes down to tight coverage, tight throws, tight catches. Uh, and you just got to be you got to be on the screws with it because it is third down. You’re getting tighter coverage and man coverage a lot of the times. So, uh, just making sure that when we when we get those opportunities, we definitely got to take advantage of it. Zack, when you have key piece of the offense out in Michael and someone that is, you know, progressing and someone that you’re trying to build this thing around moving forward and you have so many other pieces in and out of the lineup like Drake, how do you kind of measure success moving forward as a whole when you have key pieces like that out that are part of the bigger plan or Yeah, I I think it’s a great opportunity for guys to step up and and you know, create an opportunity for themselves to set themselves up for next year or years coming. And I think that’s the cool part of it. Um, is it um, do you wish everybody could be out there? 100%. You want to see the development of Mike and Drake and and all these these guys together because that ultimately, like you’re saying, is going to be the long-term goal here. So, um, you know, it’s a good opportunity for everybody. I think the biggest thing at this point is um, we have such a great group of guys that love playing the game and you just want to see them just continue to enjoy playing the game of football, play hard. Uh, we’ve never had an issue with that here. I mean, we’ve got a bunch of good dudes that uh that love the game, that play for each other, uh that that play really hard, and and the results obviously haven’t been um what we had hoped, but that’s all you’re asking for as a coach is just to see these guys keep shooting their shot every single week, and they’ve done that. They’ve uh responded to adversity in the past. Um we’re obviously going through tougher adversity than than any of us have experienced um in our time here. So, um, it’s a it’s a, you know, I I keep saying, but it’s a close-knit group. Players, coaches, like we are all very very close. There’s been no, you know, breaking the stone. I mean, everybody is just staying connected. They come back to work. Uh, you know, they look you in the eye and and and they’re ready to work every single day. So, that’s really all you can ask for. Uh, we know we’ve um, you know, had some opportunities that just, um, hasn’t went down, but we just got to keep pushing forward and and I anticipate our guys doing that throughout the rest of the season. being around the game as long as you have in the NFL when when like when team goals kind of don’t get met, you know, the winning season being eliminated from playoff contention is there and being around this do you see a lot in these situations of kind of guys starting to look around whether it be coaches, players like I’m auditioning for my job right now and do you get a sense of that traditionally and then even in a situation like this knowing there’s some uncertainty that’s possible? Sure. Yeah. I think, you know, I’ve I’ve been a part of one other season like this, 2022 with the Rams where it was very similar where we lost some close games, we had, you know, a number of injuries. Uh, it was a year after the Super Bowl, had high expectations and, um, you know, things went very similarly to to this year. And so, um, I think you’re so locked in and focused on whatever it’s going to take that day, that week to just go play your best that, uh, you don’t you don’t really think about it. I mean, you’re you’re auditioning for your job every single day, you know, whether it’s week two, week three, week four. Um, that’s just the nature of the business. You gota you got to have results. You got to win. And we certainly, you know, have not lived up to those expectations. But I do know that, you know, the adversity that these guys have battled through, we’ve all battled through together is going to set us up, you know, in the long term. But um but yeah, you just I I think for me personally, not speaking for the guys, but you’re just so locked in on on what the task is at hand that you just keep pushing forward and um you know, knowing that you got to just play at your best every single Sunday. Given all the change within the wide receiver room and then also Drake London’s injury, how nice is it to have someone like Kyle Pittz as another option in the passing game? Kyle’s done a great job. He’s he’s um he’s made huge strides um from a season ago. um you know, he he’s he’s become our kind of number one guy that that we’re targeting obviously. Um he’s he’s done a great job um as a receiver. He’s done a great job as a blocker this year that his his blocking ability has given us a lot of versatility in 12 personnel, in 13 personnel to do a lot of different things. And so um can’t say enough good things about Kyle. There’s certainly with everybody, you want just those finer details to just keep showing up, but he he puts in the work. Um, I think he’s having a really good season