HeadtoHeadFootball -

EDITOR PICKS

NFL

Tale of the tape: Defenses of Falcons, Patriots couldn't be more different
8:09 AM ET

  • Vaughn McClure

    Close

    ESPN Staff Writer
    • Covered Bears for seven seasons at Chicago Tribune
    • Also worked at Chicago Sun-Times, Fresno Bee
    • Honorable mention, Football Writers Association of America for enterprise writing, 2002

  • Mike Reiss

    Close

    ESPN Staff Writer
    • Covered Patriots since 1997
    • Joined ESPN in 2009

HOUSTON — From the personnel to the style of play, the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots couldn’t be any more different on defense. The Falcons are one of the fastest defenses in the NFL and have an it’s-all-about-the-ball mentality to create turnovers, while the Patriots boast one of the biggest and most physical units.

Atlanta is more likely to penetrate at the snap and create disruption; the Patriots often ask their defensive linemen to play a two-gapping technique by controlling the blocker in front of them while remaining patient. New England led the NFL in scoring defense during the regular season (an average of 15.6 points per game allowed), while Atlanta ranked 27th in points allowed (25.3). One thing that helped the Falcons’ defense was the fact the unit was often playing with the lead, a result of the team outscoring opponents 139-68 in the first quarter.

CALLING CARD

Falcons: Speed and physicality. When Dan Quinn left his defensive coordinator job in Seattle to become the head coach of the Falcons, his signature phrase was “fast and physical.” It took a bit, but Quinn eventually established such an identity within his defense. It started with NFL sacks leader Vic Beasley Jr., who used his devastating speed off the edge to record 15.5 sacks to go along with six forced fumbles. Then rookie middle linebacker Deion Jones, one of the fastest linebackers the Falcons have had in years, put his stamp on the defense with a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown against his hometown team, the New Orleans Saints, in his first game inside the Superdome. Atlanta won that game 45-32. Jones finished the season with a team-high 106 tackles, and fellow rookie Keanu Neal, the enforcer at safety with his punishing hits, finished right behind with 105 stops. Free safety Ricardo Allen showed the range and open-field tackling to help eliminate big plays, and the cornerback tandem of Robert Alford and Jalen Collins made up for the loss of speedy Pro Bowl CB Desmond Trufant (pectoral surgery).

The Falcons’ Vic Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks this season. AP/Brad Penner

Patriots: Tackling. The Patriots’ defense led the NFL in fewest yards allowed after the catch (4.05 average), which reflects their solid tackling. While some teams teach a style of holding up the ball carrier so others can rally to the ball and attempt to strip it, coordinator Matt Patricia focuses more on defenders tackling ball carriers to the ground. It shows at every position, including cornerback, which is often overlooked in the run-force game. Sound tackling has also contributed to one of New England’s more impressive statistics: Its defense hasn’t allowed a 90-yard rusher in the past 25 games, dating to 2015. Meanwhile, creating turnovers has long been a staple of the Patriots’ defensive unit; after totaling just nine through the first nine games (two of which came on special teams), the group exploded for 14 over the final seven regular-season games of 2016.

MOST IMPRESSIVE GAME OR STRETCH OF GAMES

Falcons: During Atlanta’s current six-game winning streak, its defense has made significant strides from the one that surrendered 27.9 points per game through the first 12 games of the regular season. Over this six-game stretch, the defense has allowed just 19.3 points per game. Playing the likes of the Rams and 49ers offered an opportunity to pad numbers, but it’s hard to argue with the Falcons holding their own in playoff matchups against Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. In the playoffs, the Falcons have forced four turnovers, building off the momentum from the end of the regular season. Quinn preaches “the ball” all the time, which is why the Falcons finished the regular season with a plus-11 turnover ratio, tied for fourth in the NFL.

Playoffs

Sunday, Feb. 5 | 6:30 p.m. ET | Fox

• What you need to know
• FiveThirtyEight predictions
• Quiz: Who should you root for?

