There’s certainly some truth behind it in that he thinks some of our questions and notions are misguided, but overall I think he maintains a good, professional relationship with the media. It’s the way he likes to interact, and I imagine he’s the same way in his personal relationships, busting chops, etc. The Smith stuff is mostly just his schtick. Is there a Falcon you are most looking forward to interviewing come training camp? - Jim B.
Does his almost joking narrative that the NFL media is clueless about the game and out to get the Falcons ever start to rub you and other journalists the wrong way? Or is it more of inside joke between Smith and local reporters at this point? Secondly, appreciated the inside look into DC Nielsen’s personality that you put together.
Training camp will give us a clue.Ĭoach Smith has had some “fun” interactions with the media in his short tenure as the Falcons head coach. Or he might find himself watching a lot on defense. So where does that leave CFL product Alford? He might continue his underdog story by earning the starting nickel role. Former first-round cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and Mike Hughes have been added to the roster. (Dale Zanine / USA Today)Īs for Alford, it seems like the two things the Falcons have done most this offseason are talk about how much they like Alford and sign players who could take snaps away from him in the secondary. KhaDarel Hodge could be in line for a bigger role this season as the Falcons are thin at wide receiver. That’s a winnable game, right? Then it just takes some luck in the next round and suddenly you’re in the final four. 5 Seattle (just picking a realistic fifth seed here) at home. So let’s say Atlanta finishes 10-7, wins the South, plays as the No. 2-seeded 49ers instead of the top-seeded Eagles. Tampa Bay lost that game, but had it won, it would have played the No. They were 8-9 but hosted the Cowboys in the playoffs. That does not mean I think the Falcons will be one of the four best teams in the league this year, but crazy things can happen in a single-elimination tournament. I think Atlanta could make the NFC Championship Game. As for the ceiling, at the risk of being drug tested by my employer, I’m going to go a little higher than you.
His smile and optimism gone new vegas free#
If the Falcons win fewer than seven games against this schedule after all the money they spent in free agency, then head coach Arthur Smith will be on the hot seat in January. I think you’re right on the target, Ryan. Given the current state of the NFC in general, what is the floor and ceiling for how the Falcons do this season? I say the floor is 7-10, ceiling is hosting a playoff game. The value betting pick would be second-year outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, who had 2 1/2 sacks as a rookie but has a lot more help this year. Elliss ranked 11th in the NFL in pressure percentage last season, according to TruMedia, and Nielsen is expected to give him plenty of chances this season. The betting favorite should probably be linebacker Kaden Elliss, who was signed away from the Saints after notching seven sacks from his inside linebacker position last season. Instead, they addressed their needs with players on all three levels of the defense so there’s not an obvious candidate for the sack lead. The Falcons didn’t sign an alpha edge rusher in the offseason. Who will lead the team in sacks is a tough question. Forty sacks would have ranked 14th in the league last year, which would be a huge step forward. Expecting that sack total is ambitious, but expecting Atlanta to hit 40 is reasonable. So what’s a realistic goal? The Saints averaged 46.9 sacks per season and finished in the top 10 in the league in that category every year during new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s six years in New Orleans. This offseason, the Falcons spent a lot of money and hired a defensive coordinator with a background heavy in quarterback pressure to help turn around those pitiful numbers. They have had fewer sacks in the last two seasons (39) than any team in the NFL by a stunning margin, according to TruMedia. It’s almost a mathematical certainty given how bad it has been the last two years.īut what does improvement mean? They could double their sack total from last year (21) and still not rank in the top 10 in the league. On top of that, though, is the fact this is a really interesting discussion. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.I’m not starting with Conner’s question just because he called me an expert, but, let’s be honest, it figured into the equation.
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