Tomorrow's Game Isn't Meaningless for Desmond Trufant

Tomorrow's game is the last of this miserable, highly forgettable season. Even before the Falcons were mathematically eliminated, there was talk about tanking for a pick. The Falcons haven't done that, for good reasons that Jeanna Thomas eloquently articulated yesterday. Wanting a good pick isn't in itself unreasonable. But Trufant is taking the game seriously and you should too.

“I just want to finish strong,” Trufant said. “It’s been a rough season for us. I feel like I’ve learned a lot and improve from start to finish. So, I’m just going to try to continue to get better.”

Trufant is fifth on the team with 68 tackles and leads the Falcons with 16 pass break ups. He has two interceptions, but believes he should have at least five more.

Couldn't be prouder. Sure, Thomas Dimitroff has made some questionable draft picks in his tenure as the Falcons GM. But this one? He knocked it out of the park. Trufant has met and exceeded expectations, at a position whose learning curve is notoriously steep.

For Trufant, tomorrow is a chance to cap off a very successful rookie campaign. That's important because it will help establish his role in 2014. It's also a chance to beat the Panthers, and that's something every Falcon has a Vishnu-given right to experience.