and coach Koger’s done a great job with him really all all throughout the season because of all of our guys, he’s got a lot on his plate. Bean’s the same way. He’s, you know, he’s got a lot on his plate. He’s moving all different spots, but Kyle is kind of that next guy that um he’s flexing, you know, 13 personnel, 12, 11. So, he’s having to learn a number of spots. He’s handling it really well. But, um, it’s definitely nice to see him making a bunch of plays like he has the last couple weeks. How’s everybody doing today? Good. Uh start off real real quick. I know we got a quick turnaround. Um going off the game last week, um obviously talk about starting the second half. Our guys did a great job on the first two kicks um covering versus Shahed, but it’s all about that next rep because we’re only guaranteed each and every game, one kickoff, one kickoff return. So that was very unfortunate for that to happen. And being able to address that with those guys, one that that it can’t happen. Just no different than what Raheem said, that can’t happen. Um, we guys work their butts off each and every day, each and every play, and we don’t get a second or third down. So, when something like that happens, Mark, like that’s a momentum changing play. And our guys, when we we do everything right on that play, it looks really good. But if one guy is off and they don’t execute and and they’re not being disciplined with doing their job, it can add to a big seam when you never know what happens after that big seam opens up. So, we got to be better there. Thought the guys did a good job with the punts. Um K was good to see Tomkins get a get some uh returns going in and the kickoff return game and guys being clean with their blocks. And then obviously on field goal block. We got to be clean off the edge. OP time was good. Protection inside out was good. It’s just that last little bit. Give Seattle credit. That guy’s been doing a great job all season. Number three off the edge. And we have to get more of him and get a better punch on the edge to give uh Zayn opportunity to put that ball through the uprights. I am proud of Zayn how he’s been operating. He did end up finishing with three field goals, but we missed out on that opportunity for him to have that that fourth field goal as you look at it as in the game. Um this week going against Tampa, good challenge. Played against those guys the first time. Um they’re good core players all over the board with Nilson number 98, Hayes 32. Um Riley Riley Dixon has been doing it for 10 years. Does a great job flipping the field and he’s an athletic punter when it comes to what he does in in the punt game. Um so we’re look forward to a challenge on a short week and a divisional game on the road and I’ll open it up to any questions. Oh yeah, coach on the replay it looked like um one of the um guys got double team. Is there a way to avoid those or jump out of that or how do you attack that? We have different techniques and um formalities and modalities that we use to defeat double teams. Um, you watch the second rep when they did double team Hodgej, he did a great job splitting it. Just so happened before he even got to the ball, Watts made the play on the tackle. Um, the return they ran was no different than the first return that they ran where Felipe Franks and um, Ronnie Harris made the play. It’s just going back to being able to execute the call that we have at hand. If we call something, let’s make sure that all 11 guys are doing their job at the highest level possible. And that’s our number one goal in that room. Every single player, one of 11 doing your job. Because when you do your job, you may not make the play, but you’re helping somebody else make the play. And it’s being consistent throughout that process to do that. But we have different ways, DLE, to answer your question, to defeat double teams. The one thing you don’t want to do is get washed to one sideline or other sideline. You want to be firm and not slow down your motor. And that was a hard double team. Red had a D lineman and a big tight end on him. And he was fighting like fighting his butt off to get off that double team. Maris, uh, Raheem said yesterday that Things have to change on special teams. Maybe that’s a personnel thing. Um, so Jordan Fuller got released yesterday. What might that look like uh Thursday? You mean like change on special teams? Like you maybe shuffle who who’s you know who you’re using. I mean what what could that look like? Because that’s what that’s what Raheem said. Yeah. Every every day, every week we change on special teams. As you could look at our roster, you can look at inactives, activives. If you look deep and look at close, every week on our whether it’s our punt team, our punt return team, kickoff, kickoff return, every week we have moving parts. Every week our active game day roster changes on who’s inactive, inactive. So we’re always making changes, always looking to put guys in the best positions to go out there