‘He’s back’: Falcons’ Okudah
makes the most of new start
Jeff Okudah lines up in the left corner of the Atlanta Falcons defensive formation and looks at the hip of Washington’s Pro Bowl Lineman Terry McLaurin. Facing a 3-and-1 in the second quarter, Commanders quarterback Sam Howell had every intention of going to McLaurin — and Okudah knew it.
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McLaurin hits right. Okudah matched and briefly placed his hand on McLaurin’s chest. When McLaurin got the ball back, Okudah did the same – and when McLaurin reached out to catch the ball, Okudah did too. Howell’s pass was incomplete. Okudah celebrated as defensive tackle Grady Jarrett ran toward him. At that time Okudah officially returned
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It was really impressive,” Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said. “The dynamism, the breakthrough… That style of play stands out, it’s like he walks, he drives, he has a confident momentum. I saw that in practice and you’re like, ‘Okay, now let’s keep progressing with that in the game’… “But that game was like, ‘Oh my God, my God, He came back so quickly.’
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Okudah’s reemergence has many layers, the first being his No. 3 status .in the 2020 NFL Draft, but met expectations with the Detroit Lions. Across three injury-plagued seasons, Okudah recorded 124 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defended while playing in 25 total games.
Every time the car rolls off the line, minds immediately turn to a season-ending injury… but Okudah dodged that bullet and is instead scheduled to return at the start of the season. That proved to be true, as the 24-year-old made his Falcons debut in Week 3 – against the Lions at Ford Field. He played just 11 defensive snaps in Atlanta’s 20-6 loss, but the focus was on his soaked feet, a mission certainly accomplished. The following week, Okudah received the nod in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars and saw his snap count increase to 49, or nearly 75% of Atlanta’s total defensive snaps. Over the next two games, Okudah made every play on defense, rebounded quickly and overcame a lack of training camp and preseason action to become an integral part of the ascending secondary. Falcons level. “How quickly he came back from that break and he took seven weeks off and then all of a sudden he was out there, he started, he was making plays,” Nielsen said. “He’s made some plays, his confidence is growing, he’s coming back – you know you have to play
the game – confidence and things like that (to) get them to play in practice.” Jeff Okudah teams up with A.J. Terrell would give the Atlanta Falcons a solid cornerback. Previous Wednesday session. Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Okudah is still in the early stages of his playing year, he is not only having his best professional season but also one of the most impressive campaigns in the league. According to Pro Football Reference, through four games, Okudah has been targeted nine times – and has allowed just three passes for 51 yards and no touchdowns. The midfielder had a passer rating of just 53.5 when throwing towards Okudah. Nielsen said Thursday that he thought this was the best game he had ever seen Okudah play. Atlanta’s first-year defensive coordinator praised assistant head/defensive coach Jerry Gray and secondary coach Steve Jackson for their knowledge of the game as well as teaching the principles and basic techniques. There are constant conversations between Okudah and the duo of Gray and Jackson, a testament to the former Ohio State star’s work ethic and a major reason why Nielsen feels he has taken his game to the next level. higher. “Jeff, he’s a guy who’s willing to work, he’s always trying to improve his communication, he comes to practice early, he leaves late and he’s always trying to get better,” Nielsen said. “That combination is really exciting and I think that’s what you see on the field.” Okudah’s breakthrough comes in a contract year, and his future in Atlanta beyond this season remains uncertain. But that’s a matter for another day. Currently, the focus is on Okudah’s
reappearance; Whether it was his struggles in Detroit or a near-catastrophic injury in his first training camp with the Falcons, adversity is nothing new…and when you look at the big picture about his excellence in high school and college, you don’t see success either. While his career needed direction, Okudah’s move to Atlanta gave him a chance for a fresh start to rebuild his story – and by all accounts, he seemed ready make money next spring. Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS Illustrated is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Copyrighted.
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