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Atlanta Falcons: Coaching Staff Previews Eagles

By John Buhler

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The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for their home opener on Monday Night Football.  On Friday, Head Coach Dan Quinn, Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, Defensive Coordinator Richard Smith, and Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong met with the media to preview their Week 1 opponent: the Philadelphia Eagles.

When asked about how the Atlanta Falcons defense will attempt to cover the Philadelphia Eagles’ 3 and 4-wide receiver sets, HC Dan Quinn said the following about his secondary, “We mainly play sides and if there’s time we want to matchup in a man-to-man, that’s what we’ll do.”

-= Related: Devin Hester Likely to Miss a Few Games with Turf Toe =-

This isn’t a surprise since Quinn’s defense in Seattle had CB Richard Sherman allocated to one side of the field for an entire game.  While it will probably be CB Desmond Trufant in that role for the Atlanta Falcons, Quinn has confidence in Robert Alford, Phillip Adams and Jalen Collins to play on specified sides of the field as well.  Having confidence in the defensive backfield will allow to Dirty South Version of the Legion of Boom to manifest itself on Sundays for our Atlanta Falcons.

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OC Kyle Shanahan is glad that the preseason is over.  He says he gets more out of practices in training camp than in glorified exhibition games.  Shanahan feels confident about all three of his running backs, Tevin Coleman, Devonta Freeman, and Terron Ward in short yardage situations.

When asked about going against a strong defensive lineman in Fletcher Cox, Shanahan remarked, “Fletcher is as good of an interior player as there is.  I’ve played against him a couple of times and he’s a load.  No matter who’s going against him, it’s going to be a tough job.  We got to account for him all the time and he’s going to make some plays, but we have to make sure that we make some also.”

DC Richard Smith has a great deal of excitement about how free agent acquisitions like DL Adrian Clayborn and OLB O’Brien Schofield will impact a game in all four quarters.  While Philadelphia has many strong players on offense, Smith is more concerned with getting his players lined up correctly and playing their best football in this new defensive scheme.

When asked about going against the up-tempo offense of the Philadelphia Eagles, Smith stated, “We’re built for speed and it’s going to be exciting Monday Night watching us.”  I feel that of all the coaches meeting with the media Friday, Richard Smith exuded the most confidence of any of them.  Perhaps that is because Atlanta’s front seven looked good in the preseason and the secondary is healthy entering Week 1.  Look for the Atlanta Falcons’ defense to turn some heads tomorrow night.

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Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong didn’t want to reveal much at all with his special teams unit.  With Devin Hester likely out for the Monday Night home opener with turf toe, Armstrong mentioned that there are plenty of guys on the Atlanta Falcons roster capable of making big plays on special teams.  He didn’t hint one way or another about who would return kicks in Hester’s absence.  The likely three candidates are Justin Hardy, Eric Weems, and Nick Williams.

When asked about Eric Weems earning captaincy of the special teams, Armstrong commented, “The guys respect him because of what he puts on the field, what he puts on tape.  His attitude and how he approaches his job, the guys respect him for it.  And the guys a productive football player.  I was happy for him.”

The Atlanta Falcons enter tomorrow night’s home opener as a 1-point underdog to the Philadelphia Eagles. Excitement is in the air at Flowery Branch and the entire Atlanta Falcons team can’t wait for kickoff in the first of two Monday Night Games tomorrow evening.  One more day, Rise Up, Atlanta!

Next: Atlanta Falcons: 5 Players to Watch vs. Eagles

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