Patriots: Denver has traditionally been a challenging place for the Patriots to play (10-21 all time), but the defense did its part in a 16-3 win Dec. 18. Sure, it was against quarterback Trevor Siemian and an offense that doesn’t qualify as lethal, but on a day when the Patriots’ own offense was struggling to find its groove, the defense put the clamps down in holding the Broncos to a 2-of-12 success rate on third down while recovering one fumble and intercepting a pass. In a dominant stretch to open the second half, the defense produced five straight three-and-out drives.

THE ONE TO WATCH

Falcons: Beasley. He doesn’t have a sack or a quarterback hit yet this postseason, so he’s due. Of course, opposing teams are chipping him more often, knowing how dominant a pass-rusher he can be. Now it’s up to Beasley to keep his focus and play with the same intensity he has all season. His likely matchup in the Super Bowl will come against Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon. The Patriots have lost two of the three Super Bowls in which quarterback Tom Brady was sacked multiple times. Beasley had four multisack games in the regular season.

Malcolm Butler is up for the challenge of facing Julio Jones in the Super Bowl. Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Patriots: Malcolm Butler. One of the remarkable out-of-nowhere stories in the NFL, the third-year cornerback from West Alabama was determined not to rest on his laurels after his game-saving interception in the Super Bowl victory over the Seahawks two years ago. He was No. 5 on the depth chart at the time of his unforgettable goal-line pick but rose quickly to the No. 1 spot in 2015 and 2016 while becoming one of the team’s most consistent and dependable players. Butler played 98.8 percent of the snaps in 2015 and 96.7 percent in 2016 and was often called upon to line up across from the opponent’s top receiver.

SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW

Falcons: The Falcons established a first in starting four rookies on defense in the NFC Championship Game with Jones, Neal, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and nickelback Brian Poole. If the lineup remains the same Feb. 5, it will mark the first time that has occurred in a Super Bowl. All four have been key to the team’s resurgence, with Neal (first round), Jones (second) and Campbell (fourth) being draft picks and Poole an undrafted player. The Falcons also start three second-year players on defense in Beasley, Collins and nose tackle Grady Jarrett.

Patriots: Second-year defensive end Trey Flowers, who led the Patriots with seven sacks during the regular season, has had notable success as a pass-rusher when moving inside in obvious passing situations. His quickness and long arms have given interior offensive linemen some issues. Flowers played in only one game in his rookie season in 2015. He was buried on the depth chart and didn’t provide enough special-teams value to crack the 46-man game-day roster. Bill Belichick said one of the key decisions that set Flowers up for success in 2016 was placing him on injured reserve in the final month of the 2015 season (shoulder) so he could get a head start on his rehab. Flowers, who played at Arkansas, was acquired with the 2015 fourth-round draft pick the Patriots received from Tampa Bay in exchange for guard Logan Mankins.

NFL

After each game, Jackie and Matthew Slater connect over the finer details

HOUSTON — One of the special parts of New England Patriots special-teams captain Matthew Slater’s nine-year NFL career has been sharing the experience with his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater.

While their connection goes well beyond football, they know they can always count on one thing: Not long after the Patriots play a game, they’ll be hearing each other’s voices.

“Every game, the two people I talk to are my wife and my dad,” Matthew Slater explained. “First of all, I let my dad know I came out OK. Or if I didn’t, let him know what happened. Then we talk about plays that happened over the course of the ballgame.”

They aren’t typical father-son chats.

“They’re usually pretty interesting conversations because we talk specifically about certain plays,” Jackie Slater said from his California home. “He knows when I’m watching the game I’m watching the cold, hard details of his job. Was he supposed to be covering? Blocking? I don’t follow the ball unless, of course — unless it’s anywhere near him. Just about the detail of his assignment, the effort he’s putting in, if he was successful or if he failed.

“It’s things probably a lot of people wouldn’t pay attention to, but he’s so focused on doing things right, and he knows that I’m focused that way, and I have a tendency to look at every little thing he does.”

The son, 31, always looks forward to those chats. Along with their faith, football has long been something that binds them.

