October 22, 2025 • 43 mins
Lance, DJ, & Dave react to the Atlanta Falcons' 20-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, from what went wrong with the offense to how Christian McCaffrey ended up with over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. They also break down what they've been seeing from QB Michael Penix Jr., where they've seen him grow and where he still has room to. Finally, they look ahead to this week's matchup with the Miami Dolphins, which ends in some throwback story time.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - Falcons fall 20-10
7:00 - McCaffrey's success vs ATL
11:00 - Checking in on Penix
22:22 - Turning the page to Miami
26:00 - Atlanta's mindset
34:00 - 3 words for a Falcons Victory
38:00 - Story time with... Lance?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:29):
Gap that he's into it. I'm telling me he is,
like Livaun start great.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yeah, guy can get chills a little bit thinking about
what these two guys.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Can do in.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. It's Falcons Audible presented by
AT and T year. Guys are back here. That's DJ Shockley,
Dave Archer. I'm Derek Rackley here to recap. Unfortunately, if
Falcons twenty to ten loss on the road to the
San Francisco forty nine ers and gentlemen. We talked about
this last week previewing the game. It was another one
of those I hate to use the work monumental right,
(01:01):
but another opportunity on prime time to kind of put
a stamp on the growth of the organization. The offense,
the defense, special team, so on and so forth in
a primetime setting, and they weren't able to get it done. Arch.
I want to start with you because you were our
resident on site out there covering the game on the radio,
and for the folks that maybe didn't get a chance
(01:23):
to watch the entire game, they weren't able to see it,
listen to it. Kind of give us your thirty thousand
foot view of what you saw in the game and
kind of where things went wrong for Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, I thought that Rack, we expected Chuck. We expected
a close football game. The forty nine ers are a
good football team, so you expected a close, hard fought game,
which is what it played out to be. So in
those kind of games, you got to win moments of
the games, and I thought that Atlanta, when they had
opportunities and moments, didn't get it done. Second drive of
the game, you go nineteen plays, You got to settle
(01:54):
for a field goal. You can't at some point. And
I know we'll get to this maybe in this podcast.
Is that where does Atlanta need to prove the most
red zone? To me, you're moving the ball twenty to twenty.
You're one of five teams in the National Football League
that are in the top ten and both passing the
football and run in the football. Okay, your seventh I
think sixth or seventh overall in total offense. You're moving
(02:16):
the football, but you're twenty eighth and scoring somehow, you
got to finish stuff. So to me, those were the moments.
The moment at the end of the half where Michael
makes a mistake and throws the ball away in the pocket,
gets the grounding call inside ten seconds, get a ten
second run off you'll lose you up to try to
field goal. Yeah, the fourth and one late in the football.
So again it's there were moments of the game that
(02:38):
the Niners came out on top and you didn't. Then,
when you're in close games against a good football team,
if you don't win those moments and they do, generally
you loses the football game.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, I mean, that's we always you said moments. We
always talk about being situationally great football teams, right, and
a lot of times the most common situations are third down,
first down, red zone, back to so on and so forth.
But to your point, it's also making the right decisions
in critical moments right at the end of the half.
When getting points may seem like a little bit in
(03:09):
the grand scheme of things, it's a lot right. Converting
on fourth down, converting on third down, all those moments
are they stack on top of each other to give
you confidence when you get into the red zone to
punch the football into the end zone. And DJ, we
talked so much about some of the changes defensively, right,
Fred Warner being out, not having Bosa in the lineup,
(03:30):
and was that going to create some advantages when you
don't have great players out there? But I do remember
us talking about Robert Sala being a very respected defensive
coordinator and he put together a great game plan to
attack these Falcons and they were able to hold Bejon
Robinson under one hundred total yards. What else did you
see that kind of stuck out as moments that were missed.
Speaker 5 (03:52):
I think people forget that obviously you have success. The
week before coaches going to go back, they're gonna watch
that film and say, Okay, I beat by X, Y,
and Z. The previous game versus Bills, Bijon went crazy,
Drake went crazy. You said, Okay, we come to this
ball game, we allow those two guys to beat us.
Guess what we're probably not doing our job as coaches.
So I think coming to that ball game, they had
(04:13):
a plan for both those guys. For me though, my eyes,
especially for this ball game it went to the trenches.
I thought that we weren't as physical. I thought that
they kind of they kind of own the game up
front a little bit, especially in the run game. Obviously
you look up and you know, we ran the ball
(04:35):
really well the week before, so you come and you say, okay,
how do we you know, stop them running football? And
I thought they did a really good job on early
down situations of like run blitzes or plugging gaps and
you know, playing on the other sideline of scrimmage or
being the more physical ones at that point in time.
And I think that was a big hindrance on us
being able to run the football. And then you try
some other things. You try to screen game, you try
(04:57):
to you know, get them out, you know, on the perimeter.
You try to you know, we see putting bijon outside
and trying to you know, throw it to them on
shlants and stuff like that. We had Kyle out there
a couple of times. He had a big time catch
on third down. So I think you try to go
outside of some of the things that you know really
are what your staples are. Because they did a really
good job of it. And when they owned a line
(05:17):
of scrimmage for Jordan's ball game, I'm saying the entire
ball game, but there were moments in the game where
they owned the line of scrimmage and then you look
up and it's third and seven, it's third and eight
thirty nine, and then they could pin the years and
come back, or they can play zone, they can keep
their eyes on Bijon, They can you know, put a
guy over top of drink. So I thought there were moments,
like Archer just mentioned in the game where up front
(05:39):
you were tested more than I think probably the last
few ball games, especially when it comes to changing the
line of scrimmage, and they did that, especially in their
run game, and that was a big part of what
we like to do is obviously been able to run
the football.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I thought that to your point about Robert Salah and
his prowless as a defensive coordinator, we kind of remember
him as a as the head figurehead in New York
and that Brick had been running the defense. Well, he
cut his bread cut you know, cut his teeth on
playing a defensive coordinator with the forty nine ers. I
thought what he did, guys, was he knew Fred Warner
wasn't going to play. And you've got a guy that's
(06:10):
you know what, seven consecutive seasons one hundred and twenty
tackles or more the leader of that defense. He simplified
the system defensively, and he said, go go get the football.
If Bijon touches the ball, go get him. I don't
want you reading anything Tatum Bethun who had not played
hardly at all linebacker wise, he had ten tackles in
the game. He was coming downhill de Winners, who hadn't
(06:33):
played a ton at linebacker, young linebacker at a TCU,
Go get the football. And so I thought his simplification.
You mentioned run dog. They run dogged Atlanta a great
deal to try to Putlanta in second and ten, third,
nine situations.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Did a great job with it.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
We had a little bit of fun on the pregame
show on Sunday night as we were talking coming on
the heels of Robinson's great performance against the Bills, right
and we were talking about him kind of being already
like where would you put him on the mount rushmore
of other great running backs that are so and I
put the Caveat on it that are similar similar to
his style right in elusiveness and ability to catch the
(07:12):
ball on the backfield.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
And I kind of threw out some names of Barry
Sanders because he was like the king of making people
miss Okay. I put Marshall Falk because he was the
guy that, to me, showed how running backs catch the
ball out of the backfield. Also put Ladai and Tomlinson
in there because I watched him play and the guy
was electric in both phases of the game. And then
my fourth one, and here's where I'm going with this point.
(07:35):
My fourth one was Christian McCaffrey because I think people
quickly want to forget he had a couple of injuries
that cut short seasons and everything they forget like what
he's been able to do in this league and how
good he is. Couple that arch and I'm going to
come to you with this. My number one key to
the game, okay, was McCaffrey can't dominate. It was three words, okay,
(07:58):
because we were talking and even the Sun Night Football
crew so much, right, use that for podcast Right Sun,
the Night Football crew was talking so much about the
connection between Robinson and McAffrey working out in the off season,
similar styles, so on and so forth. Right, and then
you look up because I said, as long as McCaffrey
had like he's so good, he's gonna get his like.
(08:18):
If he finishes the game with one hundred yards and
a touchdown, you can live with that. Okay, but here's
the numbers. Robinson twenty touches, ninety two yards, touchdown, okay,
McCaffrey thirty one touches, two hundred one yards, two touchdowns.
Arch to me, that was a problem.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Okay, let me, let me, let me show. Here's my keys.
I wrote down before the game. Limit the McCaffrey factor. Yeah,
and you, like you said, you're not going to stop
Christian McCaffrey. They're going to give him a number of
opportunities to touch the football in a myriad of ways,
but limit what he can do in the game. He
dominated the game, and give, as Shaq said, give their offense.
(08:59):
He've lone a ton of credit. At some point, you
know McCaffrey's coming, go stop him, and Atlanta had no answers,
So give their interior offensive line a ton of credit
because a lot of this was done interior. There wasn't
a lot of perimeter stuff. They got a couple perimeter plays.
They got him out of the backfield. I thought the
Divine Diablo injury affected them in the dump pass game.
(09:23):
I think he would have seven receptions in the game
for seventy yards or something like that. I thought that
affected Atlanta a great deal in when they wanted to
getting the ball in space and let him catch the football.
So I couldn't agree with you more. When you start
talking about it, and we're going to see a guy
this weekend, I know we're going to get to the
Dolphins and Devon h Chan. That is a very similar player,
(09:44):
great speed, can run. As you begin to think about
running backs like Jean Robinson, I mean, we saw what
Jamiir Gibbs did on Monday night, right, I mean just
a similar player, right that Devon Chan is a very
similar player. So we're starting to see more guys like that,
a Christian McCaffrey type player. But that was the number one.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Was the number one, And you think about it around
the league, a lot of people looking for guys for
a long time it was like, all right, can we
get a quarterback that's mobile, that can move around and
that hurts you. That's still a big trend right now. Now,
think about a guy in our division who we've talked
about a lot throughout over.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
The years, in an Albu Kamaro.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
Yeah, a lot of people looking for guys who can
be really versatile, and that's what we're seeing. Guys who
can do that, who can hurt you. And I just say,
all right, let's turn around and hand it to a
guy and he can get you four or five six yards.
