Falcons Fire: Coach Dean Pees - ‘Proud as Heck' Atlanta Speech
Dean Pees stood in front of the press on Election Day, but he wasn't there to talk politics.
The Atlanta Falcons 73-year-old defensive coordinator made it abundantly clear that he was ready for the election process to end, in large part because of the "berating" that goes on between candidates.
But that was just a small part of Pees' complaints.
After his defense allowed a season-low in explosive plays in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and held quarterback Justin Herbert to his second-lowest rating (80) of the campaign, the first question Pees was asked in his Tuesday press conference was about his unit's third down struggles.
The final stat line shows Los Angeles converted eight of 16 third downs, which is only slightly better than the five of 11 effort that Atlanta possible. However, during the second quarter, the Falcons' defense imploded, allowing two long touchdown drives, the only two of the game. During the possessions, the Chargers went six of six on third downs, four of which third and medium or longer.
But ultimately, Pees' unit played fairly well - certainly enough to keep the team in the game. He took several positives from it, and felt his group deserved credit ... but found a different reality at the microphone.
“Instead, we are always going to look for the negative,” Pees said. “Is that what we are supposed to do? Is that part of journalism? Really? I’m asking as a coach. Is everything always got to be, 'let’s find something negative to talk about, and this week it will be third downs?'”
That's not to say Pees believes his defense is without flaws. He admitted they still have a lot of room to improve, but believes they've taken significant strides since last year.
One such example of this growth came on the sidelines against Los Angeles, when Pees made an in-game adjustment to something the unit had little familiarity with. But he trusted his players and their understanding of the defense, and the following drive resulted in a punt.
While an instance like that certainly isn't apparent to the outside eye, it's a massive step forward for the defense and reflects the progress being made behind the scenes. Despite the loss, Pees was elated with what he saw - which isn't always the case, even after wins.
“I came out of there feeling better about the defense after a loss than I did in some games after we won,” said Pees. “That’s all I’m telling you ... There are a (heck) of a lot of positives on defense that is trying to trend in the right direction, and our guys are busting their ass to do it. I’m proud as heck of them.”
After 25 years coaching at the collegiate ranks and 14 more in the NFL, Pees has seen just about everything that can be done on a football field. He's been around a lot of players, and after professing his love for this team over the offseason, doubled down on Tuesday.
"I’ve been around defense for a long time," Pees began. "I am not disappointed in this defense. I’m very happy with this defense and where it’s going ... I love these guys. This team is so much fun to coach. Love coaching these guys."
After questioning the motives behind the original question and defending his defense's numbers, Pees outlined his unit's growth, but the depths to which they've gotten and how they've gone about getting there.
While the job hasn't been easy, Pees' defense has improved - even if not all of the numbers reflect it - and should only continue to get better as his players understand the defense even more.
But no matter what, Pees is having more fun coaching than he would be if he were a politician - in large part because he truly enjoys the players he's working with.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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