and use their attributes to help the team win. What does that look like throughout the week when there are more looking back at games some repetitive special teams mistakes that process with Raheem and you how much does he get involved more with it is it more attention to detail on his end being in the meetings just kind of shed some light on that process it’s always fluid we have good communication um whe and it starts in game if something whether it’s good or bad happens in game we have that communication we talk about that play um we diagnose my job to diagnose play and give him the information on what happened on that play, whether it’s during the game, after the game, or even the following day. And always looking because we’re us as coaches, we’re looking for solutions and we’re looking to help our guys get those solutions to do their things. Just been unfortunate for the most part guys been covering well. When you have those one-offs, those things stick out like a sore thumb because it’s a oneplay mentality. We don’t get a second down. But those are things that we continually talk about all the time. Make sure our guys are doing their job at the highest level. You’ve been around the game long enough now that the team goals, making the playoffs, winning season that has passed, this is usually a time where guys feel like they’re fighting for their job, whether it be players and coaches. Do you get a sense of that? Do you feel that yourself that you’re fighting for your job week in and week out? I I don’t necessarily say I’m fighting for my job because that that’s like the wrong perspective. I’m looking to try to thrive at my job. I’m not like you could have the per you could have the mindset like worried about like losing a position or losing your playing time what not rather than trying to thrive at and keep your process driven and how can we get better. So I mean it’s a competitive league each and every week we’re looking to get better. Yes, right now we’re eliminated from playoffs but it doesn’t stop us from h us playing good football on Thursday night versus a good football team and for us on special teams we just want to win our one down. whatever that down is, let’s go win it. And the more we could win, the more we put our team in position to win games. Um, can you break down in any specificity the the Shahed return and just what went wrong there? Basically, what what should have happened? I looked at it a bunch and it just I don’t know if it’s about guys just getting off of blocks or if it’s the cohesive like squeezing of, you know, the lanes. If you could just talk. Yeah. Well, Patrick, if you watched the first one and the third one, those are the exact same returns. The only difference was somebody stayed on Felipe and then somebody chipped Felipe. Um Felipe made the tackle in the first one because they didn’t stay on him and he made the tackle. But they were doubling uh they doubled the five which was red at the time and Ronnie Harrison did a good job of playing the block. The next time we played against that we knew exactly what they’re running and we didn’t execute the call. So um there’s guys in position to where we could work a certain game to free somebody up and the game wasn’t ran. And then on the backside, we got to make sure we avoid to the ball. You saw there’s a player that missed a tackle, it’s because he took the path of least resistance. It’s no different in defense, Patrick. Like if I’m running to the ball and the ball goes away from me and that ball’s work, it’s going to initially they’re trying to go vertical, right? Go towards our the touchdown. We got to defend it. Do I want to work over the top or do I want to go behind it? Behind it may be the least path of resistance, but is that going to help me make a play on the football? So, it’s those things we got to stay consistent and disciplined with whether I’m to the kick kick side of the ball or the back side of the ball. The release of Jordan P have anything to do with performance on special teams? And those are personnel questions that I don’t answer. You answer those questions with Raheem Marti. Zach just came in here and talked about the fact that not converting third downs offensively is the most frustrating thing for him this year. What’s the most frustrating thing for you? Um, the most frustrating thing is, um, I’ll say overall just our team success. I always look at like at the end of the day, I want offense, defense, special teams to all be successful. I want the best for, um, I want the best for Zack. I want the best for all of our players. I want the best for Coach Morris and Terry and Mr. Blank. And that’s been the most disappointing thing. And then there’s a process that goes behind that. So, like part of that is making sure that we can win our plays. um whether it’s on special teams, whether it’s a PAT, whether it’s forcing a guy to miss a field goal, whether it’s getting a a return to the 39 yard line to set us up for our first field goal