“My dad has always been one of my biggest critics, but in a good way,” he said. “He’s always been there to encourage me, whether it was good or bad, ask me the tough questions. Mom would always say, ‘You did great,’ but Dad knows football, and he understands how the game is going.

“He’ll ask me, ‘What happened on that punt in the third quarter when they had you vised up?’ I really enjoy those conversations, to be able to recap the game with him. We’ve had a lot of good ones over the years to talk about.”

A seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle who played 20 years for the Rams and appeared in Super Bowl XIV, Jackie Slater will be in Houston for Super Bowl LI on Sunday, marking the third time he’s watched Matthew in a Super Bowl. Jackie is still around the game on a regular basis, serving as an assistant offensive line coach at Azusa Pacific University and as a Rams-based football analyst on a local television station.

Earlier this year, the Slaters became the first father-son combination to win the Bart Starr Award, which honors humanitarian efforts. Matthew Slater is the award winner this year, while his father was a recipient in 1996.

“It is special to see your son walk a road that is not as often [traveled] and separate himself from being just an average guy. His passion and his skill and abilities have allowed him to distinguish himself while impacting the lives of others, and there is a lot of pride in that,” Jackie Slater said.

“I’m very happy for him. This is something he wanted to do from a very young age. I did everything I could to steer him towards other sports, coached them all and just thought he would be too small. I told him, ‘In the ninth grade, if you still want to play, you can play tackle football.’

“He could not wait. I thought he forgot about it, but as soon as he got into the ninth grade, that’s when he started asking about doing it. He said he always wanted to be a cornerback because they don’t get hurt as much — all they do is run and cover receivers. So he thought it all through, and I was compelled to follow through on my word. He’s worked very hard at it.”

The younger Slater ended up as a receiver/special-teamer, a very different role from that of his dad, who was a force as a blocker on the offensive line. Matthew has been a perennial Pro Bowl special-teams player who was voted All-Pro for the first time this year.

“The work he does is not easy,” Jackie Slater said. “There are some really, really difficult plays, some high-speed collisions that are very impactful, some of which I never had to deal with. So you’re concerned about his health, and you just trust that he’s acquired the skills needed to try to stay out of harm’s way while still being as explosive and destructive as he can.”

And at the end of the day, they’ll talk about it.

NFL

Josh McDaniels says he has learned from failures in leading Broncos

HOUSTON — For the most part, as Josh McDaniels answered questions at Super Bowl LI media night, the New England Patriots offensive coordinator kept his poker face.

Whether it was a question about the Atlanta Falcons’ pass-rushers, the pressure of a title game or what it’s like to work for Patriots coach Bill Belichick, McDaniels kept things low-key. And then came: “How do you know when you’re ready to be a head coach?”

With that, McDaniels quickly broke into what was easily his biggest smile Monday night, followed by the heartiest of laughs.

Josh McDaniels’ experience coaching in championship games — he’s attempting to win his fifth Super Bowl as a Patriots assistant — could help the 40-year-old again land a job as an NFL head coach. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

“Well, I wasn’t the last time,” McDaniels said as he tipped his head back to laugh.

McDaniels, who is now in his 13th season with the Patriots, is preparing for his sixth Super Bowl with the team, which is looking for its fifth title in that span. But the Denver Broncos’ faithful know all too well about “the last time” that McDaniels was talking about.

He was a 33-year-old, first-time NFL head coach when the Broncos hired him in 2009, with plenty of fanfare. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was clearly smitten with the playcaller who was two seasons removed from the Patriots’ 16-0 regular-season finish in 2007.

McDaniels’ tenure in Denver lasted 28 games. He was fired with four games remaining in the 2010 season, when the Broncos finished at 4-12. Bowlen then asked John Elway to return to the team to be its chief football decision maker.

The Broncos have won five division titles since, signed Peyton Manning in what might be the greatest free-agency coup in league history, went to two Super Bowls and won Super Bowl 50 last February.