Now you got guys who can do that plus this,
plus that, and that makes it even more dangerous to.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Have the cover a guy like that.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, and I would say even like, like, look at
a team like the Chiefs, right, and Isaiah Pacheco is
nowhere near the true running back that some of these
guys are.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
But what does he think?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
He is a matchup nightmare. He's so quick coming out
of the backfield. And that's the reason why certain pieces
fit in certain offenses even if they weren't a dominant
college player. But to your point, like the Kamaras, the McCaffrey's,
the Robinsons of the world, they continue to find their
places on different NFL teams. Guys, I always go back
to this because I have the show with two quarterbacks
(11:06):
on it, and shot, I'm gonna go with you. Let's
talk a little bit about Michael Pennix. Because three losses
this year and two of the three games he's been
fifty five percent or less in his completion rate. What
are you seeing from the quarterback or maybe it's something
else to where they can get more consistency and get
more out of Michael from the quarterback position.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
The tough part about this is, obviously was his knife start.
He's starting to see things every week that's going to
be a little bit different.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
And I think what people.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Fail to realize is defenses teams, they're gonna do a
lot of different things to show you stuff and say, Okay,
what can this guy handle? What is he really good at?
What are some of the things that makes him really
click and really go? So I think going into his
knife start, he's done some good. He does some things
to work on, but there's also things around him I
think that could be better. We talked about the run
(11:56):
game being a big part of it, having guys who
could change a lot of storms.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
But for for Pinnix.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I think it just comes down to him having the
reps in these games. And I remember going back to
my rookie second year urs, you can probably do the
same thing. Stuff happens so fast and things are moving,
and you talk about coverages that are gonna change every week.
Looks you're gonna see that's gonna be different. You coming
(12:23):
to this ballgame playing more man coverage. Guys got to
win on the outside, trusting it. He's still learning how
to play in this National Football League and learning the
things that he can get away with and learn some
of the things that can help him. It's tough to say,
all right, this guy should be doing this X, Y
and Z right now, because obviously you look around the
league you say, okay, here are the guys who played
(12:44):
really well to start their careers as rookies or second
year guys. And we're seeing much of those second year
guys right now around the league in that same draft
class starting to take the next step. So you're like,
all right, can Bike do that? And we've seen him
do that in a couple of select ball games. So
I think it just comes down to him playing more,
seeing things a little bit more because teams are gonna
come in and say, all right, we're gonna play a
(13:04):
certain coverage, certain defense, and we're gonna bring certain blisses
that you haven't seen. And now he's learning in game
how to deal with all this stuff. So I think
it's just gonna take a little bit more time. And
people want it right now. I understand that. But in
this league, those dudes over there are super smart. Those
dudes are super good, they're athletic. They're going to get
their due as well. But you gotta find ways to
give him some some easy outs to as well.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
All Right, I'm gonna ask you this question, and I
want to see how you come back with this because
I always struggle, and I've said this many times on
our podcast before of what I would call is making
excuses like can like how long can you make excuses? Rationalize, justify? Okay,
And I'm gonna give you two examples. Okay, C J.
Strouds in his third year, he's having not a very
(13:48):
good year, but you go back to us rookie year
and he was fantastic. He's rookie year when you speak
about rookie quarterbacks. Okay, So that kind of dispels the
rumor about rookies coming in and having some success, although
we've seen many times when rookies come in and they struggle.
I'm going to talk about another quarterback in Drake May,
who did get experienced last year as a rookie as
a starter, came in the same draft class as Michael Pennix.
(14:10):
But he's got twelve touchdown passes this year and the
Patriots have a five and two record. I think a
lot of people would not have thought New England would
be where they are right now. So my answer to
you is are my question to you Arches, do we
end up giving him so much rope because he's learning
along the way, or with a first round pick, are
you expecting more?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I think it's both. I think it's both, right. I mean,
you have to expect more because it's because he's your
first round draft pick. He's supposed to be the next
guy you know, and you figure you think about the
guys down through the years that have played quarterback that
were drafted as high as similar to as high as he.
Steve Bartkowski became arguably the one of the franchise's best players.
(14:50):
Matt Ryan, who probably is the best player, Michael Vick,
who was a guy that changed the dynamic of playing
quarterback in the National Football League, not just here in
Atlanta and the expect So you've got guys that are
on that wall, the pictures on that that's what you're
supposed to be like. Now, how quickly did those guys
get to that moment? You can go down through what
did Josh Allen do in his first sixteen games of
(15:12):
his career? Then you start comparing him to Jayden Daniels
last year, Jayden had a really good season. You know,
you go back and look at John Elway or Joe Montana,
some of the venerable ones that have played in this game.
You're going to get mixed pieces where guys played really
well early, maybe a couple of games, and then had
a drop off. That's part of what Ross Shaq was
talking about about seeing all the different things that you're
(15:34):
going to get thrown at you. So I think that
as far as you start talking about giving him room
to you got to be patient. You got to be
patient with the guy. Now, I know the public's not
going to be patient, but I think the organization will
that he's going to learn some things. You know, for instance,
the play that probably is the most glaring mistake that
(15:54):
Mike made in this last game was probably the play
the last play of the half we've discussed where at
Washington he's probably bounces out of the pocket, gets beyond
the tackle box and throws it away. It's nothing, but
here in the National Football League, they're going to let
you get away with that, you know, And so you've
got a good rusher gets upfield, takes that away and
(16:14):
now he still knows I got to get rid of
the ball.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I got to get it out.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
So his mind's thinking I can't take a sack. Well,
he's not looking at the clock. He didn't realize it's
under ten seconds. So those are those moments we talk
about moments right off the start that he's continuing to learn.
Shock talked about that as well. There's going to be
things that he just hasn't experience that sometimes you got
to hit in the face before you learn from learn
from those mistakes.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
It's a great Actually, I want to come back to
you guys because you guys played the position right and
Raheem Morris and everybody has talked about in order to
have success at the National Football League, level. As a quarterback,
you have to be an elite processor. But to me
arch what you're talking about as I think about this,
and again, the average fan doesn't think about how quickly
this stuff happens for you guys, right, And it's a
(16:57):
different era where coaches are able to say a little
bit more in the helmet, the headset with the two
way commune or the single way communication if you will.
So do you guys think about that in the situation
like I have to be aware of where the play
clock is because of a potential runoff and grounding, Like
can you get that far into your thought process before
(17:19):
each and every snap? I'll start with you shocked to
think about it at the end of the half. Yes,
I got to get rid of the football. I can't
ground it. But if I do get rid of it,
it's got to be with ten seconds or more on
the clock. Can you think that far ahead?
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Absolutely well?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
And you got to remember what was the playcl or
was the play clock? Was it like twenty one seconds
or was it seventeen seconds or something like that? So
how long you have to absorb how much how long
the play is going. That's a lot in my opinion,
I think you have it in your mind that you
can't ground the ball from the pocket, right, but knowing where.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
The clock is.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yeah, but again that's the part that that's hard, Like, yeah,
you know you can't do it, but you don't think
when the ball snapped at seventeen to eighteen seconds that, okay,
I'm dropping back three four yards.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
This is taking six seven seconds.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
There's no way to think about it.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
You just called the play of processing. You play like
you're talking about where are my guys, where's my shot now? Okay, now,
where's the safe throwaway? And all those Oh yeah, the clock.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Is at nine seconds.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
That's a really that's a really difficult one. And then
you talked about the communicate in the helmet. How much
is what is Zach telling him in the helmet? A
lot of times shock. I remember being a piece of
this when they first developed the sound in the helmet
where you'd get a reminder and it might be a
red zone blitz reminder, it might be you know, you
(18:41):
got the play call that eats up some of the time,
and then you get don't forget the play clock or
don't forget yeah, I mean, yeah, one time, there's a
lot you don't want And again we're talking about a
guy that's in his ninth game, So how much do
you want to put on his plate? So I just
think this was a learning experience for him. I don't
think Michael will ever do this again.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And the other part about it is all the things
that our just mentioned, there's also the first thing you
thought about in those situations is you can't take a sack. Yeah,
that'll kill you every single time.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That's one of the first things you're taught.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
When the first thing you get told you can't take
a sack. We already got we're in position for a
field goal. Let's not do anything to hurt ourselves. So
in your brain you're like, it comes this three hundred pounds, dude,
trying to take my head off. Don't take a sack,
don't get rid of the football. That's what you're thinking about.
And in your brain, I'm saving my team. I'm doing
what's right. In that moment, you're not thinking about it's
(19:33):
you know, under ten seconds and it happens like you
know that obviously you can't have that in the game,
But in that moment, it's all about the things that
you learn from day one of getting red of the
football to give himself a chance to get well.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
And then if you're the this is the other piece
of it. The coordinator now has to think for the
quarterback some as well. You got to build in maybe
that outlet for him that you might not in week
in year four or year three. I know he's good.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
The quarterbacks got.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It, he had it. We're good.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
But here in game nine of his career, maybe I
need to build in a guy in the flat that
he can airmail it over his head. But it still
looks like he's stolen it in his direct I don't
you know. That's that's a tough one to think.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
About it absolutely well. As we talked a little bit
about Pennix twenty one to thirty eighties, fifty and forty
one yards, one touchdown, no picks. Somewhat concerning to me
fellas five touchdown passes this year, three interceptions, five touchdowns.
I think is the only cam Ward and Justin fields
as every day starters, okay, have less touchdown passes than
(20:36):
Michael Pennix. It's an area where this offense has to improve.
And here's what we know after the Carolina game. He
took a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and the
next two games he played much better. So you wonder
if does he take the same responsibility and he's he'd
come back a much better quarterback because of that, and
because of all the things that he's learning with each
(20:56):
and every start, with all the reps that he's seeing.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
So we'll see if Michael, And what's interesting about that racket,
it's a really good point. How much is he absorbing?
And I know you and I are looking at and saying,
I see things that he's doing every week that are
better than the year week before. Let's just go back
to the Buffalo game. Okay, you're driving for that field
goal that's going to probably seal it for you. You'd
like to score a touchdown, call a pass play late
(21:20):
in the football game. Drake's running a slant route from
the slot left. He eyeballs him, Shack Thompson jumps it.
Should have picked it off. Okay, yep, didn't pick it off.