in the last game. All those little things. How can we off if like the offense doesn’t gain a first down? How can we flip the field, which we did on the first punt and put them around the 10 yard line, our defense does a good job, they get it get them stopped at the one yard line and we get a punt. Like those are the things that um fire me up. But disappointing wise, it’s just more so us winning as a team. just collective wins and and right now we have four games to go out there and put our best foot forward and it starts this Sunday or this Thursday, sorry. And we will do whatever we can and whatever it takes to go be 1 and0 offense, defense, and special teams. And I know our guys are going to be ready. We had a great morning this morning and we’re going to follow up with our second walk through on the on the field goal block. Just to confirm, I think you mentioned it, but the the snap to to kick time is what you want to see. Oh, sure. Yeah. So, that’s more of a blocking issue on the wing there. Yeah. You just got to put a hand on them. We just got to make sure that we’re consistent as a think about field goal. Um those guys work downfield and they’re the old linemen are working their butts off all the way downfield and usually you’re moving the ball. So, it’s one more down. It’s a got to have it. So, just being locked in and and being disciplined for one more play for two seconds. Two more seconds and then they’re off the field. And we just got to be clean with that, you know, and it’s my job to remind them. I put it on myself and keep them in the present even though they’re already on the field and I can’t talk to them. Being able to have somebody go on the field as part of field goal team. Hey, remind little reminders which I do every single time and keeping those guys in the presence. Was were they trying to mess up? No, they weren’t trying to mess up. Give credit to Seattle. The guy did a phenomenal job. Used his speed and his length to come around the corner to get his hand on the ball. But they we showed up again and the next time he went out there, we did a good job on the perimeter versus that guy. But we need that right away. We can’t allow that to happen. Yeah, coach, what are some of the keys um as you all are preparing to, you know, see Baker Mayfield and the Bucks again here? Um I don’t know where to start. picking up. Yeah, the the uh the quarterback is, you know, he is um he’s Houdini, you know, like, you know, you watch him against some of the best defensive lines in this league and um you feel like he’s coraled, he’s down, he’s sacked, and all of a sudden, not only does he get out of like the most impossible situations, then he makes a play. So, it’s just uh he’s as good as I’ve seen in a long long time as far as the competitor that he is, the toughness that he he demonstrates on a on a play-to-play uh basis. And then his just in those, you know, we preach, you know, be at your best when your best required. Well, he lives that life critical third downs, two-minute, end of game when you got to have a play, he just consistently makes it. So, um he’s going to And you don’t stop Baker Mayfield with with your rush. You stop him with everything. you stop him with the way you try to manipulate his the what he’s seeing from a coverage perspective. Um playing tight sticky coverage at times and then you know you have to you got to be very conscientious in the way that you rush him. You know it’s got to be very organized. Um everybody has to complement each other and uh yeah it’s a it’s a problem. And then the receiver core you know it’s it’s a very unique situation because obviously they have a ton of talent from a receiver standpoint. Um, but because Mike has not played a ton this year and he’s been out from time to time, two has has taken a lot of those those roles, you know, and and he’s been featured in in ways that in the past they featured Mike Evans. So now with the full, you know, contingency here with Godwin, too, Mike, all of them, um, Tez, all of them that like you’re not quite certain how they’re going to feature each particular receiver, you know? So, it’s, you know, we’re really studying this from a conceptual standpoint as opposed to a personnel standpoint, but it’s uh it’s our maybe our greatest challenge to date, you know, and then a then a backfield that’s um you know, it’s as deep as we’ve seen. You know, 44 I would I would put up against any third down or any third back in this league. And he’s probably one or two on most teams. and and uh and I’m excited too for our our line to get Tristan back, Worf’s back, cuz in my opinion, one of the best tackles in this game, and a sack against him is a real sack. That sack counts, you know, in in the in the best of ways. What’s the biggest difference? I mean, obviously, you know, you’re under a time crunch here when you’re playing Thursday, but how does that affect the way that you go about trying to get these guys prepared to play when you just have that that limited