After a day without work on Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons returned to observe on a foggy Friday morning for a session that featured a number of situational work, one other live-tackling interval and a giant spotlight from Bijan Robinson.
Will McFadden
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. Players returned to observe on a foggy Friday morning after an off day Thursday.
It was the eighth session of Atlanta Falcons AT&T Training Camp and featured a prolonged interval of 1-on-1s, a short-yardage situational interval earlier than concluding with goal-line work.
Players within the trenches competed intensely all through the afternoon, and the operating backs obtained loads of motion. The focus was clearly on working by essential tight-quarters performs as installs proceed in earnest this time of 12 months. Friday’s observe additionally supplied one other have a look at how the Falcons are transferring ahead with out second-year linebacker Jalon Walker,who was positioned on injured reserve Thursday.
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Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke for the primary time since Walker’s harm on Tuesday and defined how they’re going about making a plan to account for his absence.
“Obviously, injuries are the worst part of our game,” Stefanski mentioned. “Nobody likes them. I don’t like them. Players don’t like them. But we also recognize they are part of the game. So, to see Jalon go down, disappointing and frustrating for him.
“But I do know what he is fabricated from. He will bounce again. He’s obtained the precise perspective. So, upset, however he will probably be again. In the interim, like all harm with any participant or a participant being unavailable for any motive, we simply obtained to ensure that we’ve a plan defensively to maneuver guys round and people sorts of issues. And we’ll work by that over the course of the subsequent days and weeks.”
On a positive note, running back Bijan Robinson logged some action in full-team periods for the first time after a brief acclimation period earlier in the week. It was the most Robinson has been involved in a practice, and he should continue to be a regular part of training campafter signing a new contract on Tuesday.
Fittingly, Robinson was responsible for perhaps the highlight of the day. In his first series of 11-on-11 in camp, Robinson ran a wheel route down the left sideline that the defense simply couldn’t keep up with. He had a couple of steps on the nearest defender, allowing Tua Tagovailoa plenty of space to drop the ball into Robinson’s arms for what would have been a touchdown in live action. It tookno time at all for Robinson to create fireworks.
Perhaps Drake London phrased it best after practice when he said, “It’s enjoyable to have a superhero again there.”
Notes and observations from practice
Another live-tackling period:Stefanski has introduced a new wrinkle to this year’s training camp: Live-tackling periods. Typically, camp practices are filled with the sounds of cicadas and coaches yelling “keep up!” This week, however, as the pads came on, the Falcons started going down to the ground. There was a period during Wednesday’s practice that featured tackling, and another on one Friday during what looked like a series of short-yardage plays.
It’s the first time many players on the Falcons roster have experienced live tackling during a training camp practice in Atlanta, but wide receiver Drake London said he appreciated the ability to start getting accustomed to the level of physicality on Sundays. Before practice began, Stefanski explained his logic behind tackling in training camp.
“I’ve accomplished it through the years,” he said. “Shoot, my first NFL observe, 2005 up at Lehigh University, Andy Reid observe. First day, there’s Brian Dawkins tackling Brian Westbrook. On the primary day of observe. So, I understand how it has been through the years. I additionally know the foundations and what they’re, and I respect them, and we’ll all the time do what’s secure for our gamers. We won’t ever do one thing that is unsafe. I feel there is a option to work arduous. I feel there is a option to work sensible. And I feel there is a option to observe reside as a result of that is what the sport is, and I feel there is a option to do it safely, and I feel you noticed that the opposite day. We’ll proceed to do this all through this camp. I feel the blokes perceive how to do this the precise approach. You’re nonetheless not taking a ‘shot’ on one among your teammates. You would not take an inexpensive shot kind of factor. But, like I’ve mentioned earlier than, to get able to play soccer, you need to play soccer.”
Creative short-yardage concepts:This time of year provides an excellent chance for offensive coordinators across the league to get creative. We saw some of that creativity during Friday’s practice, particularly in the short-yardage and red-zone periods. Atlanta had some unique personnel groupings, including lining up both Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. in the backfield together, that allowed for some deception and put players in positions of strength. Through the air, the route combinations were deployed in a way that sought to create confusion in tight quarters. Late in the period, one design led to a touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Olamide Zaccheaus. On the play, Tagovailoa worked through his progressions before finding Zaccheaus on a delayed dig in the back of the end zone.
Jessie Bates III misses third practice:Atlanta’s playmaking safety missed his third straight practice on Friday after watching from the sidelines during the sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Stefanski was asked about Bates’ status prior to the practice and said, “Jessie’s coping with a minor again factor that he is working by, not long run.”
