HUGE BLOW: Falcon club insider has reveal head coach Arthur Smith has made four drastic changes ahead of week13

ATLANTA, GA. – In a team meeting earlier this week, Arthur Smith summoned one of his starting cornerbacks, Jeff Okudah. The Falcons’ head coach wasn’t asking about a formation or a read on the week’s opponent, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr.

Instead, he inquired about Ohio State with Okudah.

Specifically, Michigan vs. Ohio State, one of the most heated rivalries in college football, which Okudah, who played for the Buckeyes, is well aware of. The goal wasn’t to get a scouting report on the game, either, but to try to emphasize the intensity that a player needs in games like that.

“I see the parallel that he was trying to draw,” Okudah explained. “The mentality that you have to have in a divisional game or a game against a rival, it’s a different mentality to play in that game.”He wanted me to speak about the significance of a game like that.”

Smith wanted his players to understand the importance of concentration in a game like Saints-Falcons.

This came after two weeks in which several players complained that the energy level was not as high as it had been earlier in the season.

That was provided by the bye. Facing the Saints also helped them understand what needed to happen for Atlanta to be a playoff team.

“You could kind of feel us dragging along a little bit,” receiver Scotty Miller said. “We kind of needed that week to get our minds off football for a couple days, go home, see our families, and then you could just feel the sense of urgency when we came back on that Monday.”

“Everyone was just locked in and ready to go.”

It was one of several changes for Atlanta following the bye. Smith stated before the bye that they would look into a variety of issues. Smith went back to Desmond Ridder at quarterback during the week leading up to the Saints game, which Atlanta won 24-15.

Here are a few more tweaks that could stick in the second half of the season as Atlanta tries to keep control of the NFC South.

Using Bijan Robinson as a focus

Robinson led the team in touches prior to the bye and has lined up everywhere in his 509 snaps, so this was already somewhat mythical. However, of the 39 offensive plays run while he was on the field on Sunday, Robinson lined up at running back 36 times.

It’s where he’s played the most this season (373 snaps), but the criticism has centered on Robinson not playing enough in the red zone. Atlanta had only four red zone snaps against New Orleans on Sunday.

Robinson was on the field for all of them, including a 10-yard touchdown run.

Smith stated last week that Robinson would be a “huge part of the game plan.” Other than receiver Drake London, Robinson had the most snaps of any skill position player, and he was the rusher or target on 22 of those 39 snaps (16 rushes, six targets).

Expect to see more of this in the future.

A different perspective
Many people may have missed one of the most significant changes. For Sunday’s game, offensive coordinator Dave Ragone, who is not the team’s play-caller, moved from the field to the booth. Smith seemed pleased with how it worked because it provided something new. This will remain Atlanta’s setup.

“There were some things with Dave’s experience that he could help Des as he was seeing it unfold up top as they communicated,” Smith went on to say. “So instead of both of us being down, it was just a logistical thing.”

As much as it aided Ridder, it also aided Smith. Ragone and Smith collaborate on everything, so it gave him a new perspective. It gave Smith a different perspective on New Orleans’ safeties, some of the coverages they were using, and some of their approaches.

Patterson continues

Cordarrelle Patterson had been a minor part of Atlanta’s offense for weeks, appearing only when Bijan Robinson was out with a headache in a road win at Tampa. Following the bye week, the Falcons found a way to incorporate Patterson into the lineup in a manner similar to how he was used the previous two seasons.

Patterson played 16 offensive snaps on Sunday, his second straight game in double digits, and had eight carries for 43 yards. It wouldn’t be surprising to see more of Patterson as the season progresses.

Smith continued to try to use Patterson everywhere on the field, which is when he is at his best. Patterson appeared eight times as a running back, five times as a slot receiver, and once as a wide receiver.

“He’s building on it,” Smith explained. “You saw a little bit about where you saw him in Tampa. He can play anywhere, which gives you another option. We weren’t required to go out there, but if we need to win one-on-one outside, he provides it.

“You talk about being new. Those are tough guys to take on.”

DeMarcco Hellams is getting more playing time.

Typically, defensive backfields do not use any kind of rotation. Atlanta may try to change that.

DeMarcco Hellams, a seventh-round pick, played a career-high 36 defensive snaps and made seven tackles on Sunday; he had played 37 snaps in the previous three games combined.

“I definitely feel like it’s part of the coaches just getting guys on the field,” Hellams said in an interview. “Seeing what guys mesh best, what guys like playing with each other and honestly, getting your playmakers on the field.”

Hellams “makes plays,” according to Smith, and they’ve grown more confident in him. Smith, on the other hand, said that all three safeties — Hellams, Jessie Bates III, and Richie Grant, whose snap count dropped to 75% as Hellams got work — performed admirably. He described it as “a good problem to have” because they believe three safeties can play.

Grant stated that when he is playing, he tries to maximize his reps. Grant played less than 90% of the team’s defensive snaps for the first time since his rookie season in 2021.

“If we keep getting results like that, I’m not really worried about what happens,” he said. “Obviously, I want to play, but I have no control over that.” So it’s all about maximizing that when I’m out there.”