Behind Enemy Lines: What the Falcons Are Saying About the Ravens

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Atlanta Falcons are expecting a tough matchup against the Ravens in Week 16.

Here's what the Falcons players and coaches had to say:

Head Coach Arthur Smith

On the challenge of facing Baltimore’s defense:

Smith: “That’s a defense, schematically, that we’re familiar with. Obviously, Dean was there. There are a lot of guys that have been there, players and coaches. They’ve had a long history, let’s call it the last 20-some years of a standard on defense. They’ve had some great players. It’s a really good scheme. Like everybody, when you work together and you have success, people get hired off of it and they tweak their own things, but schematically, structure-wise, it’s something we’re familiar with. Now, the players are completely different. How somebody calls it, the gameplan adjustments or maybe they tweak a coverage here or there, there’s a difference. Like I’ve said, they’ve had a long history – especially since Harbaugh has been there – they play a certain way, and this will be a great test for us going on the road against a really good football team. A team that values a lot of things the same way that we do. It will be a physical game, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

On Ravens S Kyle Hamilton’s performance this season:

Smith: “Right, yeah, he played at Marist. Played at Notre Dame with Ade. They’re using him very similar to what you saw on tape at Notre Dame. A lot of that big slot corner spot. They pressure him. They play him deep. It’s all of the same things you saw at Notre Dame. They’re using him on teams. You certainly notice him out there. He’s got a lot of length and range watching him, especially recently, but he’s making an impact.”

On the difference in Baltimore’s offense with QB Lamar Jackson compared to QB Tyler Huntley and how to prepare for both this week:

Smith: “Yeah, we’ve seen Huntley for a couple of games. Lamar, those guys schematically, they’re different players but both of them can certainly extend plays. We’ve all seen the highlights where Lamar keeps it. They make you defend everything in the run game. They’re a heavy gap scheme team. That’s kind of how they’ve evolved. That kind of fits their personnel. They way they use their tight ends, their fullback, Ricard, and that line. They’re big, heavy guys. They’re trying to get you in these double teams. You see a lot of pullers. They use pre-snap motion. It’s a different style and it’s been very successful. That’s what makes this league fun. Everybody’s not doing the same thing, but they’re also going to make you account for the quarterback in it. You have to be really sound in your run fits because when you’re wrong, they’ve hit those explosive runs. Certainly, Lamar has done it better than anybody in that spot the last couple of years. You prepare for him, just like every week. We’ll prepare the best we can for Lamar. Huntley is a good player, too. If he plays, then he plays, but that’s how we go about it.”

On the impact Ravens ILB Roquan Smith has had on Baltimore’s defense:

Smith: “Well, anytime you add a really good player, you can feel him when you’re just watching the film. I know he’s a Georgia guy. He’s been very productive. He was productive in Chicago. You saw it as soon as he got to Baltimore. He’s an instinctive player. You see him all over the tape. You see 18, and he’s at the point of attack and he’s making plays. They’ve added a good football player, and he’s made an impact.”

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— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) December 22, 2022

Quarterback Desmond Ridder

On the Ravens' defense:

Ridder: “They're big up front, big and long up front and they rotate in the linebackers pretty well and then their DBs are long and lengthy and like to stick on guys. We just really have to go out there and play our game and just play smashmouth football

On Roquan Smith:

Ridder: “He is a long, lanky player, likes to fill the gaps, shoot through the A gaps. I know our guys up front are going to have a good time with him and then, you know, when our backs get matched up on him, you know, I like our backs over anyone. I'm excited to get out there and play on Saturday. And obviously, , it's the second game, so the second team I get to see live.”

Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees

On how familiar Baltimore’s defense is to him:

Pees: “Sometimes they ask me some questions and stuff. It’s stuff that we did. I think it’s like anything else. Mike [Macdonald] was with me there. Mike Macdonald was my assistant linebackers coach. Of course, he went to Michigan and then came back. Even when I watched Michigan, when we’d watch them play, I could see the stuff that we did at Baltimore, but like any defensive coordinator, he’s going to put his own stamp on it. Going to put his own wrinkles in it. There are things that they do that, ‘Yeah, that’s what we did.’ Then, there are other things that we never did. It’s like anybody. I took stuff from Bill [Belichick]. I’ve taken stuff from everybody I’ve worked with. I’ve taken stuff to form my own, so yeah, there are going to be things that – I’m sure if Belichick watches the film, he’d go, ‘Yeah, we did that at New England,’ or John [Harbaugh] watches it, ‘Yeah, we did that at Baltimore.’ He’s still going to put his own stamp on it. Everybody calls the game different, too. Some guys are more aggressive. Some guys are less aggressive. Some guys like more man coverage. Some guys don’t. It’s all going to change, too, based on the personnel that you have. There are similarities, but I still feel like it’s his defense.”

On whether he’s coached against the Ravens in Baltimore since he left:

Pees: “I was back there in the playoffs in 2019. That was a memorable occasion. Other than that, that’s the only time I’ve been back.”

On whether it will bring memories back to be in Baltimore:

Pees: “I’ll say this about Baltimore. I have the utmost respect, and I loved it there. I have nothing but good feelings about Baltimore. It’s a great football town. Fans are very avid. They love their defense – always have. Coach Harbaugh, like I told you, he played for me in college. I coached for him for eight years. I retired from there. I really thought I was going to stay retired, too. I did not retire with the thought of going somewhere else. So, it was a very, very good place for me. I loved my eight years there. The staff, the administration, Ozzie, Steve Biscotti the owner, all of them. I left there on really, really great terms and had a great eight-year run there. I have nothing negative. I really liked my time there.”

On the challenge of preparing for multiple quarterbacks this week due to Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s injury:

Pees: “It seems like in this league lately that’s the case all the time because every quarterback is getting hurt. It’s been crazy. You just have to prepare more for the coordinator, maybe, than you do the actual quarterback. At the same time, you have to prepare like it’s going to be Lamar, and you have to prepare like it’s not. There are certain plays that are never going to change. They’re staples. They’re going to show up no matter who the quarterback is. You have to make sure you have those handled. Then, it’s just a matter of what style quarterback they have. If you look at all of their quarterbacks, they’re the same style quarterback. It’s not like that one time that I told you about where I went from Michael Vick to Matt Schaub. There’s a distinct difference there. Their three guys are very similar, so they can do the same stuff.”

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— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) December 22, 2022