time? Yeah. Well, we’re fortunate in that the the system that we’re trying to build here um that we’re in the process of building um obviously being year one of this deal that we don’t do a ton from a schematic standpoint. You know, we we you know, we we hang our hat on fundamentals and technique and getting things right. So, we’re not as challenged as it far as it comes to all this new defense, you know, and it’s just more about, you know, refining our defense and then applying it to their principles. So, um maybe less obstacles than most, you know, but it’s still it’s it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge to um to get these guys bodies back and then to get them engaged and obviously just an overload of information on a day like this. You know, the first half of the day was a was a Wednesday, the second half of the day was a Thursday. Um it’s challenging. I mean, it’s challenging just a a standard Wednesday and Thursday in this in this league. So, um, fortunately we have such an amazing group regarding their approach and their attitude and, um, they’re all in even with the circumstance we’re in. They’re all in. So, you know, blessed in that way. Going back to to Sunday’s game, what changed between the first and second half? Uh, we well I and this is everybody. I’m not blaming this on anybody. Um, this is players and coaches because we are absolutely in this thing together. you know, we uh we didn’t respond to adversity like we needed to and like we should. So, um in those moments, you know, and and we got to keep preaching it and and obviously I got I got to do a better job and and we all collectively have to do a better job. And and in those moments, it’s not about stepping outside of your job. It’s not it’s about just performing your job at the highest level. That’s it. And if we collectively do that in these moments where adversity hits, that’s how you respond. And um and we’re missing the mark here and there. And uh that’s not okay. And it’s something that has to be remedied. It’s got to be fixed today, tomorrow, yesterday, you know. So it’s uh it was disappointing um on every level. And uh you know, we always want to start fast. Cool. You know, that’s the intent. But ultimately, great defenses are defined by the way they finish. you know, the way they close games out and and uh we got to do a better job of that. Was Kubak doing anything different that you saw in the second half or or was it more of the same and it just execution or what did you see there? Uh he he did few he threw a few wrinkles at us that were challenging schematically and and u we got to do a better job as far as refining our scheme and making sure that there’s less snakes in the grass in in some of the things that we’re calling. Um and he did an excellent job of that for sure. And then there’s things that we just, you know, we got to play better. And there’s and there’s opportunities for me to put guys in better positions, too. So, you know, it’s it’s on all of our our hands. You know, that that loss and and the way it went down. It’s not okay. You’re a blitz heavy defense. Uh when you blitz, there’s always trade-offs. Do you think overall that they’ve been worth it for your defense? It’s an interesting question because it’s it it’s something just historically at least me as a play caller, it’s something that I haven’t rested my head on. I have not been a heavy pressure person in the past. Um, you know, I I felt like there was there were two things going for us. For one, we were on the younger side. So, when you’re younger, like pass rush is it’s art, and I’ve said that in the past, and I truly believe that. And it takes so much time on task, and it takes years to to create some mastery regarding how you rush. So sometimes to supplement a youthful rush is provide pressure, you know, and it does two things. For one, um, it gets guys going and and it and potentially gets a free runner and potentially gets favorable matchups and one-on-one matchups across the board. U, but two, it also, in my opinion, it loosens up protections too when the threat of it is there, when the threat is real. So even when you don’t bring it, um, you can create some space that you might not otherwise create. So, it’s a it it’s a it’s a good question. you know, I I think, you know, when this is all said and done and and we are absolutely cooking and and it’s and it’s where we want it to be, um we’ll we’ll have less pressure, you know, and but I think I think it’s been good for us, you know, and and we we’re so fortunate here to have, you know, coach Huxable here that that uh he’s really my right-hand man regarding pressure, you know, and he’s done an amazing job this year of of tailoring the the the pressures to to the opponent and uh really attacking um protections better than maybe I’ve ever been around. So, um, very fortunate to have him in that way and he’s done he’s done an amazing job for us. How do you feel like James Gri has gotten better throughout the season? You