How Ryan Nielsen, Jerry Gray Will Collaborate on Falcons' Defensive Play Calls
When Dean Pees announced his retirement and left a vacancy at defensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith submitted a number of interview requests - and ended up getting two of them on staff in Ryan Nielsen and Jerry Gray.
Nielsen received the official title as defensive coordinator, receiving a promotion from his role as co-defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints, while Gray was named the assistant head coach/defense with a particular focus in the secondary.
But Smith is trying to build a coaching staff predicated on collaboration, with a variety of ideas flowing in and helping solve problems. This is especially important for Nielsen, who will be a first-time NFL play caller with a lot of new tools at his disposal after a productive offseason of additions.
And so, who better to have alongside him than Gray?
Set to enter his 27th season as a coach at the sport's highest level, Gray brings eight years of experience as a defensive coordinator and understands the intricacies of calling plays, be it related to breaking trends or giving new looks.
Smith noted that Nielsen will push the button and deliver the play call, but he likened the complex to a NASCAR pit crew, where Gray will serve as the spotter to help with the logistics of everything.
Most importantly, neither Gray nor Nielsen have an ego, making their working relationship strong ... and they're working towards a unified goal of elevating Atlanta's defense to a new level.
"I’m going to be saying, ‘Hey, look. What do you think about this? What do you think about that? Just a thought,’" Gray said. "Because sometimes you can get kind of stuck in your head and get in a rhythm of calling these plays and forgetting that the other team is scouting you also.
"So, I’m going to be that guy that’s kind of like the little thing on his shoulder like, ‘Hey, now we’ve ran this more than that, so what about this? So, change up here.’"
In Gray's words, the pointers he can provide through his experience-laden lens will only help Nielsen call a more complete game, essentially spreading knowledge of operations while the game unfolds.
It's another key learning element for Nielsen, who's drawn endless praise for his energy, competitiveness and natural coaching talent from a variety of sources this offseason.
Smith pointed out the natural step to becoming a head coach involves a stop as a play-calling coordinator, and with Nielsen's strong intangibles, he may have a chance to ascend to such a position in due time.
The process is something Smith is quite familiar with, having gone from Tennessee Titans tight ends coach to offensive coordinator being taking over in Atlanta. He knows what it takes ... and so far, he likes what Nielsen has shown.
"The logistics of calling defense is a little bit different than offense, but you’re looking at emotional intelligence," Smith said. "Can you keep your composure on gameday? I’ve seen some crazy or heard some crazy things on a headset. You try to keep command and keep it cool under pressure. Ryan’s done a good job of that."
Smith added that it's his job to win enough games so that other coaches on his staff are poached for bigger roles elsewhere, helping them realize their own goals.
But for now, all eyes in Atlanta are focused on accomplishing team milestones. Nielsen's intent on calling his first regular season game, continuing a strong showing from the preseason in which his unit impressed with its physicality and tenacity.
And if all goes right - starting with the transference of offseason work into live action - the primary hope is that the collaborative process of Nielsen and Gray won't end up making much of a difference come Sundays.
"We want our guys to go out there and play fast, play together and communicate," Gray said. "That’s the biggest thing that Ryan preaches a lot. When the guys understand how they’re playing and they take ownership of the defense, then the defense will work on its own.
"They don’t have to sit there and wait for Jerry and Ryan to give them anything.”
In a sense, the relationship between Nielsen and Gray is a microcosm of the Falcons' entire roster - a talented but inexperienced individual prompted into a big role with a veteran presence serving next to him as a guiding light.
Atlanta entered last season with the second youngest roster in the NFL, and currently sits as the fourth youngest heading into this year ... but with the addition of several proven leaders, be it elder statesmen in defensive linemen Calais Campbell, David Onyemata and Bud Dupree or mid-tier veterans in linebacker Kaden Elliss and safety Jessie Bates III, the Falcons believe they have the right blend of youth and mentorship.
And it just so happens that characterization extends to the coaching staff, with Nielsen's much anticipated debut poised to have Gray's imprint all over it.
How much potential does the pairing have? Only time will tell - but on paper, the upside appears quite promising ... and Sunday's 1 p.m. kickoff against the Carolina Panthers inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium could prove to be the start of a fruitful relationship from both an individual and team perspective.
