Why Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Has 'So Much Respect' For CB Isaiah Oliver

The Atlanta Falcons received a significant boost to their secondary when nickel cornerback Isaiah Oliver returned to the field Sunday. After a difficult rehabilitation process, Oliver's presence was felt immediately, and he impressed coach Arthur Smith along the way.

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver entered the league in 2018 with high expectations.

After all, the Falcons spent a second-round draft pick on Oliver - and the early returns were positive, as he started two games for a beat-up Atlanta defense, finishing with seven passes defended and an interception.

Over the next two years, Oliver played in all 32 games, drawing 28 starts primarily at outside cornerback. The results were much less pretty than anticipated, as opposing defenses targeted him at will and found a great deal of success.

And then, the flip switched - in large part due to then-interim coach and now Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris moving Oliver to nickel corner.

Once inside, Oliver took off, finishing the 2020 season strong and starting 2021 - a contract year - in similar fashion. Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees compared Oliver to Logan Ryan, who shined under Pees for two years with the Tennessee Titans.

Through three games playing for Pees, Oliver had nine tackles, three passes defended, one forced fumble and a quarterback hit. He was making an impact in both man and zone coverage and was an effective blitzer.

In Week 4, Oliver already had a pair of tackles under his belt - and then went to the turf in a heap. A few days later, Oliver underwent surgery on his knee and missed the remainder of the season.

The former Colorado Buffalo signed a one-year contract to stay in Atlanta and spent much of the offseason rehabbing, not returning to the field until the start of training camp in late July. While his activity ramped up, Oliver simply wasn't ready to play when the Falcons kicked off the regular season on Sept. 11.

As a result, he spent the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve. Atlanta designated Oliver to return in the week leading up to its Week 5 road contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but ultimately opted to delay the 26-year-old's season debut another week.

That set the stage for Oliver to return at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the same place he suffered his heartbreaking injury while playing the best football of his career at the most crucial time.

Fresh off the shelf, Oliver played exactly half of Atlanta's defensive snaps, and made the most of it, recording three tackles and an interception - a sweet memento of his year-plus rehab.

For Oliver to jump right back on the field and have success speaks volumes as to the work he put in during the offseason, something that endeared him to Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who heaped praise on the quality of person - and player - Oliver is.

"Isaiah's somebody that I've got so much respect for," Smith said. "All of these guys work, but there would be nights you'd see Zay here, rehabbing, and it wasn't to be seen; he was in here all the damn time. And he's such a smart, instinctive player. It's hard not to have a soft spot for him, especially coming off that (injury)."

After allowing two touchdowns in a five-play span to start the second quarter, the Falcons defense held San Francisco 49ers offense scoreless for the final 37 minutes of Sunday's game en route to a 28-14 Atlanta victory.

Oliver's interception closed the first half in style and put to bed any thoughts San Francisco had of chipping into its deficit before the break. Despite the layoff, Oliver rose to the occasion when his number was called - and Smith enjoyed watching it unfold.

"It was good to have him back out there - he made an impact," said Smith. "You feel him, he's a very smart football player, he got that interception before the half. Glad to have him back."

Oliver's return wasn't all positive, however. Late in the fourth quarter, he went down to one knee and required on-field attention from the trainers. Despite walking off under his own power, Oliver failed to re-enter the game.

After his strenuous journey back to get back on the field, seeing Oliver down provided a "hold your breath" moment. Fortunately, Smith believes that the 6-0, 210-pounder will be just fine moving forward.

"It's a football game," Smith began. "I think he'll be alright."

While he's still working back into the flow of things, Oliver created a solid baseline to build from moving forward and looked close to his old self.

Ultimately, Oliver saw his hard work during the rehabilitation process be rewarded in a big way on Sunday - and perhaps nobody was happier to see it than his head coach.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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