He missed it, got away with it. We kicked the
field goal, win the football game. This very same scenario, line,
he's got Pits in the slot left. Pitts runs that
slant route against the similar coverage They got a backer
(21:42):
sitting in the middle, what's Pennis do? Cranes his head right,
pulls the backer out of the middle of the field,
and throws it to Pitts for a twelve yard game.
To me, that's when you begin if you want to
evaluate development of the quarterback. That's the kind of stuff
you got to be looking for. Not this superficial stuff
that a lot of people, people that maybe don't study
the game look for. Those are things that he's growing with.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Where is his eye? Where are his eyes?
Speaker 3 (22:06):
How can I manipulate the defense? That's that's a step
in the great in the right direction. I thought that
was a that was pretty cool to see that this
last week.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
All Right, so guys, let's talk about some adjustments and
how that ends up faring for the next opponent. Okay,
as the Miami Dolphins come to town, and you got
a Miami Dolphins team that's coming here that's struggling. They're
one and six on the season. They have three losses,
by the way, that we're by twenty five points, ten points,
and twenty five points. Okay, so on average of twenty
points per game, and they also have three losses that
(22:36):
were one score games. There's been a lot of discussion
nationally or if you want to call it down in
South Florida about the quarterback position to a tongue of
Ilois facing some heat, that he is throwing a lot
of interceptions this year, and Mike Daniel has said that
he's going to get the reps and he's going to
start this week, and that his quote expectation is that
we are not going to throw ten picks. If you
(22:57):
know Michael Dano, he's got a little bit of interestingness too.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
If you will, that's an understandble.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
So guys, let's start with the quarterbacks, because you guys
are quarterback and to a tongue ill he's obviously dealing
with some heat right now because of the interceptions. We
know in this organizations that Kirk does Cousins dealt with
the same thing last year. What kind of pressure does
that put on the quarterback? DJ and yes, you have
to play with quarter pressure at that position. How much
(23:24):
do you listen to it? How much do you completely
put it aside?
Speaker 4 (23:27):
I think you hear it.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
It's a day and age where you can't just like
totally not hear it. I think it's a situation where
he's in a position where obviously things are going on
internal and it's starting to seep over into the game.
It's starting to seep over into his play, and I
think he wants to play so well obviously, but the
(23:49):
performance is not there. I think he's starting to force
these a little bit more. I think he started to
throw it in the covers. I think he's you.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Know, it's footwork's not all the way there. You see some.
Speaker 5 (23:56):
Things in game where you know he's drifting a little
bit more. Maybe he's supposed to take a three step
drop and he kind of shifts into a four or five,
and he's moving a little bit closer, and he's you know,
forcing the football. And then obviously when you're defending comments
that you have during the week, it affects from you
taking away from your preparation, I believe, and I think
that's part of it as well as he's not also
(24:19):
you know, fighting himself. He's fighting, you know, trying to
be something for his teammates as well. That maybe you
a little side eye, and it's part of the job.
Is if you said something to the media, which is
probably the worst thing you can do as a quarterback
and talk about things that are happening internal.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
It affects performance once you get on.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
The practice field, you get in the games games, maybe
guys are not going as hard guys and not going
into that that third window or second window as hard
as they would for you if you know things are
going the right way. So it's hard to say how
he goes about trying to get out of this little
slump he's in without you know, fully knowing what's going
going on within their offense. But we've seen to a
(25:04):
play really good football. We've seen to you know, be
one of those guys that can throw it all over
the yard and make plays and be really efficient with
the football.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
And I think over the.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
Last few weeks he's tried to do so much to
try to help his team that he's kind of hurt
his team throwing the football, and it's it's been something
that's hurt his team. And obviously the last three losses
haven't been good for him, and you know, it's it's
unfortunate that you have to go through that as a
quarterback when this this position already asked so much of you,
(25:33):
and then you have to deal with some of the
stuff that you create on your own. But you gotta
find a way to do it because that's the job.
Nobody's gonna cry for you, and you know he's making
all that money. Some people say, hey, shut up and
go play ball.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Arch in your mind for the Falcons going into this matchup,
do you think more about like the challenges presented by
a guy like Devon a Chan. Do you think more about,
well two is throwing the ball around, We're gonna have
some opportunities. Or do you go into this thinking more
about this is a game that we should win because
this is a reeling organization right now. What kind of
weighs more on your mind?
Speaker 3 (26:04):
I think you've got to block all of that. The
latter part that you talked about rack out. If you
go in thinking, hey, they're struggling, we need to feed,
forget about all that. What it's got to boil down
to is how well can you execute on both sides
of the football and challenge yourself to play your best
game regardless of what the other team's helmet looks like. Okay,
(26:27):
so I need to go because you look at the
numbers and their twenty seventh in total offense, their twenty seventh,
twenty sixth in total defense. They're last defending the run game.
They're twenty ninth and twenty seventh in throwing the football
and running the football. All those numbers would lead you
to believe what we've been talking about. This is a
struggling organization. I don't think you can look at any
(26:48):
of that. I think it's got to be a faceless,
nameless opponent and your opponents yourself. How good can you be?
How much more consistent can you be on the offensive,
the decensy side of the football. You can that when
Miami puts the tape on and they see how well
McCaffrey ran between the tackles, you're gonna get a dose
of e chan coming downhill.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Okay, this is.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
A little tiny offense. When I see little tiny offense,
there's a bunch of little tiny guys on this through
five seven, five, eight, five nine, and they can all fly,
they can all run, so they're going to try to
I would assume that if you got a quarterback struggling,
which he has to a tongue of Alwa six interceptions
the last two weeks, I want to get the ball
(27:31):
to guys in space. They have guys to do that with,
whether it's Waddle or whether it's Washington. They got two
of them ToJ Washington League Washing. Both of them can
run eight chan can run. Get them the football, but
they're going to give it. Give you a SETI diet
of coming downhill and run the football and when you
flip it on the other side, shock. You Look at
what Robert Salad did, very simple. Sala was not a
(27:53):
man coverage defender. They wanted to play simulated pressures, play
matchup zone behind it. They said, forget that. I got
two young linebackers. I think they I don't think they
have enough guys that can beat us in space on
the perimeter. So we're gonna come after them, run dog
to through the run to the passer, and we're gonna
play man coverage on the outside. And they took away
(28:15):
some of the opportunities the quick, easy throws and limited
what Atlanta was able to do. I think you're gonna
get it. You're gonna get a copycat scenario that Miami's
looking for anything to grasp onto to win the football game.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
So you throw all that out. What did we do
horribly last week?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Let's fix that and let's get after people and forget
about who the number or the name is on the jersey.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
Right when you brought up your question and then Art
when you answered about just making it a faceless, nameless
team over there, this came to mind for me, and
I was thinking about you being in this situation if
you're the Dolphins and you're the Falcons. To make it
a nameless team makes it You have to have that
because I feel like that forces you to focus on
(28:59):
things that you have to get better at, for one,
and then on the other side of it, you look
at some of the things that they've done over the
past few weeks. But then I say, Okay, if I'm
the Dolphins and I come in here and I have
some good things go my way early, I play well,
I do some really good things early in the ball game,
maybe it takes away from all this stuff that's been happening,
and then you start gaining confidence. And then now you're like, oh,
(29:20):
this is a totally different team than one and six
than we thought coming in here. So I think, if
you make it a nameless, faceless team and we focus
on us and make sure we don't we supposed to
guess what all, that doesn't matter. And I was looking
up some of the numbers for the last few ball games.
When Arts was talking about it. You look at the
Panthers game they rushed for nineteen yards. We talked about
situations and moments in the game. For the Panthers rushed
(29:40):
for nineteen yards and gave up two hundred and thirty
nine yards rushing in that game vers the Browns they
were one for thirteen or third down. We talked about
the game, the moments in the game that matter, and
four turn we want the Chargers they give up one
hundred and forty rushout. You're talking about big moment in
games that matter, that change how the outcome a game
comes about. I think it's a big deal. So coming
(30:03):
down to making it a nameless faces team and focus
on the things that hurts you in the previous games,
I think matters a little bit more than worrying about
who's that opponent or the other side. Because you start
focusing so much on what they do, it takes away
from the things that you have to do better to
get ready for that ball game.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
And you guys experience, Rack, I'll ask you this when
you've got a young team.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
We've got a young.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Group of guys, especially your playmaking type player, especially on
the offensive side of the football. Does this game become
more difficult to prepare for mentally because of what you
just talked about, all the things that are going on
in South Florida and all the things they're dealing with,
and you just came off to really good, really tough
team two games against teams that are supposed to be
(30:45):
competing for it all. How much is does that make
it more difficult to prepare to get ready for this one?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
I don't think so, because to your point, like I think,
this has to go back to think about what do
we do really well? What is Atlanta do really well?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Right?
Speaker 1 (31:01):
It's getting beyond in space, it's finding touches for Drake
and Kyle Pitts in the passing game, and it's leaning
on this running on this offensive line to run the football. Okay,
if you get back to those things that they're really
good at and allow these guys to play fast, to
play confident, to play worry free, you don't think about
what's going on over there, because obviously two of throwing
(31:22):
interceptions has nothing to do with Michael Pennox, John Robinson
and Kyle Pitts, has nothing to do with them they're
not facing each other. Right Now, that's for the defense.
Atlanta Falcons defense can go out there and try to
take the ball away, but they have to think about
how do we execute better offensively?
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I wrote down two words for this week is scheme
and execution.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
You got to find the right plays that are going
to put your players in position to win. And then
once you're there, you got to make the throw, and
you got to make the catch. You got to make
the block, and you got to make the cut whatever
that is.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
So it's two things to me that are really simple.
It's you have the right scheme and do you execute
that scheme? So this is to me just focusing on
the guys, like, hey, this is going to be the
game plan. Now we got to go out and execute it.
Take all the reps, all the experience that you've seen
throughout the course of the season, and then react and
go play fast.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
You don't.
Speaker 5 (32:08):
For me, I asked the question, you should not even
have the mindset of being in what that team looks
like because you already had one this year.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Yeah, you've already had a stinger this year.
