FLOWERY BRANCH — When the Falcons needed to put out a fire, it was no surprise they turned to cornerback A.J. Terrell.
A former Westlake High School standout, Terrell will have another tough assignment when the Falcons (6-4) face the Broncos (5-5) at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
The assignment will be Denver’s top receiver Courtland Sutton.
“You can’t take (anyone) for granted,” Terrell said. “We have to not beat ourselves early and get on task, quick.”
Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling got open deep and made three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns when the Falcons and Saints met Sept. 29. The Falcons had Terrell shadow him in the second half. Valdes-Scantling, a solid pro receiver, didn’t catch another pass.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris was with the team when they drafted Terrell in 2020.
“Just the maturity level on the field,” Morris said. “He came in as a really mature player. He had a routine already. He came in and jumped right into that deal with Grady (Jarrett) with his morning workouts.”
Morris didn’t have any problem with Terrell the rookie. In his first game as interim coach, he had Terrell shadow Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson.
“He was always a quiet guy who went to work every single day,” Morris said. “I think his maturity level within the (group) and the respect that he had around him was probably the biggest difference coming back with AJ.”
After 2020, Morris went to Rams as their defensive coordinator and helped them win a Super Bowl.
“Obviously, watching from afar I was a big fan,” Morris said. “Whenever you draft somebody you’re always going to cheer for those guys and hope that they do really well.”
Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray has spent the past two seasons with Terrell.
“To me, I think you’ve seen a guy that’s playing with more confidence, not afraid to make a play,” Gray said. “That’s a big difference. When you are afraid to make a play, you’re very cautious. You don’t take any chances. You don’t do those things.”
Terrell has two interceptions this season after a long drought. Part of the reason has been attributed to how much man-to-man defense the Falcons played under defensive coordinators Dean Pees and Ryan Nielsen.
If that ball didn’t come Terrell’s way, he didn’t have any freedom to track down any errant passes.
“You would think, oh, NFL players should be like that,” Gray said. “Well, if that’s what’s ingrained in you day in and day out, but when all of a sudden you see Raheem getting here, ‘Hey, I expect for you to do this. I expect for you to do that’, now you see a guy’s attitude change.”
Morris has empowered Terrell and the other defensive backs to make plays.
Terrell’s next interception will tie his career-high for a season that he set in 2021. In addition to getting to more passes, Terrell has remained a solid tackler. He has 49 tackles and seems to enjoy helping the run defense.
While Terrell is playing with more confidence, Gray doesn’t believe that was necessarily a trait that he was lacking.
“Last year, I felt a guy who, he could cover, he could do the things, but I think he was kind of anxious of, you know, am I going to do anything wrong?” Gray said. “And this year, he’s not worried about doing anything wrong. So, now he just goes out there and he plays his freedom.”
Terrell also has studied more film of opponents.
“So, now you see him in meetings, he’s asking more questions,” Gray said. “He’s asking about this, ‘Hey, are you sure you want to do it like this?’ So, when I was with him last year, he was real quiet. He was real laid-back. He wouldn’t ask a question in front of the group. So, you can see the growth in him asking questions.”
Also, safety Jessie Bates III has helped Terrell.
“So, Jessie kind of took the chances last year, where you see A.J. taking the chances now,” Gray said. “They’re all calculated. They’re all done the right way.”
Bates is a big supporter.
“(Terrell) is one of the reasons why I’m here,” Bates said. “He’s been one of my best friends since I got here. Seeing his confidence continue to grow. ... AJ is starting to understand the whole scheme of the defense. Being able to play off gives him a chance to digest a little bit more rather than being just a press corner.”
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