'No F***ing Smiling!': Falcons Coach Nielsen's Aggressive Defense 'Setting The Standard'
The Atlanta Falcons defense and first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen were in the zone on Friday in their 19-3 win over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
In Nielsen's first game calling plays for Atlanta's defense, the Falcons had five sacks, three interceptions, including a pick-six by defensive back Breon Borders and a forced fumble that linebacker Arnold Ebiketie recovered.
Nielsen was so locked in that Falcons safety Jessie Bates III recalled a direct message that his defensive coordinator had as he walked by.
'No f***ing smiling,'" Bates recalled Nielsen saying. "He was really toned in and locked in into the game. He didn't care who was playing, who wasn't playing. He just wanted to showcase what we had been working on the last couple weeks [and] how aggressive we're going to be."
Atlanta's starters on both sides of the ball didn't play, which led to more opportunities for players vying for more playing time or a roster spot. Linebacker Nate Landman, defensive backs Clifford Chattman, Natrone Brooks and Ebiketie each had one sack, while defensive lineman Albert Huggins and linebacker Mike Jones Jr. each had 0.5 sack.
Chattman also led Atlanta with two tackles for loss. The Falcons' defense finished with eight.
"You can see what we're about," Bates said. "Even though it's not the starters out there, it's still the standard and the culture of what we want to be as a defense...The No. 1 thing was we wanted to put effort on the film and be aggressive."
Along with Borders, rookie defensive back DeMarcco Hellams and defensive back Lukas Denis had interceptions. With Atlanta's strong performance on defense in the first preseason game, Bates feels it's proof of what they can become.
"It's not a bunch of star guys all over the field on our defense, but we're going to be a smart team, very aggressive as well and a team that plays for one another," Bates said. "That's how you build something special."
The Falcons play their second preseason game on Friday against Bates' old team, the Cincinnati Bengals, at 7:30 p.m.
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