Speaker 5 (32:20):
Yeah, so you walked not saying they did this, but
I'm saying you walked into a game where a team
was having issues, hadn't won a game, hadn't played well,
and you didn't play your beast ball game. So coming
into this game, you already had that issue. You already
had that, So there's no reason you should even have
(32:41):
the mindset of.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Oh, they're just one and six. Yeah, that shouldn't matter.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
Exact the way they play shouldnt matter, because you've already
got into a situation where you had something like that
and you had to reevaluate a lot of things the
next week.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Well, and this might be even more of a litmus
test for where this team is mentally culturally, if you
want to, then maybe even the Buffalo and the forty
nine Er game, you knew that, Hey Buffalo's good. Hey
you knew the forty nine ers are good. I mean,
if you go to your college mindset and you're Georgia
and all of a sudden, here comes North Texas State,
(33:15):
You're thinking, oh, okay, well, our third guys are gonna
be playing by the third quarter. That's not the way
it is in this league. And I'm not suggesting that
our guys still have that college mindset, but you did
just come off of two primetime games. One you did
a good job, one you didn't, and here comes a
Miami team that's struggling. If you're looking at the new
to you guys's points, if you're paying any attention outside
(33:37):
your own building, you're doing yourself a disservice. This might
be even more of a litmus test for this team
and where they are.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Hey, listen, that team is built with pros too. And
guess what they're thinking in South Florida. Yeah, we're desperate
for a win. Yeah, that's exactly what they're thinking about. Like,
we're desperate for a win.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
This week, we got to lose.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Let's go play buch like.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
This Atlanta Falcons organization saying we got to go win
this game. A couple of things that came to my
mind in this one. I want to I want to
talk about our three word key to the game and
give you guys a little second to think about that
is I'll go, I'll start, and this isn't going to
be our key to the game. But you got to
use three words. You gave me a compliment earlier about
three words. This is a different game, okay, But for
(34:17):
for my key three words for this game is going
to be take the rock. And I am going to
say that that because they've been struggling in the turnover department.
Go get the ball, like, go get the ball. Miami
comes in here minus six in the turnover margin. They're
thirtieth in the NFL. Make it worse, right, make it
hurt a little bit. And there's so much talk about Okay,
well Billy Bowman's out and Jalen Walker's out, and we
(34:40):
don't know what the status is with a couple of
other players. Here's what I'll say. In the National Football League,
and you can look around the league. You can look
at San Francisco last week, they were beat up, they
played well. You can look at the other game on
Monday night, the Droy Lions. They're all beat up in
the second ear. How are they going to compete in
that game against Baker Mayfield. Well, they forgot. They got
some pretty good dudes on the offensive side of the ball.
The NFL is all about who's the next guys that
(35:03):
step up?
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Right?
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Who knows who is not going to play for Atlanta
Falcons in this game. It doesn't matter. But if you're
on defense, go out there and take the rock. Shock.
You're up three.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
Words rock, What do you got? I gotta win the routine?
Speaker 1 (35:18):
When the routine Okay, you gotta explain that one a
little bit more.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
I love what you can choose. That means it's not
as simple as you think.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
There's always depth. Come on, I'm a deep guy. I'm
a deep guy. But uh, you think about some of
the things that happened last ball game. You said the
two words you win, there was execution to execute. You
gotta do the routine things to win ball games. You
gotta block, you gotta tackle, you gotta be more physical.
You got to make sure, hey, if you supposed to
(35:51):
be in a proper dep you get there. If you're
supposed to be in this gap, win the routine. We
mentioned about what's going on on their side of the
ball and all the stuff that going on. If you
do the routines. I think this team is talented enough
that if they do do routine things well, they can
win a bunch of ball games.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
I got I got it, by the way, it's the
little things. Do the little things's but.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
He changed he changed the words too. A lot of
people don't use routine. That's a good calls.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Next that's the next level right there.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
I appreciate that next level.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
I like that put.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Yourself down for three dollars. That was pretty good, even
though we're not we're not supposed to do in.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
That kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
All right, okay, all right, So I was still about
trying to get a little catchy, you know, go get
you some No, no, no, that was kind of more
like what you said all about us.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
I thought that that kind of capsuled everything that all
the three of us have been saying. I like that is,
you know, the fuhole nameless faceless opponent. There's another one,
but it is. It's about what you can internalize, what
you think you can do better yourself, and then go
get it done. Offensive lineman. Nothing hurts an offense. We
(37:00):
talked about this after the UH after the Tampa game.
Remember the Tampa game where there was a conversation about
how the offensive line got pushed around physically. You knew
they would answer the call because that's who Dwayne Ledford
is their offensive line coach. That's who Jake Matthews is.
And they did. They rallied and you put it on
the put it on the vikings. This is another one
(37:23):
of those where I feel like that if you go
back and look at the tape, not only is the
offensive line not gonna look what they saw that, I
don't think a defensive line likes what they saw either.
And there was conversation about how they got pushed around
physically in this game. I would expect those guys to
rally up so and and it's about them coming together
(37:43):
as that unit and re and doubling down again and
go and find themselves. So all about us like it
wasn't It wasn't quite as deep as.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
All right, there we go, just when the routine, all
about us? Take the rock?
Speaker 4 (37:57):
Go ahead?
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Arch.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
You don't got name, like, have you ever met Lance before?
Speaker 4 (38:01):
Lance? You just met a guy named Lance Alworth? No, No,
just Lance, Lance.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
I don't know who you're talking about. L One.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
There's a tight end back in two thousand and one
who caught a pass. It was a touchdown versus of
Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Lance and the guy he sits right next to.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
You, Lance, where is he going with? Yes?
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Okay, So the backstory is we got we got a question,
had had any of us caught a touchdown pass? And
of course Shock and I aren't normally going out on,
so we're kind of normally throwing it. But this guy
over here did go out for passes and did it
at Minnesota, which he doesn't.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Care about, doesn't care anything about.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
The buddy played tight end here as well as being
one of the great deeps snappers in LEAG during his time.
Tell us about the touchdown.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
One touchdown come on.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
So it was actually in South Florida. Wasn't here at home,
but this was Michael Vick's I believe it was his
second year because people thought originally that I caught his
very first touchdowns, but that was not true. I caught
a second. But I early on in my career I
played in short yardage, goal line situations. If needed right,
we got somebody banged up or something, I would be
(39:10):
that third tight end. And so when we played in
like we had twenty three personnel right, two backs, three
tight ends, I would come in and so we had
that situation. I can't remember who was banged up that game.
It might have been Reggie Kelly, I can't remember. It
might have been Koslowski. Anyway, so I came in and
we were down on the goal line and we were
in twenty three personnel rewind a little bit. We ran
it earlier in the game and I went to the
(39:33):
backside right, and so we were trying to scheme it
up to where Algae Crumpler would come across the formation.
He would be there. That would how dare I mean
the Pro Bowl tight end right? So I don't know why.
The next time we get down in twenty three personnel,
I had the bright ideas I went up to crump
right when we came on the field and I was like, dude,
they're not going to be expecting me. Let's switch. I
(39:55):
don't know why. I thought I'd a better idea than
the Dan Reeves in that situation. So we did it.
So we flip sides and it was just kind of
like one of those three different layer crossing patterns, right,
And so I end up coming off the ball and
I'm going to be the mid guy going to the
left side of the formation, right, so going towards the
direction Michael Vick is going to roll as a left
handed quarterback. Well, I ended up getting knocked down at
(40:17):
the line of scrimmage, I believe by Jason Taylor, which
I'm okay with that. By the way, he's a pretty
good player, but.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
I'm really good for your quarterback. But go ahead.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
No, And but Mike was pretty good at extending plays.
Would we all agree with.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
That he got you?
Speaker 2 (40:29):
He got there art.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
So I get up and I fight across the formation
and I end up finding a seam and I was like,
oh my gosh, I'm open, and I'm thinking all of
this in slow motion, and then I've seen Mike throw
me the football, and I think I was also thinking.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Do drop it?
Speaker 1 (40:46):
So I end up and I catch the ball right
kind of like by the back pylon, and I end
up kind of running into hand catch. It was a
hands catch, no gloves, nothing right, all natural. And this
is kind of the funniest part of this is I'm
going back to remember I can't just go celebrate like
I got to snap the extra point. I'm the team's
long snapper. So two things. I'm looking for somebody to
(41:08):
give the football to to take it back to the sideline, right.
I wanted to keep the football. Is my first NFL
touchdown ended up being my only NFL touchdown. And after
I passed the ball to Algae to go to the sideline,
Zach Thomas comes up to me, Okay, the long time
my Dolphins linebacker, and he goes, where the did you
come from? How to keep that word out of it?
Speaker 4 (41:29):
Right?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
And so I just kind of smiled as him. I
wasn't going to talk trash to Zach Thomas, but he
completely lost me in coverage, I found an opening and
I caught it for a I mean, the.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
Part that Dawn's on me here is Rack ultimately gets
into another line of work now and he's taking care
of people financially and all this kind of stuff. Now,
how about the offensive coordinator in you? You switched up
made Trump, make change crump?
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Why we switch rool tight end? And I was like,
let me put you on a side, be a decoy.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
He's like, that should have been mine, that should have
been my?
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Did you dance? Did you have anything?
Speaker 1 (42:10):
And literally my celebration was who can I give this
football back to take it to the sideline.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
One, at least he remembered to get the ball because
a lot of guys are throwing the stand away. Can
I have that take the ball to the sideline? And
then two, he wasn't so overjoyed with what he'd just
done that he's over on the sideline high five and guys,
when he's supposed to be snapping for the extra point,
did you realize he had to go get so it
was that's a very cerebral guy called.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
And then got the stamp for the kiss.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
Unbelievable Lance for six.
Speaker 5 (42:45):
All right, you should have seen you should have seen
the undeniable.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
Just what the is?
Speaker 5 (42:52):
Shocked saying right now? Who is Lance? When I said
do you know Lance? Look in your eyes is like shock?
Speaker 4 (42:58):
What the Yeah?
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Well, it turns out so did he and you were
talking about him?
Speaker 2 (43:02):
No, he knew who Lance was.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
He knew who Lance? Who?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Lance is my dad's name, It's my middle name. After
we got into this discussion of nance, I still have
to do it, still have to do my due diligence
on DJ here, I'm coming back with that because he
brought the Lance out on the show.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
All right, that's gonna wrap it up here.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Falcons Ambo presented by AT and T. I'm Lance by
the way. That's DJ Shockley, Dave Archer, Dereck Ractley. Falcons
will be back in action at home this weekend at
the Bands against the Miami Dolphins. Looking to bounce back
and get a win. Be sure to join us next
week right here. We'll wrap it all up for you
at the same time, same place. Well, what does that mean.
