NEWS » Marquand Manuel has taught Atlanta’s defense

FLOWERY BRANCH Will Grier Jersey , Ga. (AP) how to do a better job of closing out games in his first season as an NFL coordinator. It took a few weeks for Manuel, a longtime defensive back and assistant coach, to get comfortable calling plays for the Falcons, but the defense has improved noticeably from a year ago. He got the job in February, promoted from secondary coach after the Falcons blew the biggest lead in Super Bowl history – 25 points – to suffer a humiliating loss to New England. In replacing Richard Smith, Manuel has essentially the same personnel from a season ago, but he’s helped Atlanta thanks in large part to greatly reducing potent plays. The Falcons ranked No. 8 in passes allowed of at least 20 yards http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-christian-miller-jersey , up 15 spots from last season. They went from 25th in runs allowed of at least 20 yards to No. 2 this season. Manuel’s challenge this week is to draw up a game plan that will help Atlanta (11-6) come away with an NFC divisional playoff victory at Philadelphia (13-3). It won’t be easy, but he credits the years he spent coaching under Pete Carroll in Seattle and under Dan Quinn in Seattle and Atlanta with building the confidence he needs to succeed in pressure situations. ”Understanding the situations, how to call it, how are you going to respond?” Manuel said Tuesday. ”Are you going to be emotional or are you going to keep everyone poised? Again it goes back to getting the players prepared and also having that experience I have to get the coaches prepared. ”So that has been a blessing within itself and it’s been awesome just to watch the guys go out. We understood that to be road warriors you have to do the small details right, day in and day out.” Quinn knew Manuel was the man for the job and didn’t look outside the building to make the hire. They had worked together for several years in Seattle. Manuel came with Quinn from the Seahawks and spent his first two seasons in Atlanta coaching defensive backs. ”He was waiting patiently for his opportunity at this shot,” Quinn said, ”and he’s certainly taken advantage of it in terms of implementing the style and communication that we like to get across for the defense.” Manuel is still annoyed with how poorly the Falcons played in a Week 10 loss at Philadelphia last season Jordan Scarlett Jersey , giving up 429 yards and allowing the Eagles to hold the ball for 38 minutes in a nine-point loss. ”They hit us in the mouth,” he said. ”So we have to be prepared for that.” He also vividly remembers how ragged the Falcons looked this season against Jay Ajayi, the only running back to rush for 100 yards against Atlanta until the Rams’ Todd Gurley did the same in last week’s playoff win at Los Angeles. Manuel sees this week’s NFC divisional matchup at Philadelphia as a chance to right two wrongs. The Falcons aren’t just looking for payback against the Eagles. They’re also are eager to get another shot at Ajayi, who led Miami to a 20-17 win in Week 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but was traded in late October after Philadelphia lost Darren Sproles to a season-ending injury. Philadelphia has a tough 1-2 punch at running back with Ajayi’s speed and LeGarrette Blount’s inside power game. ”We don’t have a (complicated) defense, but we are very detailed,” Manuel said. ”And the detail of expectations of understanding that they have to make our defense come to life David Montgomery Jersey , and they’re doing an awesome job at it.” NOTES: QB Matt Ryan was not at practice because of a personal matter. He’s expected to return on Wednesday. … WR Julio Jones (ankle) was held out. … RB Devonta Freeman (knee) and WR Mohamed Sanu (knee) were limited. — John Harbaugh will coach the Ravens next year. Unless he won’t.Jay Glazer of FOX reports that multiple teams currently are considering whether to contact the Ravens in an effort to trade, as a practical matter, for the man who has coached the team since 2008.Glazer didn’t identify any specific teams, but PFT consistently has heard that the Dolphins and Broncos are willing to explore a possible deal.So what would the Ravens want? No one has attached a specific price tag yet, but there’s chatter that the Ravens will want a pair of first-round picks. Nearly 16 years ago, Tampa Bay gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks http://www.bearsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-riley-ridley-jersey , and $8 million to get Jon Gruden.Of course, Harbaugh has only one year left on his contract (then again, so did Gruden) — and Peter King has reported that there’s a “real chance” Harbaugh won’t sign a new deal. Which would make him available at no compensation to the Ravens in 2020.Still, if multiple teams want Harbaugh now, the Ravens could leverage one against the other and maximize their haul. If the Ravens are willing to explore the possibility of flipping Harbaugh’s contract for draft picks.Given the intense value that the Ravens have placed on draft picks (no one has mastered the compensatory pick formula and process like the Ravens have), don’t be surprised if they ultimately pounce on a chance to make the team better in the long run by moving on from a guy who currently is committed for only one more year.