The Falcons are revamping their approach in the second half of the season. Since their meltdown in London, Mike Smith has repeatedly stressed the importance of taking each game as it comes. For better or worse, the Falcons are simply taking it one game at a time. That said, they certainly aren't adverse to mixing things up a bit.
We've heard about the modified practice schedule. And then yesterday, the Falcons trotted out six captains before the game, each wearing an embossed "C" denoting their status. The captain status given to these six captains is permanent, and they'll be the captains for the rest of the season. The captains are Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Jonathan Babineaux, Paul Worrilow, Antone Smith, and Eric Weems.
"We felt like it was something that we wanted to do a little bit differently this season," Falcons head coach Mike Smith said Monday. "We wanted to give our players an opportunity to choose who the captains were going to be and, in turn, allow these guys an opportunity to lead through the second half of the season. I think their teammates picked some really strong guys, not only what they're capable of doing on the field, but also in the locker room.
If this is what it takes to win a game, then I'm all for it. For those of you that don't know, this isn't par for the course at Flowery Branch. Normally the Falcons vote on captains at the end of the regular season. But it appears they decided to hand out those patches early. Whether it's a sign of respect or a means to a leadership-related end or both, I have no problem with it. It is interesting that Worrilow was selected as a captain. If anything, it speaks to his role in the locker room, even as a 2nd year player.
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