It's a podcast that means you get it whenever you want.
(43:39):
To Take care, everybody, take care.
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(00:20):
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Speaker 2 (00:29):
Gap that he's into it. I'm telling me he is,
like Livaun start great.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yeah, guy can get chills a little bit thinking about
what these two guys.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Can do in.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. It's Falcons Audible presented by
AT and T year. Guys are back here. That's DJ Shockley,
Dave Archer. I'm Derek Rackley here to recap. Unfortunately, if
Falcons twenty to ten loss on the road to the
San Francisco forty nine ers and gentlemen. We talked about
this last week previewing the game. It was another one
of those I hate to use the work monumental right,
(01:01):
but another opportunity on prime time to kind of put
a stamp on the growth of the organization. The offense,
the defense, special team, so on and so forth in
a primetime setting, and they weren't able to get it done. Arch.
I want to start with you because you were our
resident on site out there covering the game on the radio,
and for the folks that maybe didn't get a chance
(01:23):
to watch the entire game, they weren't able to see it,
listen to it. Kind of give us your thirty thousand
foot view of what you saw in the game and
kind of where things went wrong for Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, I thought that Rack, we expected Chuck. We expected
a close football game. The forty nine ers are a
good football team, so you expected a close, hard fought game,
which is what it played out to be. So in
those kind of games, you got to win moments of
the games, and I thought that Atlanta, when they had
opportunities and moments, didn't get it done. Second drive of
the game, you go nineteen plays, You got to settle
(01:54):
for a field goal. You can't at some point. And
I know we'll get to this maybe in this podcast.
Is that where does Atlanta need to prove the most
red zone? To me, you're moving the ball twenty to twenty.
You're one of five teams in the National Football League
that are in the top ten and both passing the
football and run in the football. Okay, your seventh I
think sixth or seventh overall in total offense. You're moving
(02:16):
the football, but you're twenty eighth and scoring somehow, you
got to finish stuff. So to me, those were the moments.
The moment at the end of the half where Michael
makes a mistake and throws the ball away in the pocket,
gets the grounding call inside ten seconds, get a ten
second run off you'll lose you up to try to
field goal. Yeah, the fourth and one late in the football.
So again it's there were moments of the game that
(02:38):
the Niners came out on top and you didn't. Then,
when you're in close games against a good football team,
if you don't win those moments and they do, generally
you loses the football game.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, I mean, that's we always you said moments. We
always talk about being situationally great football teams, right, and
a lot of times the most common situations are third down,
first down, red zone, back to so on and so forth.
But to your point, it's also making the right decisions
in critical moments right at the end of the half.
When getting points may seem like a little bit in
(03:09):
the grand scheme of things, it's a lot right. Converting
on fourth down, converting on third down, all those moments
are they stack on top of each other to give
you confidence when you get into the red zone to
punch the football into the end zone. And DJ, we
talked so much about some of the changes defensively, right,
Fred Warner being out, not having Bosa in the lineup,
(03:30):
and was that going to create some advantages when you
don't have great players out there? But I do remember
us talking about Robert Sala being a very respected defensive
coordinator and he put together a great game plan to
attack these Falcons and they were able to hold Bejon
Robinson under one hundred total yards. What else did you
see that kind of stuck out as moments that were missed.
Speaker 5 (03:52):
I think people forget that obviously you have success. The
week before coaches going to go back, they're gonna watch
that film and say, Okay, I beat by X, Y,
and Z. The previous game versus Bills, Bijon went crazy,
Drake went crazy. You said, Okay, we come to this
ball game, we allow those two guys to beat us.
Guess what we're probably not doing our job as coaches.
So I think coming to that ball game, they had
(04:13):
a plan for both those guys. For me though, my eyes,
especially for this ball game it went to the trenches.
I thought that we weren't as physical. I thought that
they kind of they kind of own the game up
front a little bit, especially in the run game. Obviously
you look up and you know, we ran the ball
(04:35):
really well the week before, so you come and you say, okay,
how do we you know, stop them running football? And
I thought they did a really good job on early
down situations of like run blitzes or plugging gaps and
you know, playing on the other sideline of scrimmage or
being the more physical ones at that point in time.
And I think that was a big hindrance on us
being able to run the football. And then you try
some other things. You try to screen game, you try
(04:57):
to you know, get them out, you know, on the perimeter.
You try to you know, we see putting bijon outside
and trying to you know, throw it to them on
shlants and stuff like that. We had Kyle out there
a couple of times. He had a big time catch
on third down. So I think you try to go
outside of some of the things that you know really
are what your staples are. Because they did a really
good job of it. And when they owned a line
(05:17):
of scrimmage for Jordan's ball game, I'm saying the entire
ball game, but there were moments in the game where
they owned the line of scrimmage and then you look
up and it's third and seven, it's third and eight
thirty nine, and then they could pin the years and
come back, or they can play zone, they can keep
their eyes on Bijon, They can you know, put a
guy over top of drink. So I thought there were moments,
like Archer just mentioned in the game where up front
(05:39):
you were tested more than I think probably the last
few ball games, especially when it comes to changing the
line of scrimmage, and they did that, especially in their
run game, and that was a big part of what
we like to do is obviously been able to run
the football.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I thought that to your point about Robert Salah and
his prowless as a defensive coordinator, we kind of remember
him as a as the head figurehead in New York
and that Brick had been running the defense. Well, he
cut his bread cut you know, cut his teeth on
playing a defensive coordinator with the forty nine ers. I
thought what he did, guys, was he knew Fred Warner
wasn't going to play. And you've got a guy that's
(06:10):
you know what, seven consecutive seasons one hundred and twenty
tackles or more the leader of that defense. He simplified
the system defensively, and he said, go go get the football.
If Bijon touches the ball, go get him. I don't
want you reading anything Tatum Bethun who had not played
hardly at all linebacker wise, he had ten tackles in
the game. He was coming downhill de Winners, who hadn't
(06:33):
played a ton at linebacker, young linebacker at a TCU,
Go get the football. And so I thought his simplification.
You mentioned run dog. They run dogged Atlanta a great
deal to try to Putlanta in second and ten, third,
nine situations.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Did a great job with it.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
We had a little bit of fun on the pregame
show on Sunday night as we were talking coming on
the heels of Robinson's great performance against the Bills, right
and we were talking about him kind of being already
like where would you put him on the mount rushmore
of other great running backs that are so and I
put the Caveat on it that are similar similar to
his style right in elusiveness and ability to catch the
(07:12):
ball on the backfield.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
And I kind of threw out some names of Barry
Sanders because he was like the king of making people
miss Okay. I put Marshall Falk because he was the
guy that, to me, showed how running backs catch the
ball out of the backfield. Also put Ladai and Tomlinson
in there because I watched him play and the guy
was electric in both phases of the game. And then
my fourth one, and here's where I'm going with this point.
(07:35):
My fourth one was Christian McCaffrey because I think people
quickly want to forget he had a couple of injuries
that cut short seasons and everything they forget like what
he's been able to do in this league and how
good he is. Couple that arch and I'm going to
come to you with this. My number one key to
the game, okay, was McCaffrey can't dominate. It was three words, okay,
(07:58):
because we were talking and even the Sun Night Football
crew so much, right, use that for podcast Right Sun,
the Night Football crew was talking so much about the
connection between Robinson and McAffrey working out in the off season,
similar styles, so on and so forth. Right, and then
you look up because I said, as long as McCaffrey
had like he's so good, he's gonna get his like.
(08:18):
If he finishes the game with one hundred yards and
a touchdown, you can live with that. Okay, but here's
the numbers. Robinson twenty touches, ninety two yards, touchdown, okay,
McCaffrey thirty one touches, two hundred one yards, two touchdowns.
Arch to me, that was a problem.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Okay, let me, let me, let me show. Here's my keys.
I wrote down before the game. Limit the McCaffrey factor. Yeah,
and you, like you said, you're not going to stop
Christian McCaffrey. They're going to give him a number of
opportunities to touch the football in a myriad of ways,
but limit what he can do in the game. He
dominated the game, and give, as Shaq said, give their offense.
(08:59):
He've lone a ton of credit. At some point, you
know McCaffrey's coming, go stop him, and Atlanta had no answers,
So give their interior offensive line a ton of credit
because a lot of this was done interior. There wasn't
a lot of perimeter stuff. They got a couple perimeter plays.
They got him out of the backfield. I thought the
Divine Diablo injury affected them in the dump pass game.
(09:23):
I think he would have seven receptions in the game
for seventy yards or something like that. I thought that
affected Atlanta a great deal in when they wanted to
getting the ball in space and let him catch the football.
So I couldn't agree with you more. When you start
talking about it, and we're going to see a guy
this weekend, I know we're going to get to the
Dolphins and Devon h Chan. That is a very similar player,
(09:44):
great speed, can run. As you begin to think about
running backs like Jean Robinson, I mean, we saw what
Jamiir Gibbs did on Monday night, right, I mean just
a similar player, right that Devon Chan is a very
similar player. So we're starting to see more guys like that,
a Christian McCaffrey type player. But that was the number one.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Was the number one, And you think about it around
the league, a lot of people looking for guys for
a long time it was like, all right, can we
get a quarterback that's mobile, that can move around and
that hurts you. That's still a big trend right now. Now,
think about a guy in our division who we've talked
about a lot throughout over.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
The years, in an Albu Kamaro.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
Yeah, a lot of people looking for guys who can
be really versatile, and that's what we're seeing. Guys who
can do that, who can hurt you. And I just say,
all right, let's turn around and hand it to a
guy and he can get you four or five six yards.
Now you got guys who can do that plus this,
plus that, and that makes it even more dangerous to.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Have the cover a guy like that.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, and I would say even like, like, look at
a team like the Chiefs, right, and Isaiah Pacheco is
nowhere near the true running back that some of these
guys are.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
But what does he think?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
He is a matchup nightmare. He's so quick coming out
of the backfield. And that's the reason why certain pieces
fit in certain offenses even if they weren't a dominant
college player. But to your point, like the Kamaras, the McCaffrey's,
the Robinsons of the world, they continue to find their
places on different NFL teams. Guys, I always go back
to this because I have the show with two quarterbacks
(11:06):
on it, and shot, I'm gonna go with you. Let's
talk a little bit about Michael Pennix. Because three losses
this year and two of the three games he's been
fifty five percent or less in his completion rate. What
are you seeing from the quarterback or maybe it's something
else to where they can get more consistency and get
more out of Michael from the quarterback position.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
The tough part about this is, obviously was his knife start.