know, I’ve said this probably um intentionally redundant, but it it’s it’s a byproduct of the process. You know, I really feel like the process has improved from week to week. He’s starting to really figure out what a week is supposed to look like as a professional. Um, is it perfect? No. And is it where it needs to be? No. But it it’s improving, you know, and he acknowledges that, recognizes that, and he sees it, and and uh and it’s been really cool and and gratifying and and it it you know, when you see someone improving their process, you see them taking better notes and more attentive in walkthroughs and better finishing practice. when you see that, it’s like you just hope and pray that that it results in in production because then, you know, then it’s it reinforces in the way that it needs to for young players that, okay, process improves, the product on Sunday improves, and uh we’ve been fortunate that it’s worked out that way for him. and um starting to see the fruits of his labor and our labor collectively as an organization and group and a defense. Um and and I I think you know he is absolutely just scratching the surface of what he can become as a rusher and it’s going to be uh it’s going to be fun to see him finish the season out in the right way because I know he will. Xavier Watts had such a hot start to this season, but how have you seen him grow since then? Yeah, I just it in my opinion, you know, the steady growth, it it’s not always demonstrated in production and and picks here, PBUS or whatever the case may be, but he has just steadily improved the entire season. Um, partly because of, you know, having, uh, you know, uh, Rudy with him and having LS with him, two amazing coaches that have really helped improve his game and and taking him to another space and and then having a guy like Jesse Bates next to you um, during the week and on game day. That’s Jesse will be a huge part of the reason this kid becomes just an amazing professional football player. And uh it’s just it’s been fun to watch him progress and become like you just you saw it early just these glimpses and and the more he plays just the better he gets and he’s and he’s one of those rare guys that the more success he has the hunger he gets to get even better improve. It’s not um I don’t think I’ve ever seen a moment where he’s he’s you know even alluded to the fact that I got this and taking that deep breath and kicking his feet up. I don’t think that’s in him you know. So again, just like James, I think it’s a guy that we’re just scratching the surface with and and what he will become is something I think this organization, this fan base can be really proud of. Do you see Jesse kind of going to Xavier, whether in practice or in game and making corrections, suggestions, and kind of be like, “All right, you got this.” Without a doubt. Yeah, Jesse is just he’s one of those um it’s why I got into coaching. It’s just you’re proud to be associated with him. You’re proud to coach him. you’re proud to be around him, the way he carries himself, the the the selfless human being and the selfless teammate that he is. Um, a guy that’s, you know, reached the pinnacle in this league regarding per, you know, a uh his own success. You know, he’s he’s become, you know, I would I would argue anyone to say he’s not a top three safety in this league, if not the best safety in this league, you know, but now he’s in that part of his career where it’s like, I still want to improve. I still want to be the best, but at the same time, I want to bring Xavier with me, and I want to help this kid become one of the the best safeties. And and in my opinion, they’re becoming one of the best safety duels, if not the best safety duel in the league right now. Going back to Tampa, it’s a division opponent. It’s one that many people in this defense are familiar with, having played a year. How, and you kick off the season against how have they changed from week one to today? You know, I could really see it from the the play caller standpoint. you know, when obviously when we played him, it was his first time out and um not to say it was bad by any means because it wasn’t. I mean, they they they won the game, but you can really feel like he’s he’s making this his own, you know, and and he’s really starting to refine the scheme to match his personality, and you’re starting to see some of the fruits of that labor. So, it’s uh it’s a little bit different than what we faced the first week. There’s some there’s some base fundamentals that are just part of this offense. Obviously from the same coaching tree as the as Zack and and Shawn McVey, etc. But um yeah, he’s definitely making it his own and and it’s going to be an awesome challenge. It really will be.

Atlanta Falcons Coordinators Zac Robinson, Jeff Ulbrich and Marquice Williams speak to the media ahead of the Atlanta Falcons road matchup vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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