There's also a huge difference between calling out your Franchise QB that everyone knows is the franchise and there's zero doubts (outside of some here) that he's our guy and calling out a struggling year 2 mid round pick center.

Also, as a coach, you think about what motivation a player responds to better. Some (like Trevor) respond well to be called out directly, others (possibly Fortner) respond better to positive re-enforcement and openly criticizing them can make the problem worse. It's the nuance of coaching and knowing your players.

Completely this agree with this. And more so calling out a player that has had 7 or so years in the spotlight vs someone with none.

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Shefty says on McAfee they hired Ryan Nielsen

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Damn that Ryan looks like he’s had too many

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https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status...85886?s=20

Looks like I gotta do a deep dive into the ATL defense.

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Yeah what’s his scheme?

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https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/...91461?s=20

He apparently plays a ton of man coverage.

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https://twitter.com/_John_Shipley/status...34956?s=20

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I really like the way he improved that Falcons D

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He was on the shortlist of the guys I wanted. Very happy. Before everyone complains about our corners only being zone guys I believe they are both good enough and talented enough to play man. No CB spent their whole life learning zone schemes and never lined up against the man across from them. He made chicken salad out of chicken [BLEEP] in Atlanta and our defense has a lot more talent IMO.

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https://twitter.com/camjordan94/status/1...61600?s=20

From Cam Jordan when Nielsen was hired as the Falcons DC.

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Is he a 43 or 34 guy?

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An article from SI.com during the 2023 season about the turn around on Defense for the Falcons and Nielsen's impact:



https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atla...an-nielsen





An excerpt:

Nielsen's presence is important here, too; he's provided controlled chaos with blitz packages, receiving quarterback hits from a variety of sources, including safeties Jessie Bates III, Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams and linebackers Kaden Elliss and Nate Landman.

TThe nuanced stunts and deceiving pre-snap looks have resulted in quarterbacks holding onto the ball for longer periods of time - and unlike years past, Atlanta's defensive front is making them pay.

And suddenly, the Falcons' pass rush has gone from heavy burden to game-changing presence, transcending the defense's entire identity along with it.

J

another:

Just consider the similarities and differences in a two-week timespan, from Week 5 to Week 7, starting with Stroud.

“They were loading the box and making it really hard for us to run the ball," Stroud said. "They were in a 6-1 frame with a crowded line scrimmage and the linebacker roaming around, shooting gaps. They were playing quarters with two high shells. So, it’s hard to take shots in that look.
"They dropped both safeties, ran somebody through the middle ... To win that coverage is tough."

Against Tampa Bay, the Falcons resorted to a lighter box while trusting their defensive front to stop the run, which it did. On the perimeter, Atlanta let its corners play press and allowed Terrell and Okudah to play one-on-one against Buccaneers star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Mayfield connected on a 40-yard touchdown to Evans in the first half, and Nielsen adjusted - which Evans was quick to point out postgame.
“They started going more two-high shell in the second half, which was smart," Evans said. "They gave us man-to-man opportunities. They have some good corners, so they played man throughout the game. More two-high and Cover 2 in the second half but they still played man. We just didn’t get to them.”
The Buccaneers weren't the first team to not get to the Falcons' defense. No team has scored more than 24 points against Atlanta this year. Only one team - the Detroit Lions - has totaled more than 330 total yards of offense.

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Yeah what’s his scheme?

Pyramid

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After reading he is a 4-3 guy.

He converted Atlanta from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in one season. I would love to see Walker with his hand on the ground pushing the interior pocket

https://www.footballguys.com/article/202...ta-falcons

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base 4-3 or 3-4?

I wouldn't get too caught up in 4-3 vs 3-4.

The big selling point is that he seems to do wonders with the DL. Jags have a lot invested in the DLine and they need someone to take them to the next level.

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base 4-3 or 3-4?

I wouldn't get too caught up in 4-3 vs 3-4.

The big selling point is that he seems to do wonders with the DL. Jags have a lot invested in the DLine and they need someone to take them to the next level.

He seems to like the 4-3. I do get that teams play more 2 lb downs these days.

https://www.footballguys.com/article/202...ta-falcons

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After reading he is a 4-3 guy.

He converted Atlanta from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in one season. I would love to see Walker with his hand on the ground pushing the interior pocket

https://www.footballguys.com/article/202...ta-falcons

Walker would be a beast 3 tech imo.

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Some Quotes from this ESPN article on his hire for the Falcons:https://www.espn.com/blog/atlanta-falcon...-look-like

In understanding how Smith and Atlanta landed on Nielsen to be their next defensive coordinator, it begins with the same buzzwords a lot of coaches say and Smith pushes to believe: aggressiveness, toughness, being physical.

“Those are all of the things that I believe in coming up through all of the places I’ve been,” Nielsen said. “You just take a little bit out of every place and every coach that you’ve been around, and you try to take the best of that and marry it into your philosophies.”

At every place he has worked in his career, Nielsen has worked with the defensive line, from the lower levels of college football to the New Orleans Saints beginning in 2017. And he has had experience helping create a pass rush -- the area the Falcons have struggled with the most after 39 total sacks between the past two seasons.

“What he’s going to do is actually bring a pass rush,” Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan said on ESPN Radio's "Canty & Carlin." “Now he’s going to bring in some pass-rushers, and if not, he knows how to cultivate them. One of the best teachers of the defensive line that I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Stop the run, and stop it in a light box, which is impressive if you don’t need to allocate resources to stop the run, if you can do that then you are playing pretty good run defense,” Nielsen said. “Attack, in everything that we’re going to do, we’re going to attack, and that’s in all phases of the defense, attack at every position.”

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He looks like Bradley Cooper drank a six pack.

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I would not be mad to see a 43.
Keeps us from dropping our 2 best rushers into coverage.
Man coverage will be tricky to sell considering it isn't a strong suit of Campbell or DWill from what I've heard and see statistically

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Foxsports 2023 defensive rankings:

https://www.foxsports.com/articles/nfl/2...rush-stats

Really digging the red zone and third down rankings for the Falcons Defense.

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