Falcons DBs 'D*** Good Group,' Says Arthur Smith

The Atlanta Falcons secondary looks to improve from a subpar season, but they have confidence from Arthur Smith.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 31, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons secondary will look a little different this season than it did a year ago.

After signing Jessie Bates III and trading for Jeff Okudah, the Falcons are expected to be better in this area of the field than they were last season, and coach Arthur Smith is very excited for what's to come.

"And having Jessie [Bates] back there and [Jaylinn] Hawkins and Micah [Abernathy], we’ll see with those other guys back there competing like [DeMarcco] Hellams and [Cliff] Chattman," Smith said. "It’s a damn good group. I think they’re very well coached. I think you can feel Jerry Gray and Steve Jackson’s impact back there along with Jessie and it’s a fun group to be around and to coach."

The Falcons recorded just 10 interceptions last season, good for 24th in the NFL last season. There's more to good secondary play than interceptions, but having playmakers at cornerback and safety is important if a team wants to succeed.

Atlanta's secondary has also struggled from a lack of pressure in the front seven, but with improvements in that part of the field and a new defensive coordinator in Ryan Nielsen, who specializes in working with defensive linemen, the back part of the unit could have some help in proving why it is a "damn good group."

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Published Jul 31, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.