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Atlanta Falcons DT Grady Jarrett spoke to the radio crowd Wednesday in an interview with 92.9 The Game, and his comments provoke some good thoughts about the team.
First off, Jarrett talks about the story of 2018: the team relying on inside talent to withstand the barrage of injuries that have hit.
Grady Jarrett was on 92.9:
— The Ghost of Falcons' Pass Rush (@freetrain24) October 31, 2018
"We've got a team that believes in the guys they have invested in... To lose some key starters and.. not panic and bring in somebody huge.. guys have gotten better the more.. they have played... you can see them getting more confident every week."
I’ve got to say: this is telling. Part of what makes Dan Quinn’s locker room so special is the trust the players have in him and the staff. One thing we all didn’t consider enough when all those injuries hit is what it would’ve meant for the team to go out and add a bunch of stopgap options as opposed to relying on the guys who have been busting it in the building.
What message does that send at the end of the day? It might not be one the team wants to instill in the guys who are trying to develop. To Jarrett, the team standing pat in wake of the bang-ups shows that the team was willing to trust its own players.
Whether or not that was accurate from a football standpoint is well within reason to debate, but from a culture standpoint, it looks like Quinn, once again, made the right call. And Jarrett’s right. You can see these guys growing each and every week, even if some of the in-game growth can look a bit painful at times.
Just for funsies, here’s Jarrett on the season ahead and his new teammate Deadrin Senat.
Jarrett on Senat:
— The Ghost of Falcons' Pass Rush (@freetrain24) October 31, 2018
"For him to be handling some guys like he's handling.. is pretty impressive. He's a guy who loves to ask questions and.. he's going to do what he's got to do to continue to get better and make some of them big plays in the backfield."
Jarrett’s quite right to bring up that 2015 team as why anything can happen in the quest for the playoffs, so good on him for taking that attitude.
As for Senat, well, it’s going to be a ton of fun to see these two playing together for the next few years. Senat’s really had a nice rookie season, and Jarrett off all people is well-aware.
So some good insight to mull over from the mean man in the middle himself.