Dan Quinn thinks rookie A.J. Terrell is physically ready to step in

Falcons rookie A.J. Terrell was the third cornerback selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he could easily be under the most pressure this season.

The team releas

Falcons rookie A.J. Terrell was the third cornerback selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he could easily be under the most pressure this season.

The team released former No. 1 CB Desmond Trufant, leaving some uncertainty as to who Atlanta’s starters will be. Kendall Sheffield, Isaiah Oliver and Terrell will each be in the mix, along with veteran Darqueze Dennard.

Talking with reporters on Friday, Quinn said he was impressed with the competitive fire of the Falcons’ first-round pick and that he felt Terrell could physically step in right away.

As for Dennard, the Falcons love his versatility. However, Quinn wouldn’t say whether they intend to start him outside or in the slot, indicating he needed a few weeks to see where Dennard will play.

The benefit to a veteran addition like Dennard is that he takes some pressure off of Terrell, Sheffield and Oliver by letting them play where they fit best early on. It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Raheem Morris handles this situation at corner with a full offseason to make his mark on the defense.

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3 good things that came out of the Falcons’ 2019 season

There are 31 teams that aren’t happy with how they fared in 2019, but that’s just the nature of the NFL.

The 2019 season was a tale of two halves for the Atlanta Falcons. After a 1–7 start, the team went 6-2 down the stretch to finish the year with a 7-9 record.

As a whole, the Falcons’ season was a failure. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some bright spots that bode well for the team going forward.

Here are three good things to come out of Atlanta’s frustrating year.

Kicker: Younghoe Koo

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The decision to cut Matt Bryant and sign Younghoe Koo when the team was 1-7 seemed questionable at the time, but Koo was outstanding over the final eight weeks of the season. He went 23-for-26 on field goals, 15-for-16 on extra point attempts and won two NFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards.

Koo also helped the team convert two onside kicks and recovered a fumble in the eight games he played. While the Falcons have yet to commit to Koo as their long-term kicker, it’s certainly his job to lose in 2020 after a strong showing in 2019.

Where Are They Now: A look at the last 5 Bucs coaches

Find out what the last five Bucs head coaches are up to these days.

Bruce Arians enters the 2020 season with perhaps the most talented roster he’s ever had during his coaching career.

The two-time NFL Coach of the Year will have the luxury of having Tom Brady under center leading his offense, and the Bucs now have a legitimate shot of making it to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

That 12-year playoff drought has been a painful won for Tampa Bay fans, and it has seen its fair share of coaches come and go. With that, let’s take a look at the last five Bucs coaches and see what they are up to now.

Touchdown Wire’s final Power Rankings led by Chiefs

Kansas City sits atop Touchdown Wire’s final 2019-20 Power Rankings, but coaching moves spur movement up and down our postseason list.

 

 

Touchdown Wire’s final Power Rankings led by Chiefs

Kansas City sits atop Touchdown Wire’s final 2019-20 Power Rankings, but coaching moves spur movement up and down our postseason list.

When we compiled the last Touchdown Wire Power Rankings of the regular season, we based them strictly on how teams fared in the 2019 season. That’s a tried and true formula and a fair way to judge how a team performed in that season.

Now, we’re going to take a slightly different approach. That’s because there already have been a lot of changes this offseason — coaching changes, changes at the top of the quarterback hierarchy and plenty of speculation about potentially significant player movement when the league year starts in March.

That’s why we’re taking a different approach to our postseason rankings. Yes, what a team did during the season will play heavily, but changes in 2020 also matter.

For example, the Washington Redskins were No. 31 in our rankings at the end of the regular season. But they’re moving up with the arrival of coach Ron Rivera, who will bring a sense of order that was previously lacking.

Now, that the Super Bowl has been played, it’s time for the final Touchdown Wire Power Rankings for the 2019-20 season.

32. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow
Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images

(2-14; Previous rank: 32)

The Bengals were consistently dismal all season, and that’s why they’re holding onto the No. 32 spot. Head coach Zac Taylor is lucky to be returning for a second season, but owner Mike Brown has been unusually patient through the years. Maybe that patience will pay off this time. The Bengals get a great reward for being so bad. They earned the first pick in the draft, and it’s almost universally believed they’ll use it on LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. Burrow might make a big difference right away. But he needs help. The offensive line needs an overhaul, and it’s imperative that the team re-signs receiver A.J. Green, who can make Burrow look good in a hurry.

31. Carolina Panthers

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

(5-11; Previous rank: 26)

We dropped the Panthers to No. 31 because they’ve had so many changes. And none of them are clearly for the better. Owner David Tepper continues to put his stamp on the team, and things are likely to get worse before they get better. Tepper fired coach Ron Rivera late last season. Rivera is highly respected around the league. Tepper replaced him with Matt Rhule, who has a reputation as a program builder on the college level but has never been an NFL head coach. Throw in Luke Kuechly’s surprise retirement and the parting of ways with tight end Greg Olsen, and the roster is worse today than at the end of the season. Plus, there’s no telling what the Panthers will do with injury-plagued quarterback Cam Newton.

30. Detroit Lions

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

(3-12-1; Previous rank: 30)

Head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn held onto their jobs despite a disastrous season. The only reason I can see for that is that owner Martha Ford gave Patricia a pass because he played much of the season without quarterback Matthew Stafford. The veteran Stafford isn’t a world beater, but he puts up stats and keeps the Lions competitive. Stafford’s return will help the Lions, but Patricia and Quinn have to go out and acquire more talent if they’re going to contend for a playoff spot. If they don’t, they’ll be gone.

29. New York Giants

Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

(4-12. Previous rank: 28)

Head coach Pat Shurmur was fired, and that’s not a bad thing. But he was replaced by Joe Judge. That likely prompted many New York fans to say, “Joe Who?” because Judge wasn’t a household name. Judge was the special teams and wide receivers coach for the Patriots. His New England pedigree undoubtedly helped him land the job. But this is a tough gig. Shurmur and predecessor Ben McAdoo failed miserably. Judge doesn’t have a lot to work with besides quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

(6-10. Previous rank: 29)

The Jaguars move up one spot in our rankings — mainly because they kept coach Doug Marrone but got rid of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin. That should take pressure off Marrone, because Coughlin was a control freak and loomed over every move the coach made. Now this truly is Marrone’s team. His first big decision will be whether to start veteran quarterback Nick Foles or second-year pro Gardner Minshew. Neither is a bad choice.

27. Washington Redskins

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

(3-13. Previous rank: 31)

Washington scooped up former Carolina coach Ron Rivera to replace the fired Jay Gruden and interim replacement Bill Callahan. That was the best coaching hire of the postseason. Now, the Redskins have an adult running the show. Rivera, a former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, is known as a players’ coach. That’s only partly true. He also is a no-nonsense coach, who is firmly in control of his team. His specialty is defense, but his first task in Washington will be to find out if the Redskins can win with second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

26. Miami Dolphins

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

(5-11. Previous rank: 27)

Remember all the early talk last year about how the Dolphins were tanking and could go 0-16. That looked like a possibility for a bit. But coach Brian Flores held his team together, and the Dolphins started winning games, including the season finale at New England. They took themselves out of contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. But they still could land their quarterback of the future with the fifth overall pick — perhaps Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert. In the meantime, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will be around to guide the offense until a replacement is deemed ready for action.

25. Los Angeles Chargers

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

(5-11. Previous rank: 25)

Next season will be one of change for the Chargers. They’ll be moving into a new stadium they’ll share with the Rams. More importantly, they should have a new look on the field. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers is almost certainly done after 16 seasons with the franchise. That has fueled wild speculation that New England quarterback Tom Brady could be coming to the Chargers. There’s some logic to this one. Brady has said he’s open to playing for another team. He owns a home in Los Angeles. The Chargers need wins. They also need help at the box office. There might not be a bigger drawing card than Brady. Maybe this is a pipe dream, but it’s not an impossibility.

