I'm talking about their play action and how I mean everything's up. You know, their pass game works so well off of their run game. I mean, is that the challenge with this team? Yeah, I mean they run the ball really really well. Man. They do everything well, even their drop back passes. Um, they've got enough different concepts out of different personnels. They've got you know, a traditional two back, one tight end look. Next, you know, they've
got three tight ends on the field. Then they're three wide receivers, and they're running all their concepts out of the just out of same looks, different personnels. So they get matchups that they want and they run the ball really really well. So if you start to load up the box, they can just pick it up and throw hot passes to Julio, or they can start to get some play action passes, and it's really hard to get a pass rush when they do block it up. And
then you got Julio Jones. Uh, it's a new running two minion routes to your secondary and he's got all day to throw the ball and they can get open and you give them that much time in space. So they present a lot of different issues. Um, you know we're gonna have to line up and play and compete. Stop the run. We're gonna have to match up and challenge on the outside. We're gonna have to limit the big plays and the understand that they're gonna make some plays,
they're gonna move to the ball. Where we're gonna have to show up is turnover category. Being able to come up with a couple of takeaways here there, especially the red zone. You know, we're gonna have to tighten up when the field shrinks and in those deep shots and play action shots are no longer available. That's when we got to take advantage of that opportunity. But you know, their number one offense in the league for a reason, and it's because they do a lot of the stuff.
Well it so you get a very long time and as a leader off this football team, what do you say to your teammates, even had the team meeting after the loss, what do you say to keep everyone positive when you lose four or five? I mean, we said at eight games ago, and I know you know we I know me personally, I don't get discouraged until that door is closed. And so right now we have the opportunity to still um to kind of write whatever we want this season to look like, um and and five
out of the next eight or at home. And so you know, we if we want to do anything, this is the time where we got to turn it around and start to fix it. And then that's just gonna happen one day at a time. It's it's a patient approach, UM, and you got to be mentally UM stable enough and and have the bandwidth to really U embrace that challenge and embrace the focus and sacrifice that that's going to
the cause. And you know, this is kind of where we've put ourselves um, but it's not at in any case over so you know, you just tell everybody to to stay the course and obviously be critical of the things that we need to fix and the things we need to get better at. But on a daily basis, we got to grind and make a commitment to to get better. But we've talked to you before about this presidential race. What does the outcome say to you as an African? I don't know if it speaks any necessarily
to me as an African American. I think being a minority, I think the majority kind of stood out. I know from a popular vote, I think Hillary one. But UM, you know this, I think there were what records set for the amount of people that came out and voted, and you know, so obviously I voted the other way, but you know, it's it's still one of those times where, um, you know, that's what America is all about. You get a chance to to put your opinion out there and
put your vote. And you know, America spoken the election, you would said, uh, it's going to be a sorry relief for a panic. What would make it a panic for you? I mean, I think there's a lot of concern, I know for myself. Um. You just look at all of the things that Trump has done over this entire campaign and this whole process. Um, to now see him in in uh, in the throne, in the seat is
nerve wracking for me. UM. And I know many of the people are many of friends I have, UM just kind of waiting to see what that looks like, um, and if it will and if it will reflect anything of what he's shown already. If so, that's that's very concerning. The Falcons change up their offensive schemes a lot. What does that mean for you in the background? Uh? For me,
that means I probably have a lot of different matchups. Um, you're going from base to nickel to H four backer set so UM, you know that that'll put me personally on a slot. They'll put me on the tight end and put me on running backs and they get the empty formations. I mean, it's it's a lot of different things you you've got to prepare for, UM. And a lot of the times they find ways to get a mismatch, whether it's a linebacker and the receiver UM or you know,
receiver on one of your safeties. They're athletic running backs out wide against your linebackers. They do a good job of moving guys around. Julio's playing the X di Z he's in the slot. UM. So it's you know, it's it's a bit to prepare for. I mean, we're definitely gonna have to survive some of those bad matchups and UM and continue to adjust as the game goes on, because they do a good job of scheming you up.
If you play the same thing over and over, they'll have something um specifically for that game that you hadn't seen before. So, I mean, they do a good job of planning and game planning. UM. You know, so we gotta be ready for a thing. Yeah. I mean I've seen you know, been in at the NFC South five years, Sault Julio from his first year in the league till now. Um,
and he's a special talent. And you talk about his speed, his size, and his ability to get in and out of breaks is like nothing else or nobody else in this league. Um. And whether he's double covered, he's fast enough to just run through it. Uh, he's single covered, he's he's he can beat man a man, he can be pressed. Um, he's strong enough where if he catches the ball, he can break tackles, he can outrun dbs.
It's it's a tough time. Nobody's really stopped him all year. Um. The biggest thing is is just try to limit the big plays that he had on a game. Try to limit those you know, catches where he's running through the secondary our runs everybody for a touchdown. You want them to the least to be able to earn every cash that he gets and keep it in front of the defense. Um. But I mean that's you know, that's the NFL. And talk about all of the talented receivers we've seen all year. Um,
he's definitely probably at the top of that list. You've seen a lot of Matt Ryan over the years too. Statistically, he's having an excellent you know his best year now is that from what you've seen on film? Is that a function of what they're doing schematically maybe different than years past. Is him growing and maturing and getting better with the kind of were's always been a productive quarterback, um,
especially when he's getting protected. And I think his run game, even back when they used to have Turner he was that's when he was really good as well. They had a run game. It was the same thing, two back formations, twelve personnel, play action, pass slot, um. And they're doing a lot of the same stuff now, so we're never
he's paired with a really good run game. UM. You know he's he's he's got all of the arm skills and and um all of the brains at the line of screamage to put him in a good play to get in and out of runs, get in and play actions, um, and and it's shown is having a productive year. But he's always been one of those quarterbacks that you've had to get ready to play. UM year and a year out more about election and you talk about your friends, sharing your concerns, what do you what do you say
to them? What are the conversations like last night, just as the evening is unfolded, A lot of it was a lot of disbelief, and I think a lot of people you know, obviously shocked. Um. But yeah, I mean it's that's pretty much it. Everybody's just kind of waiting to see what what what will happen? Um. Obviously I think a lot of people thought it would turn out a different way, but this is America and just waiting to see what happens. Yeah, kind of the same. It's
been the same conversations. A lot of people were kind of shocked. Uh, it's probably been probably the main thing guys have talked about all day. It's just you know, now, you know, now everybody's talking politics. We want to talk you know, foreign policy and all kinds of things. So the economy. I think guys were shocked, but you know, just like just like us, we're trying to figure it out. You've got guys counting electoral votes and states and swing
states and all that stuff. But that's fun. But you know, I think everybody's shocked.