Only this college football Saturday stands between us and the return of Atlanta Falcons football this Sunday. Folks, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
My day job responsibilities are too demanding for me to cover the Falcons in person every day there’s media availability, and Thursday’s generally the day I have the fewest meetings, so it’s easier for me to get up to Flowery Branch. One opportunity that affords me is the chance to check the vibes each week. And my friends, the vibes in Flowery Branch are quite
good.
I’ve been credentialed with the Falcons for about a decade now, so I’ve had a lot of opportunities to observe the vibes in good times and bad. Remember how magical it was to open the season with five straight wins in Dan Quinn’s first season as head coach? The vibes were impeccable. Remember that six-game losing skid that followed that five-game winning streak? The vibes were extremely not good. You get the idea.
Here’s a vibe check on the defense, offense, and special teams heading into Week 1.
Jeff Ulbrich’s got my attention
Media members keep asking players and coaches during minicamp and training camp what’s different about this team this season. I do think bringing back Jeff Ulbrich has injected a lot of energy on the defensive side of the ball. Players really respect him and trust his judgment, and they’ve bought into his aggressive philosophy of “heart, mind, fist.”
“You’ve got someone who’s played in the league at a high level for 10 years, so it’s a little different when you’ve got somebody that’s been in your seat,” Jessie Bates III, arguably the best safety in the NFL, said on Thursday. “I think the teaching is a little bit different with Brich and just his presence, man — that’s one thing I’ve been really impressed with, is the person that he is and the way that he’s explaining our style of play. He lives by it. That’s what he does day by day.”
As far as that “heart, mind, fist” mantra of Ulbrich’s, Bates pointed to the Jets defensive success under Ulbrich’s leadership.
“They embraced it so much, so it’s a reason why they were top 5 defense over there for the last, what, three years?” Bates said. “I really think that he emphasizes the connection, and playing for one another is way more deep than any type of scheme, any type of coverage. I think that’s what really separates good defenses and great defenses, when you’re able to make it your own.”
Another unknown heading into Sunday is what to expect from Atlanta’s rookie starters on defense. But Ulbrich’s looking forward to it.
“It’s exciting. Yeah, it’s exciting for for them. It’s exciting for the guys that are also going to play,” Ulbrich said.
With the team’s plans for rotation, there will be less pressure on rookies, and more opportunities to coach them up on the sideline.
“What you guys will find is, we do such a heavy rotation,” Ulbrich said. “I spoke about the defensive line, but we’ll even rotate in our secondary. So although the rookies are going to play a substantial amount, if the package they’re on is the first package we throw out there that they will get the start, everybody’s going to play on Sunday. You’re going to have an opportunity.”
This offense has enough talent to make some noise this season
Offensively, yeah, the Falcons are starting a quarterback with very little pro experience, but it’s not like the man wasn’t playing at a very high level for a big-time college program before the Falcons drafted him. Health is always the biggest variable in the NFL, but if heaven forbid something happens to Penix, the Falcons have the most expensive and arguably the best backup quarterback in the league right now in Kirk Cousins.
Bijan Robinson is otherworldly. Drake London is legit. Darnell Mooney might be able to play. (He’s listed as questionable for Sunday.) Kyle Pitts has so damn much potential. Jake Matthews is one of the best tackles in the league, and Chris Lindstrom is one of the league’s best guards.
The offensive line is still a concern for me, because without stability there the entire offense is in question. But Bijan Robinson is ready to roll with Elijah Wilkinson at right tackle. I guarantee he knows better than I do.
Falcons players don’t HAVE to play on special teams. They GET to play on special teams.
The third phase of the game isn’t talked about as often as the offense or the defense when we’re discussing wins and losses. But it deeply matters, and the Falcons plan to put the best guys on the field on teams, no matter what their role is otherwise.
Players see that as a privilege, according to special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
“Raheem talks about on all three phases, what it takes. He says, whatever it takes when you talk about our rosters, whatever it takes for us to go out there, put the best 48 on the field and win games,” Williams said Thursday. “So there’s gonna be guys that play on offense and defense, that play significant reps on offense and defense, but they still play on special teams, and our guys do a great job of understanding that it’s a privilege to play on teams.
“They don’t have to play on special teams. They get to play on special teams, and they know that that phase at that particular down is the most important down to help us win games, and has happened throughout my career here with the Falcons. It’s a big testament to our players and our coaching staff putting that together.”
Experience on teams makes them more well-rounded players.
“I want what’s best for our players, and whatever it is, whether they’re playing 50 to 60 reps on offense or defense, or they’re playing 30 reps on special teams, I want those guys to not only represent the Falcons, but represent their last name and make their teammates, their family, their loved ones, everybody proud — themselves proud.”
I want to believe in the 2025 Atlanta Falcons, and the players and coaching staff’s enthusiasm has been pretty contagious. That said, I realize that everyone’s enthusiastic about their team this time of year. Everyone (well, everyone but the Cowboys as I write this, and whoever loses Chiefs vs. Chargers in Brazil). None of the talk or the enthusiasm or the vibes matter if the Falcons can’t put it together on the field.
And vibes alone don’t guarantee a trip to the playoffs or even for the team to meet expectations this year. But I am saying that every player and coach in the building is bursting with confidence, and that — in addition to a smart game plan and game management, and consistent and disciplined execution on the field, can absolutely make a difference in the on-field performance.
Here’s hoping it does. A division win to start the season would be a lot of fun.