He's starting to see things every week that's going to
be a little bit different.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
And I think what people.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Fail to realize is defenses teams, they're gonna do a
lot of different things to show you stuff and say, Okay,
what can this guy handle? What is he really good at?
What are some of the things that makes him really
click and really go? So I think going into his
knife start, he's done some good. He does some things
to work on, but there's also things around him I
think that could be better. We talked about the run
(11:56):
game being a big part of it, having guys who
could change a lot of storms.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
But for for Pinnix.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I think it just comes down to him having the
reps in these games. And I remember going back to
my rookie second year urs, you can probably do the
same thing. Stuff happens so fast and things are moving,
and you talk about coverages that are gonna change every week.
Looks you're gonna see that's gonna be different. You coming
(12:23):
to this ballgame playing more man coverage. Guys got to
win on the outside, trusting it. He's still learning how
to play in this National Football League and learning the
things that he can get away with and learn some
of the things that can help him. It's tough to say,
all right, this guy should be doing this X, Y
and Z right now, because obviously you look around the
league you say, okay, here are the guys who played
(12:44):
really well to start their careers as rookies or second
year guys. And we're seeing much of those second year
guys right now around the league in that same draft
class starting to take the next step. So you're like,
all right, can Bike do that? And we've seen him
do that in a couple of select ball games. So
I think it just comes down to him playing more,
seeing things a little bit more because teams are gonna
come in and say, all right, we're gonna play a
(13:04):
certain coverage, certain defense, and we're gonna bring certain blisses
that you haven't seen. And now he's learning in game
how to deal with all this stuff. So I think
it's just gonna take a little bit more time. And
people want it right now. I understand that. But in
this league, those dudes over there are super smart. Those
dudes are super good, they're athletic. They're going to get
their due as well. But you gotta find ways to
give him some some easy outs to as well.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
All Right, I'm gonna ask you this question, and I
want to see how you come back with this because
I always struggle, and I've said this many times on
our podcast before of what I would call is making
excuses like can like how long can you make excuses? Rationalize, justify? Okay,
And I'm gonna give you two examples. Okay, C J.
Strouds in his third year, he's having not a very
(13:48):
good year, but you go back to us rookie year
and he was fantastic. He's rookie year when you speak
about rookie quarterbacks. Okay, So that kind of dispels the
rumor about rookies coming in and having some success, although
we've seen many times when rookies come in and they struggle.
I'm going to talk about another quarterback in Drake May,
who did get experienced last year as a rookie as
a starter, came in the same draft class as Michael Pennix.
(14:10):
But he's got twelve touchdown passes this year and the
Patriots have a five and two record. I think a
lot of people would not have thought New England would
be where they are right now. So my answer to
you is are my question to you Arches, do we
end up giving him so much rope because he's learning
along the way, or with a first round pick, are
you expecting more?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I think it's both. I think it's both, right. I mean,
you have to expect more because it's because he's your
first round draft pick. He's supposed to be the next
guy you know, and you figure you think about the
guys down through the years that have played quarterback that
were drafted as high as similar to as high as he.
Steve Bartkowski became arguably the one of the franchise's best players.
(14:50):
Matt Ryan, who probably is the best player, Michael Vick,
who was a guy that changed the dynamic of playing
quarterback in the National Football League, not just here in
Atlanta and the expect So you've got guys that are
on that wall, the pictures on that that's what you're
supposed to be like. Now, how quickly did those guys
get to that moment? You can go down through what
did Josh Allen do in his first sixteen games of
(15:12):
his career? Then you start comparing him to Jayden Daniels
last year, Jayden had a really good season. You know,
you go back and look at John Elway or Joe Montana,
some of the venerable ones that have played in this game.
You're going to get mixed pieces where guys played really
well early, maybe a couple of games, and then had
a drop off. That's part of what Ross Shaq was
talking about about seeing all the different things that you're
(15:34):
going to get thrown at you. So I think that
as far as you start talking about giving him room
to you got to be patient. You got to be
patient with the guy. Now, I know the public's not
going to be patient, but I think the organization will
that he's going to learn some things. You know, for instance,
the play that probably is the most glaring mistake that
(15:54):
Mike made in this last game was probably the play
the last play of the half we've discussed where at
Washington he's probably bounces out of the pocket, gets beyond
the tackle box and throws it away. It's nothing, but
here in the National Football League, they're going to let
you get away with that, you know, And so you've
got a good rusher gets upfield, takes that away and
(16:14):
now he still knows I got to get rid of
the ball.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I got to get it out.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
So his mind's thinking I can't take a sack. Well,
he's not looking at the clock. He didn't realize it's
under ten seconds. So those are those moments we talk
about moments right off the start that he's continuing to learn.
Shock talked about that as well. There's going to be
things that he just hasn't experience that sometimes you got
to hit in the face before you learn from learn
from those mistakes.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
It's a great Actually, I want to come back to
you guys because you guys played the position right and
Raheem Morris and everybody has talked about in order to
have success at the National Football League, level. As a quarterback,
you have to be an elite processor. But to me
arch what you're talking about as I think about this,
and again, the average fan doesn't think about how quickly
this stuff happens for you guys, right, And it's a
(16:57):
different era where coaches are able to say a little
bit more in the helmet, the headset with the two
way commune or the single way communication if you will.
So do you guys think about that in the situation
like I have to be aware of where the play
clock is because of a potential runoff and grounding, Like
can you get that far into your thought process before
(17:19):
each and every snap? I'll start with you shocked to
think about it at the end of the half. Yes,
I got to get rid of the football. I can't
ground it. But if I do get rid of it,
it's got to be with ten seconds or more on
the clock. Can you think that far ahead?
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Absolutely well?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
And you got to remember what was the playcl or
was the play clock? Was it like twenty one seconds
or was it seventeen seconds or something like that? So
how long you have to absorb how much how long
the play is going. That's a lot in my opinion,
I think you have it in your mind that you
can't ground the ball from the pocket, right, but knowing where.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
The clock is.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yeah, but again that's the part that that's hard, Like, yeah,
you know you can't do it, but you don't think
when the ball snapped at seventeen to eighteen seconds that, okay,
I'm dropping back three four yards.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
This is taking six seven seconds.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
There's no way to think about it.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
You just called the play of processing. You play like
you're talking about where are my guys, where's my shot now? Okay, now,
where's the safe throwaway? And all those Oh yeah, the clock.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Is at nine seconds.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
That's a really that's a really difficult one. And then
you talked about the communicate in the helmet. How much
is what is Zach telling him in the helmet? A
lot of times shock. I remember being a piece of
this when they first developed the sound in the helmet
where you'd get a reminder and it might be a
red zone blitz reminder, it might be you know, you
(18:41):
got the play call that eats up some of the time,
and then you get don't forget the play clock or
don't forget yeah, I mean, yeah, one time, there's a
lot you don't want And again we're talking about a
guy that's in his ninth game, So how much do
you want to put on his plate? So I just
think this was a learning experience for him. I don't
think Michael will ever do this again.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And the other part about it is all the things
that our just mentioned, there's also the first thing you
thought about in those situations is you can't take a sack. Yeah,
that'll kill you every single time.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That's one of the first things you're taught.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
When the first thing you get told you can't take
a sack. We already got we're in position for a
field goal. Let's not do anything to hurt ourselves. So
in your brain you're like, it comes this three hundred pounds, dude,
trying to take my head off. Don't take a sack,
don't get rid of the football. That's what you're thinking about.
And in your brain, I'm saving my team. I'm doing
what's right. In that moment, you're not thinking about it's
(19:33):
you know, under ten seconds and it happens like you
know that obviously you can't have that in the game,
But in that moment, it's all about the things that
you learn from day one of getting red of the
football to give himself a chance to get well.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
And then if you're the this is the other piece
of it. The coordinator now has to think for the
quarterback some as well. You got to build in maybe
that outlet for him that you might not in week
in year four or year three. I know he's good.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
The quarterbacks got.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It, he had it. We're good.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
But here in game nine of his career, maybe I
need to build in a guy in the flat that
he can airmail it over his head. But it still
looks like he's stolen it in his direct I don't
you know. That's that's a tough one to think.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
About it absolutely well. As we talked a little bit
about Pennix twenty one to thirty eighties, fifty and forty
one yards, one touchdown, no picks. Somewhat concerning to me
fellas five touchdown passes this year, three interceptions, five touchdowns.
I think is the only cam Ward and Justin fields
as every day starters, okay, have less touchdown passes than
(20:36):
Michael Pennix. It's an area where this offense has to improve.
And here's what we know after the Carolina game. He
took a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and the
next two games he played much better. So you wonder
if does he take the same responsibility and he's he'd
come back a much better quarterback because of that, and
because of all the things that he's learning with each
(20:56):
and every start, with all the reps that he's seeing.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
So we'll see if Michael, And what's interesting about that racket,
it's a really good point. How much is he absorbing?
And I know you and I are looking at and saying,
I see things that he's doing every week that are
better than the year week before. Let's just go back
to the Buffalo game. Okay, you're driving for that field
goal that's going to probably seal it for you. You'd
like to score a touchdown, call a pass play late
(21:20):
in the football game. Drake's running a slant route from
the slot left. He eyeballs him, Shack Thompson jumps it.
Should have picked it off. Okay, yep, didn't pick it off.
He missed it, got away with it. We kicked the
field goal, win the football game. This very same scenario, line,
he's got Pits in the slot left. Pitts runs that
slant route against the similar coverage They got a backer
(21:42):
sitting in the middle, what's Pennis do? Cranes his head right,
pulls the backer out of the middle of the field,
and throws it to Pitts for a twelve yard game.
To me, that's when you begin if you want to
evaluate development of the quarterback. That's the kind of stuff
you got to be looking for. Not this superficial stuff
that a lot of people, people that maybe don't study
the game look for. Those are things that he's growing with.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Where is his eye? Where are his eyes?
