Falcons’ staffing shake-up continues
Manuel promoted to defensive coordinator, Young hired as defensive line coach
>> ATLANTA: The Atlanta Falcons on Friday continued the dramatic remaking of their coaching staff following their Super Bowl collapse by promoting Marquand Manuel to defensive coordinator.
The Falcons also hired Bryant Young as defensive line coach and two assistants received new titles. Raheem Morris was named wide receivers/ passing game coordinator and assistant head coach, while Doug Mallory was promoted to defensive backs coach.
On Wednesday, the team said coach Dan Quinn had dismissed coordinator Richard Smith and defensive line coach Bryan Cox.
With offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kyle Shanahan leaving to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, the team has two new coordinators. Steve Sarkisian was hired from Alabama to replace Shanahan.
Manuel had been the team’s secondary coach. He also coached with Quinn in Seattle when Quinn was the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator.
Manuel interviewed for the defensive coordinator post in Jacksonville last season.
The Falcons also considered linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich and defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson to replace Smith.
The overhaul of the defensive staff came after the Falcons squandered a 28-3 lead over New England in the third quarter of the Super Bowl. The Patriots scored 31 consecutive points for a 34-28 win in the Super Bowl’s biggest comeback.
Before the Super Bowl capitulation, there had been much improvement by the defence which started four rookies and four second-year players. Manuel will inherit a defence that features NFL sacks leader Vic Beasley improved speed, especially with 2016 rookie starters Keanu Neal and Deion Jones.
Meanwhile, Patriots running back James White, who scored the titlewinning touchdown in last Sunday’s Super Bowl, has a new truck for his effort thanks to television show host Conan O’Brien.
The surprise move came Thursday on the Turner Broadcasting show and stemmed from comments by Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Tom Brady after his team’s 34-28 victory over Atlanta in Houston.
Brady, the first quarterback to win five Super Bowl crowns, had given away the truck he received as MVP from Super Bowl 49 two years ago to cornerback Malcolm Butler, who made a late game-saving interception to hold off Seattle.
Brady said after Sunday’s victory in Super Bowl 51 that White was deserving of such an honour, but Super Bowl MVPs no longer receive a truck, so Brady had nothing to bestow upon the talented 25-year-old rusher.
Enter O’Brien, a New England native, who invited White on his TV show and shocked him by presenting him a Ford F-150 as audience members roared with approval.
White scored three touchdowns and made a two-point conversion for a record 20 points in the Super Bowl, capping the eight-play, 75-yard overtime drive to victory with a two-yard touchdown run.
“James White, he is just everything you want in a teammate,” Brady said. “We kept going to him. That speaks for itself.”
In all, White carried six times for 28 yards and two touchdowns and made a Super Bowl-record 14 catches from Brady for 110 yards and a touchdown.
“I wouldn’t get 14 catches if he wasn’t throwing me the ball,” White told O’Brien. “He’s more than well deserving of that award. He’s our leader. He’s the reason we fought back into that game.”
White, a fourth-round 2014 NFL Draft pick, is still working off a deal signed as a rookie that will pay him only US$690,000 next season.