Competitive day in the trenches:As could be expected on a day that included a lot of close-quarters action, the offensive and defensive lines got a lot of serious work in. There was no clear winner between the offense and defense, and both units had their respective highlights. The 11-on-11 action was foreshadowed by an early 1-on-1 drill between the offensive and defensive lines that lasted for quite some time. Here is some of what I saw during that drill*:
- Left tackle Jake Matthews had a calm, confident rep against defensive end Samson Ebukam, who has had a strong training camp so far.
- Interior lineman Corey Levin smothered a bull rush from defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu and held his ground.
- Defensive end Keshawn Banks won his rep against offensive tackle Wanya Morris.
- Edge defender Bralen Trice had one of the best reps of the period against tackle Brandon Walton. Trice dipped low underneath Walton’s outstretched arms and somehow maintained his balance through a sharp turn around the edge. It was a very impressive rush from Trice,who has looked good in practice.
- Defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell won his rep against rookie guard Kam Dewberry.
- Rookie center James Brockermeyer had a good rep to stall another power rush from Tuipulotu.
- Defensive lineman Chris Williams beat offensive tackle Andrew Steuber on a rep.
- Rookie offensive tackle Riley Mahlman won a rep against Banks.
- Rookie offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa impressively held his ground against James Pearce Jr. and used his size to slow him down. Pearce did have a nice win earlier in the period by using a speed move against right tackle Michael Jerrell.
- Offensive guard Chris Lindstrom expertly gained leverage against defensive lineman Maason Smith and held the bigger defender at bay.
- Smith recovered nicely from that rep, though, and scored a win against Ryan Neuzil a bit later on.
*Wins and losses are subjective
Coaching clinic courtesy of Callahan:I spent the first 15 minutes of Friday’s practice closely watching Bill Callahan work with the offensive linemen. Specifically, he and assistant line coach Nick Jones were working the centers and guards through a kickout drill and then a wrap drill. The first is meant to simulate what a lineman would experience when pulling to kick out a defender on a trap block or a split-zone play, and the emphasis was on keeping inside leverage to force an opponent upfield away from the play. The second drill gives players a feel for pulling and wrapping around a down blocker on a power or counter play. Callahan led the drill with high energy and had either words of encouragement or a coaching point after each rep. Those coaching points didn’t just extend to the player conducting the rep, however. One moment that illustrated Callahan’s attention to detail involved Matthew Bergeron as a pad holder. After a rep, Callahan told Bergeron, “I want that pad firmer,” and defined the way it was essential to offer an correct simulation for the blocker.
Harold Perkins Jr. incomes extra reps:Stefanski spoke earlier than observe concerning the rookie linebacker’s growth, saying he is incomes extra reps on the sector. The versatility Perkins possessesmakes him a participant suited to a number of roles, and it appears the teaching workers has felt comfy placing extra on his plate this week. Not solely did he finish his first week of camp byearning his first snapsalongside beginning inside linebacker Divine Deablo, however he has begun to maneuver across the formation a bit extra within the wake of Walker’s harm. On Friday, Perkins was taking snaps with the beginning unit and lined up off the left edge at instances. He was additionally despatched on an A-gap blitz because the mug defender throughout an 11-on-11 interval the place the offense was backed up towards its personal finish zone. Perkins has impressed so far and appears to be gaining the workers’s belief.
Just a few offensive highlights to name out:While Robinson’s lengthy landing was the standout play of the day for the offense, it wasn’t the one spotlight of the morning. Rookie extensive receiver Keelan Marion had a pleasant sliding catch for a landing on a ball from Michael Penix Jr. throughout a red-zone 7-on-7 interval. Jahan Dotson continues to point out spectacular separation talents and gained free towards cornerback Cobee Bryant on an intermediate path to catch the move from Tagovailoa. Rookie receiver Vinny Anthony II had a diving seize on the precise sideline throughout the session when the offense was backed up in its personal finish zone. Rookie operating again Cash Jones was energetic on Friday as effectively and confirmed off his pace on a red-zone run to the left aspect, the place he went untouched into the tip zone. He was additionally efficient as a receiver within the flat and gained some good yardage after the catch on a play-action move the place cornerback Darren Hall got here on the blitz. The final play price mentioning concerned some playful extracurriculars between two rookies. After a run by Jones had been known as lifeless, cornerback Avieon Terrell snuck round behind him and punched the ball out of his arms and up into the air. Jones rapidly reacted by attempting to seize the ball on the fly, and he and Terrell had a fast little battle for the soccer. Ultimately, Jones was the one who corralled it, however Terrell continues to point out why he set the all-time Clemson report for pressured fumbles.
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