Speaker 3 (22:06):
How can I manipulate the defense? That's that's a step
in the great in the right direction. I thought that
was a that was pretty cool to see that this
last week.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
All Right, so guys, let's talk about some adjustments and
how that ends up faring for the next opponent. Okay,
as the Miami Dolphins come to town, and you got
a Miami Dolphins team that's coming here that's struggling. They're
one and six on the season. They have three losses,
by the way, that we're by twenty five points, ten points,
and twenty five points. Okay, so on average of twenty
points per game, and they also have three losses that
(22:36):
were one score games. There's been a lot of discussion
nationally or if you want to call it down in
South Florida about the quarterback position to a tongue of
Ilois facing some heat, that he is throwing a lot
of interceptions this year, and Mike Daniel has said that
he's going to get the reps and he's going to
start this week, and that his quote expectation is that
we are not going to throw ten picks. If you
(22:57):
know Michael Dano, he's got a little bit of interestingness too.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
If you will, that's an understandble.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
So guys, let's start with the quarterbacks, because you guys
are quarterback and to a tongue ill he's obviously dealing
with some heat right now because of the interceptions. We
know in this organizations that Kirk does Cousins dealt with
the same thing last year. What kind of pressure does
that put on the quarterback? DJ and yes, you have
to play with quarter pressure at that position. How much
(23:24):
do you listen to it? How much do you completely
put it aside?
Speaker 4 (23:27):
I think you hear it.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
It's a day and age where you can't just like
totally not hear it. I think it's a situation where
he's in a position where obviously things are going on
internal and it's starting to seep over into the game.
It's starting to seep over into his play, and I
think he wants to play so well obviously, but the
(23:49):
performance is not there. I think he's starting to force
these a little bit more. I think he started to
throw it in the covers. I think he's you.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Know, it's footwork's not all the way there. You see some.
Speaker 5 (23:56):
Things in game where you know he's drifting a little
bit more. Maybe he's supposed to take a three step
drop and he kind of shifts into a four or five,
and he's moving a little bit closer, and he's you know,
forcing the football. And then obviously when you're defending comments
that you have during the week, it affects from you
taking away from your preparation, I believe, and I think
that's part of it as well as he's not also
(24:19):
you know, fighting himself. He's fighting, you know, trying to
be something for his teammates as well. That maybe you
a little side eye, and it's part of the job.
Is if you said something to the media, which is
probably the worst thing you can do as a quarterback
and talk about things that are happening internal.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
It affects performance once you get on.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
The practice field, you get in the games games, maybe
guys are not going as hard guys and not going
into that that third window or second window as hard
as they would for you if you know things are
going the right way. So it's hard to say how
he goes about trying to get out of this little
slump he's in without you know, fully knowing what's going
going on within their offense. But we've seen to a
(25:04):
play really good football. We've seen to you know, be
one of those guys that can throw it all over
the yard and make plays and be really efficient with
the football.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
And I think over the.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
Last few weeks he's tried to do so much to
try to help his team that he's kind of hurt
his team throwing the football, and it's it's been something
that's hurt his team. And obviously the last three losses
haven't been good for him, and you know, it's it's
unfortunate that you have to go through that as a
quarterback when this this position already asked so much of you,
(25:33):
and then you have to deal with some of the
stuff that you create on your own. But you gotta
find a way to do it because that's the job.
Nobody's gonna cry for you, and you know he's making
all that money. Some people say, hey, shut up and
go play ball.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Arch in your mind for the Falcons going into this matchup,
do you think more about like the challenges presented by
a guy like Devon a Chan. Do you think more about,
well two is throwing the ball around, We're gonna have
some opportunities. Or do you go into this thinking more
about this is a game that we should win because
this is a reeling organization right now. What kind of
weighs more on your mind?
Speaker 3 (26:04):
I think you've got to block all of that. The
latter part that you talked about rack out. If you
go in thinking, hey, they're struggling, we need to feed,
forget about all that. What it's got to boil down
to is how well can you execute on both sides
of the football and challenge yourself to play your best
game regardless of what the other team's helmet looks like. Okay,
(26:27):
so I need to go because you look at the
numbers and their twenty seventh in total offense, their twenty seventh,
twenty sixth in total defense. They're last defending the run game.
They're twenty ninth and twenty seventh in throwing the football
and running the football. All those numbers would lead you
to believe what we've been talking about. This is a
struggling organization. I don't think you can look at any
(26:48):
of that. I think it's got to be a faceless,
nameless opponent and your opponents yourself. How good can you be?
How much more consistent can you be on the offensive,
the decensy side of the football. You can that when
Miami puts the tape on and they see how well
McCaffrey ran between the tackles, you're gonna get a dose
of e chan coming downhill.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Okay, this is.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
A little tiny offense. When I see little tiny offense,
there's a bunch of little tiny guys on this through
five seven, five, eight, five nine, and they can all fly,
they can all run, so they're going to try to
I would assume that if you got a quarterback struggling,
which he has to a tongue of Alwa six interceptions
the last two weeks, I want to get the ball
(27:31):
to guys in space. They have guys to do that with,
whether it's Waddle or whether it's Washington. They got two
of them ToJ Washington League Washing. Both of them can
run eight chan can run. Get them the football, but
they're going to give it. Give you a SETI diet
of coming downhill and run the football and when you
flip it on the other side, shock. You Look at
what Robert Salad did, very simple. Sala was not a
(27:53):
man coverage defender. They wanted to play simulated pressures, play
matchup zone behind it. They said, forget that. I got
two young linebackers. I think they I don't think they
have enough guys that can beat us in space on
the perimeter. So we're gonna come after them, run dog
to through the run to the passer, and we're gonna
play man coverage on the outside. And they took away
(28:15):
some of the opportunities the quick, easy throws and limited
what Atlanta was able to do. I think you're gonna
get it. You're gonna get a copycat scenario that Miami's
looking for anything to grasp onto to win the football game.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
So you throw all that out. What did we do
horribly last week?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Let's fix that and let's get after people and forget
about who the number or the name is on the jersey.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
Right when you brought up your question and then Art
when you answered about just making it a faceless, nameless
team over there, this came to mind for me, and
I was thinking about you being in this situation if
you're the Dolphins and you're the Falcons. To make it
a nameless team makes it You have to have that
because I feel like that forces you to focus on
(28:59):
things that you have to get better at, for one,
and then on the other side of it, you look
at some of the things that they've done over the
past few weeks. But then I say, Okay, if I'm
the Dolphins and I come in here and I have
some good things go my way early, I play well,
I do some really good things early in the ball game,
maybe it takes away from all this stuff that's been happening,
and then you start gaining confidence. And then now you're like, oh,
(29:20):
this is a totally different team than one and six
than we thought coming in here. So I think, if
you make it a nameless, faceless team and we focus
on us and make sure we don't we supposed to
guess what all, that doesn't matter. And I was looking
up some of the numbers for the last few ball games.
When Arts was talking about it. You look at the
Panthers game they rushed for nineteen yards. We talked about
situations and moments in the game. For the Panthers rushed
(29:40):
for nineteen yards and gave up two hundred and thirty
nine yards rushing in that game vers the Browns they
were one for thirteen or third down. We talked about
the game, the moments in the game that matter, and
four turn we want the Chargers they give up one
hundred and forty rushout. You're talking about big moment in
games that matter, that change how the outcome a game
comes about. I think it's a big deal. So coming
(30:03):
down to making it a nameless faces team and focus
on the things that hurts you in the previous games,
I think matters a little bit more than worrying about
who's that opponent or the other side. Because you start
focusing so much on what they do, it takes away
from the things that you have to do better to
get ready for that ball game.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
And you guys experience, Rack, I'll ask you this when
you've got a young team.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
We've got a young.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Group of guys, especially your playmaking type player, especially on
the offensive side of the football. Does this game become
more difficult to prepare for mentally because of what you
just talked about, all the things that are going on
in South Florida and all the things they're dealing with,
and you just came off to really good, really tough
team two games against teams that are supposed to be
(30:45):
competing for it all. How much is does that make
it more difficult to prepare to get ready for this one?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
I don't think so, because to your point, like I think,
this has to go back to think about what do
we do really well? What is Atlanta do really well?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Right?
Speaker 1 (31:01):
It's getting beyond in space, it's finding touches for Drake
and Kyle Pitts in the passing game, and it's leaning
on this running on this offensive line to run the football. Okay,
if you get back to those things that they're really
good at and allow these guys to play fast, to
play confident, to play worry free, you don't think about
what's going on over there, because obviously two of throwing
(31:22):
interceptions has nothing to do with Michael Pennox, John Robinson
and Kyle Pitts, has nothing to do with them they're
not facing each other. Right Now, that's for the defense.
Atlanta Falcons defense can go out there and try to
take the ball away, but they have to think about
how do we execute better offensively?
Speaker 4 (31:35):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I wrote down two words for this week is scheme
and execution.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
You got to find the right plays that are going
to put your players in position to win. And then
once you're there, you got to make the throw, and
you got to make the catch. You got to make
the block, and you got to make the cut whatever
that is.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
So it's two things to me that are really simple.
It's you have the right scheme and do you execute
that scheme? So this is to me just focusing on
the guys, like, hey, this is going to be the
game plan. Now we got to go out and execute it.
Take all the reps, all the experience that you've seen
throughout the course of the season, and then react and
go play fast.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
You don't.
Speaker 5 (32:08):
For me, I asked the question, you should not even
have the mindset of being in what that team looks
like because you already had one this year.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Yeah, you've already had a stinger this year.
