Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich allows – encourages – players to improvise in moments like that. This freedom has been beneficial to Alford, who, in turn, has benefited Atlanta’s defense this year with his improved play.
“His versatility, first and foremost,” Ulbrich said. “The ability to play outside and inside, I think people underestimate how difficult that is. Playing inside, especially in the system that we’ve put in here this year, is very linebacker-ish from a running perspective. It’s very corner-ish from a matching man perspective. It’s very safety-ish from a communication standpoint and a zone perspective. So, you have to learn so much. I haven’t seen a whole lot of guys have a lot of success swinging back and forth, especially within the same season, and he has done that in such an amazing way this year.”
Alford has successfully played a variety of roles for the Falcons. He only took snaps on special teams in Week 1 but added backup responsibilities on defense in Week 2. He filled in for starting cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. in Weeks 3 and 4 when the veteran was out with a hamstring injury. Then, in Week 6, Alford took over for starting nickelback Billy Bowman Jr., who was inactive due to a knee/hamstring injury.
The plug-and-play vibe continued a bit after that.
However, when Bowman was placed on injured reserve in Week 12, Alford took over the open position. That’s where he was stationed against Tampa Bay and will likely continue to be for the final three games. It’s an important position in an era where NFL offenses have begun to use their best receivers inside more frequently. Alford is comfortable there, but he’s also comfortable anywhere in the secondary.
“Over the offseason, I don’t just train for nickel,” he said. “I do cornerback. I do safety. I do different things like that. So, if a situation like this pops up, I can play outside, I can play inside. I never wanted to just label myself as a nickel.”