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The last thing the Atlanta Falcons wanted on Sunday night was to lose Brian Williams to a season-ending knee injury. But Williams landed funny in the fourth quarter of the Falcons 21-14 victory over Chicago and tore his ACL, forcing Williams to be placed on injured reserve, where he'll miss the rest of the season and require reconstructive surgery. Now, the 18th-ranked Atlanta pass defense must find a new cornerback somewhere on their roster."This will be an opportunity for Tye Hill, Chris Owens and Chevis Jackson", said head coach Mike Smith in a press conference Monday. Those three will compete for time in the secondary, playing alongside cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Chris Houston.
Owens and Jackson have been on the roster all season but have seen limited time on the field. Jackson has only four tackles and Owens just three, but both a far ahead of Hill who hasn't played a down yet.
"Tye is a guy that did not go through our OTA's and did not go through training camp.", Smith said. "He was a late addition. There is a learning curve and Tye has been working very diligently to learn our defense. He's going to get an opportunity this week to step in and compete for that corner position."
If the way Erik Coleman is talking is indicative of how the coaching staff feels, Chevis Jackson will see the most extra playing time with Williams out.
"I think Chevis will do a good job with that," Coleman said. "He was our starting nickel last year and I think he'll do a good job."
Coach Smith spoke of the second-year back out of Louisiana State in his press conference saying that he knew Jackson was disappointed with the demotion he received when Williams joined the team. "I think that Chevis accepted it and now he's going to get another opportunity to play and I think he'll make the most of it."
Coleman also said that good communication is the key to Atlanta's defense and that Chevis Jackson knows the system well enough that it will be smooth transition for everyone.
The Falcons have made strides over the last two weeks with their "bend, but don't break" philosophy. They've allowed teams an average of only 12 points against them since their loss in New England and second-year safety Thomas DeCoud was just named Defensive Player of the Week for his two interception performance against the Bears.
As for how Jackson feels he'll perform if he's given the chance to retake the Falcons job of nickel back, "I'll be prepared to go out there and make plays."
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