The Falcoholic
In his opening press conference, Ulbrich stresses that experience will make him a better coordinator than he was in 2020.
Jeff Ulbrich met local media for the first time since being hired as the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator, but he likely saw a ton of familiar faces. The longtime Falcons linebackers coach and 2020 interim defensive coordinator was here before, after all, and is taking over a defense that badly needs more talent and better coaching.
Ulbrich did give the defense a lift last time he was here during that ill-fated 2020 season, as that side of the ball did markedly improve over the first five games with him at the helm. But he appears to know there’s some skepticism about the Falcons getting band back together with Ulbrich joining old friend Raheem Morris, the 2020 interim head coach, on this staff.
Ulbrich addressed that by making it clear he’s not the same coach as he was in 2020. Having spent four years with the Jets, part of that as an interim head coach, he (and Morris, who took a long and winding road from Buccaneers head coach to running the Falcons that lasted well over a decade) has grown by doing so. What this means in practical terms is something we’ll have to see—Morris absorbed plenty of criticism this past year for poor tendencies in clock management that also haunted him in Tampa Bay—but it’s something we’re keen to see.
But the most important note probably was Ulbrich’s pledge to have pressuring the quarterback be his “top priority.” The Falcons were comfortably one of the worst pass rushes in the league, and fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake famously addressed that by continually repeating that the Falcons just needed to get better without a clear idea of how to get them there. Morris coaxed some improvement out of the group up front, but Ulbrich will be tasked with doing much more.
None of that is going to happen without more talent, obviously, but Ulbrich will have a voice in who the team brings in to help with that.
And yes, Ulbrich will call plays.
Here’s the press conference video link if you’d like to watch it yourself.