Speaker 5 (32:20):
Yeah, so you walked not saying they did this, but
I'm saying you walked into a game where a team
was having issues, hadn't won a game, hadn't played well,
and you didn't play your beast ball game. So coming
into this game, you already had that issue. You already
had that, So there's no reason you should even have
(32:41):
the mindset of.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Oh, they're just one and six. Yeah, that shouldn't matter.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
Exact the way they play shouldnt matter, because you've already
got into a situation where you had something like that
and you had to reevaluate a lot of things the
next week.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Well, and this might be even more of a litmus
test for where this team is mentally culturally, if you
want to, then maybe even the Buffalo and the forty
nine Er game, you knew that, Hey Buffalo's good. Hey
you knew the forty nine ers are good. I mean,
if you go to your college mindset and you're Georgia
and all of a sudden, here comes North Texas State,
(33:15):
You're thinking, oh, okay, well, our third guys are gonna
be playing by the third quarter. That's not the way
it is in this league. And I'm not suggesting that
our guys still have that college mindset, but you did
just come off of two primetime games. One you did
a good job, one you didn't, and here comes a
Miami team that's struggling. If you're looking at the new
to you guys's points, if you're paying any attention outside
(33:37):
your own building, you're doing yourself a disservice. This might
be even more of a litmus test for this team
and where they are.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Hey, listen, that team is built with pros too. And
guess what they're thinking in South Florida. Yeah, we're desperate
for a win. Yeah, that's exactly what they're thinking about. Like,
we're desperate for a win.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
This week, we got to lose.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Let's go play buch like.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
This Atlanta Falcons organization saying we got to go win
this game. A couple of things that came to my
mind in this one. I want to I want to
talk about our three word key to the game and
give you guys a little second to think about that
is I'll go, I'll start, and this isn't going to
be our key to the game. But you got to
use three words. You gave me a compliment earlier about
three words. This is a different game, okay, But for
(34:17):
for my key three words for this game is going
to be take the rock. And I am going to
say that that because they've been struggling in the turnover department.
Go get the ball, like, go get the ball. Miami
comes in here minus six in the turnover margin. They're
thirtieth in the NFL. Make it worse, right, make it
hurt a little bit. And there's so much talk about Okay,
well Billy Bowman's out and Jalen Walker's out, and we
(34:40):
don't know what the status is with a couple of
other players. Here's what I'll say. In the National Football League,
and you can look around the league. You can look
at San Francisco last week, they were beat up, they
played well. You can look at the other game on
Monday night, the Droy Lions. They're all beat up in
the second ear. How are they going to compete in
that game against Baker Mayfield. Well, they forgot. They got
some pretty good dudes on the offensive side of the ball.
The NFL is all about who's the next guys that
(35:03):
step up?
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Right?
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Who knows who is not going to play for Atlanta
Falcons in this game. It doesn't matter. But if you're
on defense, go out there and take the rock. Shock.
You're up three.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
Words rock, What do you got? I gotta win the routine?
Speaker 1 (35:18):
When the routine Okay, you gotta explain that one a
little bit more.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
I love what you can choose. That means it's not
as simple as you think.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
There's always depth. Come on, I'm a deep guy. I'm
a deep guy. But uh, you think about some of
the things that happened last ball game. You said the
two words you win, there was execution to execute. You
gotta do the routine things to win ball games. You
gotta block, you gotta tackle, you gotta be more physical.
You got to make sure, hey, if you supposed to
(35:51):
be in a proper dep you get there. If you're
supposed to be in this gap, win the routine. We
mentioned about what's going on on their side of the
ball and all the stuff that going on. If you
do the routines. I think this team is talented enough
that if they do do routine things well, they can
win a bunch of ball games.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
I got I got it, by the way, it's the
little things. Do the little things's but.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
He changed he changed the words too. A lot of
people don't use routine. That's a good calls.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Next that's the next level right there.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
I appreciate that next level.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
I like that put.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Yourself down for three dollars. That was pretty good, even
though we're not we're not supposed to do in.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
That kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
All right, okay, all right, So I was still about
trying to get a little catchy, you know, go get
you some No, no, no, that was kind of more
like what you said all about us.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
I thought that that kind of capsuled everything that all
the three of us have been saying. I like that is,
you know, the fuhole nameless faceless opponent. There's another one,
but it is. It's about what you can internalize, what
you think you can do better yourself, and then go
get it done. Offensive lineman. Nothing hurts an offense. We
(37:00):
talked about this after the UH after the Tampa game.
Remember the Tampa game where there was a conversation about
how the offensive line got pushed around physically. You knew
they would answer the call because that's who Dwayne Ledford
is their offensive line coach. That's who Jake Matthews is.
And they did. They rallied and you put it on
the put it on the vikings. This is another one
(37:23):
of those where I feel like that if you go
back and look at the tape, not only is the
offensive line not gonna look what they saw that, I
don't think a defensive line likes what they saw either.
And there was conversation about how they got pushed around
physically in this game. I would expect those guys to
rally up so and and it's about them coming together
(37:43):
as that unit and re and doubling down again and
go and find themselves. So all about us like it
wasn't It wasn't quite as deep as.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
All right, there we go, just when the routine, all
about us? Take the rock?
Speaker 4 (37:57):
Go ahead?
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Arch.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
You don't got name, like, have you ever met Lance before?
Speaker 4 (38:01):
Lance? You just met a guy named Lance Alworth? No, No,
just Lance, Lance.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
I don't know who you're talking about. L One.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
There's a tight end back in two thousand and one
who caught a pass. It was a touchdown versus of
Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Lance and the guy he sits right next to.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
You, Lance, where is he going with? Yes?
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Okay, So the backstory is we got we got a question,
had had any of us caught a touchdown pass? And
of course Shock and I aren't normally going out on,
so we're kind of normally throwing it. But this guy
over here did go out for passes and did it
at Minnesota, which he doesn't.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Care about, doesn't care anything about.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
The buddy played tight end here as well as being
one of the great deeps snappers in LEAG during his time.
Tell us about the touchdown.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
One touchdown come on.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
So it was actually in South Florida. Wasn't here at home,
but this was Michael Vick's I believe it was his
second year because people thought originally that I caught his
very first touchdowns, but that was not true. I caught
a second. But I early on in my career I
played in short yardage, goal line situations. If needed right,
we got somebody banged up or something, I would be
(39:10):
that third tight end. And so when we played in
like we had twenty three personnel right, two backs, three
tight ends, I would come in and so we had
that situation. I can't remember who was banged up that game.
It might have been Reggie Kelly, I can't remember. It
might have been Koslowski. Anyway, so I came in and
we were down on the goal line and we were
in twenty three personnel rewind a little bit. We ran
it earlier in the game and I went to the
(39:33):
backside right, and so we were trying to scheme it
up to where Algae Crumpler would come across the formation.
He would be there. That would how dare I mean
the Pro Bowl tight end right? So I don't know why.
The next time we get down in twenty three personnel,
I had the bright ideas I went up to crump
right when we came on the field and I was like, dude,
they're not going to be expecting me. Let's switch. I
(39:55):
don't know why. I thought I'd a better idea than
the Dan Reeves in that situation. So we did it.
So we flip sides and it was just kind of
like one of those three different layer crossing patterns, right,
And so I end up coming off the ball and
I'm going to be the mid guy going to the
left side of the formation, right, so going towards the
direction Michael Vick is going to roll as a left
handed quarterback. Well, I ended up getting knocked down at
(40:17):
the line of scrimmage, I believe by Jason Taylor, which
I'm okay with that. By the way, he's a pretty
good player, but.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
I'm really good for your quarterback. But go ahead.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
No, And but Mike was pretty good at extending plays.
Would we all agree with.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
That he got you?
Speaker 2 (40:29):
He got there art.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
So I get up and I fight across the formation
and I end up finding a seam and I was like,
oh my gosh, I'm open, and I'm thinking all of
this in slow motion, and then I've seen Mike throw
me the football, and I think I was also thinking.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Do drop it?
Speaker 1 (40:46):
So I end up and I catch the ball right
kind of like by the back pylon, and I end
up kind of running into hand catch. It was a
hands catch, no gloves, nothing right, all natural. And this
is kind of the funniest part of this is I'm
going back to remember I can't just go celebrate like
I got to snap the extra point. I'm the team's
long snapper. So two things. I'm looking for somebody to
(41:08):
give the football to to take it back to the sideline, right.
I wanted to keep the football. Is my first NFL
touchdown ended up being my only NFL touchdown. And after
I passed the ball to Algae to go to the sideline,
Zach Thomas comes up to me, Okay, the long time
my Dolphins linebacker, and he goes, where the did you
come from? How to keep that word out of it?
Speaker 4 (41:29):
Right?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
And so I just kind of smiled as him. I
wasn't going to talk trash to Zach Thomas, but he
completely lost me in coverage, I found an opening and
I caught it for a I mean, the.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
Part that Dawn's on me here is Rack ultimately gets
into another line of work now and he's taking care
of people financially and all this kind of stuff. Now,
how about the offensive coordinator in you? You switched up
made Trump, make change crump?
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Why we switch rool tight end? And I was like,
let me put you on a side, be a decoy.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
He's like, that should have been mine, that should have
been my?
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Did you dance? Did you have anything?
Speaker 1 (42:10):
And literally my celebration was who can I give this
football back to take it to the sideline.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
One, at least he remembered to get the ball because
a lot of guys are throwing the stand away. Can
I have that take the ball to the sideline? And
then two, he wasn't so overjoyed with what he'd just
done that he's over on the sideline high five and guys,
when he's supposed to be snapping for the extra point,
did you realize he had to go get so it
was that's a very cerebral guy called.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
And then got the stamp for the kiss.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
Unbelievable Lance for six.
Speaker 5 (42:45):
All right, you should have seen you should have seen
the undeniable.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
Just what the is?
Speaker 5 (42:52):
Shocked saying right now? Who is Lance? When I said
do you know Lance? Look in your eyes is like shock?
Speaker 4 (42:58):
What the Yeah?
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Well, it turns out so did he and you were
talking about him?
Speaker 2 (43:02):
No, he knew who Lance was.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
He knew who Lance? Who?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Lance is my dad's name, It's my middle name. After
we got into this discussion of nance, I still have
to do it, still have to do my due diligence
on DJ here, I'm coming back with that because he
brought the Lance out on the show.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
All right, that's gonna wrap it up here.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Falcons Ambo presented by AT and T. I'm Lance by
the way. That's DJ Shockley, Dave Archer, Dereck Ractley. Falcons
will be back in action at home this weekend at
the Bands against the Miami Dolphins. Looking to bounce back
and get a win. Be sure to join us next
week right here. We'll wrap it all up for you
at the same time, same place. Well, what does that mean.
It's a podcast that means you get it whenever you want.
(43:39):
To Take care, everybody, take care.
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