32-25 / 24-17 / 16-9 / 8-1

Touchdown Wire’s final regular-season NFL Power Rankings

With the postseason scenarios all determined, Touchdown Wire unveils its final NFL Power Rankings of the 2019 regular season.

 

 

Touchdown Wire’s final regular-season NFL Power Rankings

With the postseason scenarios all determined, Touchdown Wire unveils its final NFL Power Rankings of the 2019 regular season.

As the 2019 NFL regular season came to an end Sunday, I thought back to the start of the season and realized that things turned out very differently than I expected.

I also write for Street & Smith’s magazines, and I pulled out a copy of their season preview and reviewed my predictions and the magazine’s collective predictions. Let’s just say I was off by a mile in some cases, and the magazine was right on some and very wrong on others.

For the sake of humility, let’s start with my Super Bowl pick. I had the Rams defeating the Chargers. In reality, neither team made the playoffs. The overall magazine staff picked the Saints to defeat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. That prediction remains in play.

Perhaps my worst pick was selecting Baltimore to finish last in the AFC North. Here’s where the Ravens and the other 31 teams stand in Touchdown Wire’s final regular season Power Rankings.

32. Cincinnati Bengals

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

(2-14. Last week: 32)

The Bengals were predictably bad with a new coach, Zac Taylor, and a roster that doesn’t have much talent. There were no miracles in Cincinnati as the Bengals just kept losing. Does Taylor even get a second season? Probably so. Owner Mike Brown stuck with coach Marvin Lewis through some rough times. Taylor likely will get a bit more time to try to turn things around. The only good news out of this season is that the Bengals will get the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. At the moment, virtually everyone is projecting that to be LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner. Scouts and draftniks say he’s NFL ready. That means he’ll help the Bengals right from the start. But this team needs much more than a change at quarterback to turn things around.

31. Washington Redskins

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

(3-13. Last week: 31)

There are big changes coming in Washington after a hugely disappointing season. Coach Jay Gruden was fired during the season. Team president Bruce Allen reportedly will be stripped of his football operations duties, although he may remain with the team, with his main role being to help the Redskins get a new stadium. That would be a good move. Despite being the son of legendary coach George Allen, Bruce Allen is not a football guy. In his 10 years in Washington, the Redskins won zero playoff games. They need a football guy at the top, and they need a new coach. Owner Dan Snyder is likely to make a splash hire for the coaching job because he needs to revive a frustrated fan base. The only bright spot to this season was rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. He still has a long way to go, but he showed promise at times.

30. Detroit Lions

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

(3-12-1. Last week: 30)

Coach Matt Patricia has had two dismal seasons. But his job is safe. The team already has announced that Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn will return next season. Ownership likely gave Patricia a pass because he was without injured quarterback Matthew Stafford for much of the season. Stafford should be back and healthy next year. But Quinn and Patricia need to bring in more talent on both sides of the ball in the offseason. Owner Martha Ford isn’t going to remain patient forever. Patricia needs to win in 2020 or else he’ll be gone.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

(6-10. Last week: 29)

One of the more disappointing teams in the league, the Jaguars were supposed to bounce back from a rough 2018 season and get back to the form they showed in the 2017 season, when they made it to the AFC Championship Game. Much of the hype came because they signed free-agent quarterback Nick Foles. But Foles got hurt in the season opener, and the Jaguars turned to sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew, who played surprisingly well. Now, the dilemma for next year is whether to start Foles or Minshew. The competition between those two in the preseason probably will be one of the most interesting storylines in the league in the summer. It remains to be seen if coach Doug Marrone will be back after two disappointing seasons. The Jaguars already fired executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin and may decide to have a thorough housecleaning.

28. New York Giants

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

(4-12. Last week: 27)

The Giants have been patient with coaches for most of their history. But that changed when Ben McAdoo was fired after two seasons. Pat Shurmur could follow the same track after two disappointing seasons. But his saving grace could be that he’s got the nucleus of a good young offense in place. Second-year running back Saquon Barkley is one of the best all-around players in the league, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones showed promise. But it’s up to the front office to improve the offensive line and defense. If Shurmur survives, he likely will make some changes to his coaching staff.

