Ok, I'm probably going to get blasted and piss people off but here it goes.
Atlanta is a rhythm offense, 3 step drops and 5 step drops, lots of crossing stuff on counts. Three ways to screw this stuff up.
Blitz, I'm not talking send Wagner once in a while, I'm calling bandit package with anyone of them coming from Earl to Kam to Leroy, single or multiples. I'm calling for bandit packages with blitzs, one it's a hard read to make and there are a lot of fast bodies in the middle to deflect and disrupt and to give a lot of looks. Also all of them can come from anywhere and bring pressure. Making Ryan pull the trigger fast or taking away his reads will cause him to take longer to make his throws. With Irvin and a multitude of blitz options this could leave to bad reads and interceptions. We can almost ignore the run and still cover it as a secondary thought as well with assigning gap blitzs.
The second way is to beat up White and Jones from the release, 3 steps and bang or 5 and bang, is how they are used to throwing, then the long 7 step over the top throws. Making Jones and White have to fight to get off the line and then maybe re routing will again throw Ryan off rhythm. That alkong with blitz packages and getting a zero in on Ryans hot reads for bat downs or interceptions. Tony doesnt get the ball down filed anymore 3 to 12 yards is where he works, bodies all over will make those throws harder to make also.
Last way is to have the offense score and cotrol the clock, anything from the defense and special teams is a bonus as well. Making the Falcons play from behind and take chances.
We will need to do everything and take every opportunity to put points on the board. This is the kind of team that if behind can score in seconds and not minutes.
Not having Clemons and trying to do the same ole same o will not work, We have the chance to do stuff with a different look, Bandit package, Irvin and a possible LB as a down guy blitzing Like Peterson used to do. Sending a multitude of DB's from all over shooting gaps on blitzs.
Atlanta does not have a lot of film on the Bandit or possibly a version of it. we simply have not used it much this year.
Anything that can put pressure on that offense and team is a bonus, remeber they are the ones that have never been able to win a playoff game and are the 1 seed, they are suppose to be better, they are at home, they get behind or begin to look like they are not in control only good things can begin to happen for us.