McDaniels, though, is still waiting for his second chance to lead an NFL team. He interviewed with the Los Angeles Rams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the San Francisco 49ers in recent weeks, but those teams passed.

McDaniels was asked Monday night if he thought his experiences with the Broncos actually helped him as he moves toward another head coaching gig.

Playoffs

• Schedule and top stories for every team
• FiveThirtyEight predictions

“Sure. All the experiences I’ve had in coaching I hope have made me a better person, better coach,” McDaniels said. “I think so much about this game, this business, is about people and trying to put together the right group of people and allow them to have their responsibilities, trust them to do their job and be a great resource for them and help them in any way that you can.

And then McDaniels added: “Some of the things I failed at before, I think I learned from and am better for it. I think I am.”

Though Bowlen had said, after he fired Mike Shanahan to close out the 2008 season, that no Broncos coach would have personnel power again, McDaniels ended up making personnel decisions. He traded quarterback Jay Cutler before he had coached his first game and made an assortment of deals in those two seasons that didn’t pan out.

Some players, at the time, said they had a difficult time connecting with McDaniels. Hindsight is certainly 20-20 and McDaniels is now a 40-year-old coach who has put himself in position to try again.

“Hopefully I’ll continue to grow from it, moving forward,” he said.

NFL

Should Cowboys make Julio Jones-type trade?

FRISCO, Texas — In 2010, the Atlanta Falcons had the best record in the NFC, finishing 13-3, but they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Believing they were close to becoming a Super Bowl team, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff made a bold move, trading up 21 spots in a deal with the Cleveland Browns to draft wide receiver Julio Jones and pair him with quarterback Matt Ryan.

The man Dimitroff worked under for many years with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick, advised against it, and now six seasons later, Belichick will have to find a way to stop Jones, a task few have managed over the years.

Jerry Jones has been bold in the past. Will he do so again in advance of this year’s draft? Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

But in order to get Jones, Dimitroff traded his first-, second- and fourth-round picks in 2011 (Nos. 27, 59 and 124) plus his first- and fourth-round picks in 2012 to the Browns.

“This may have been a once-in-a-career type move,” Dimitroff told the Boston Globe in 2013. “We felt that we were in the right place as an organization with the amount of veteran talent we had and the amount of youthful talent we had and the quarterback we had in place. It was a time that was right for us to get ourselves a very explosive player.”

By now, you must be asking how this is relevant to the Dallas Cowboys.

Well, a few weeks ago, the Cowboys lost to the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs as the top seed in the NFC.

Dallas’ needs are obvious: defense, defense and more defense. If you want to say pass rush or cornerback or both, you wouldn’t be wrong.

So should the Cowboys consider an Atlanta-like move from No. 28 to the top of the first round to secure a pass-rusher or cornerback who will not be around later in the round?

The Browns squandered the five selections they got in the Jones trade. Phil Taylor, Greg Little, Owen Marecic and Brandon Weeden did not turn into franchise savers. The Browns traded their fourth-rounder in 2012 as part of a package in order to draft Trent Richardson with the No. 3 overall pick, but Richardson hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2014 season.

The last time the Cowboys made such a bold move was in 2012, when they moved from No. 14 to No. 6 to take cornerback Morris Claiborne. To get the deal done, they gave up the 14th and 45th overall picks.

Claiborne has four career interceptions and has not played a full season because of injuries.

In 2014, the Cowboys moved up to No. 34 overall to take defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. They gave up the 47th and 78th picks to Washington get the deal done. Lawrence has nine career sacks and recently had a second back surgery in as many offseasons.

It took the Falcons six seasons and more than just Jones to get to the Super Bowl, but they can look at that deal as a positive because of what Jones has become.

Dallas owner and GM Jerry Jones has shown a willingness to be bold, sometimes to a fault.

When the Cowboys built their Super Bowl teams of the 1990s, they did it with their sheer number of draft selections.

The Cowboys showed in 2016 that they can contend, but a team is never one piece away from a Super Bowl.

Page 817 of 834« First...102030816817818819820830...Last »

Soccer