27. Miami Dolphins

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

(5-11. Last week: 28)

Although Miami stunned New England with a victory Sunday, this was not a great year for the Dolphins. Early in the season, there was speculation that the Dolphins were losing on purpose to get the No. 1 overall draft pick. There was even talk of an 0-16 season, which seemed quite possible after an 0-7 start. For whatever reason, Miami stayed with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for most of the season instead of going with second-year pro Josh Rosen, who was a first-round pick by Arizona last year. The Dolphins gave Rosen only a brief look, so it’s obvious he’s not their future. Miami still will have the No. 5 overall draft pick. Will the Dolphins’ quarterback of the future be available at that spot?

26. Carolina Panthers

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

(5-11. Last week: 26)

There will be major changes in Carolina this offseason after a disappointing season that ended with an embarrassing loss to New Orleans on Sunday. There will be a coaching change. Ron Rivera was fired during the season and replaced by interim coach Perry Fewell. It’s safe to say Fewell won’t get the permanent job. Owner David Tepper seems poised to hire a big name as he continues to distance the current team from its past. The more intriguing storyline is at quarterback. Cam Newton missed all but two games with a foot injury and was also coming off major shoulder surgery. He may no longer be the long-term answer. Plus, Newton’s contract makes him vulnerable. He’s scheduled to make $21 million next season, but the Panthers could clear $19 million in cap space by trading or cutting Newton.

25. Los Angeles Chargers

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

(5-11. Last week: 25)

Another of the league’s most disappointing teams, the Chargers are likely to have some major changes in the offseason. Head coach Anthony Lynn might be pressured into making changes to his coaching staff. But the bigger change could come at quarterback. Philip Rivers’ contract is up and he doesn’t appear to have much left. The Chargers still have plenty of talent, so don’t expect them to blow up the roster. Drafting a quarterback would set the franchise back. The Chargers might be better off bringing in a free agent such as Teddy Bridgewater. Someone like Bridgewater could fix this team in a hurry.

32-25 | 24-17 | 16-9 | 8-1

Watch: Jeff Ulbrich downplays defensive play-calling changes

Just before the kickoff of Sunday’s game against the Saints, it was reported that Falcons linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich would take over the team’s defensive play-calling duties.

Just before the kickoff of Sunday’s game against the Saints, it was reported that Falcons linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich would take over the team’s defensive play-calling duties.

After holding New Orleans to just nine points, Ulbrich was quickly credited for the team’s defensive turnaround. It was later explained that assistant coach Raheem Morris had called plays on third downs, while Ulbrich called them on first and second downs.

Speaking to the media on Wendesday, Ulbrich downplayed the coaching changes as a key factor in the Falcons’ performance.

Instead, he credited the players and head coach Dan Quinn, which you can watch below in a tweet from ESPN’s Vaughn McClure:

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Raheem Morris, Jeff Ulbrich shared defensive play-calling duties Sunday

It was reported prior to Sunday’s win over the Saints that linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich had taken over the Falcons defensive play-calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn.

It was reported prior to Sunday’s win over the Saints that linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich had taken over the Falcons defensive play-calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn.

Following Atlanta’s 26-9 upset over New Orleans, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported that the team used a unique arrangement on defense:

Ulbrich called plays on first and second downs, while Raheem Morris called them on third downs and in two-minute situations. This led to the Falcons defense playing with a confidence and speed that we haven’t quite seen this season.

New Orleans had dominated the time of possession battle in its first eight games, but went 3-for-12 on third downs in Week 10, which changed the flow of the game.

Brees was sacked six times, and Atlanta’s young secondary held strong — particularly rookie CB Kendall Sheffield. Dan Quinn’s reign as defensive coordinator was a failure, but these changes were extremely effective.

According to Wyche, the Falcons plan to keep this defensive play-calling arrangement for the rest of the year.

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