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Nik Needham – October 21, 2021 Download PDF version

Thursday, October 21, 2021

CB Nik Needham

(How beneficial – obviously we’ve seen CB Byron Jones and CB Xavien Howard back at practice the past two days. How beneficial would it be to get them back especially against a skilled group of receivers on like Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and Falcons WR Calvin Ridley on the other side?) – “It would be great because ‘X’ and Byron are some of the best in the league at what they do. To have that presence and veteran presence back out there would be great. Definitely this week. Like you said, they have some explosive receivers. Just to handle them, that will be good.”

(The way that they move Falcons TE Kyle Pitts around, do you think there’s any chance that you might have to matchup on him?) – “I’m not sure. If it comes up there on the ball and I happen to be in there and we call a man call and Pitts is right there, then I might be on him but there’s no matchup plans for me to be on him. Like I said, we’ll see if it happens in the game.”

(You aren’t a tight end lock down corner?) – “(laughter) I’ve guarded tight ends before. I believe I can guard tight ends and lock them down. If I’m in that position, I’m going to do my best and do that.”

(How do you think you guys held up without CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones last game? You, CB Justin Coleman and CB Noah Igbinoghene?) – “I think we did pretty well, guys stepped up and competed. We’ve just got to go out there and do it again this week with whoever is out there. We don’t know who’s going to be out there but whoever’s out there, we got to go out there and handle business.”

(How would you describe the mood of the players this week?) – “It’s tough being on a five-game losing streak. We’re not about to sit here and just sit here and mope and cry around. I think we’ve been on each other’s ass a little more and just trying to up the tempo and the urgency a little more because we have to do whatever we need to do to get a W this weekend. You can see that in practice today. People were more on each other’s asses trying to make sure everybody gets everything right.”

(You’ve been very transparent about some of your struggles that rookie season when you had the ups and downs. How would you compare that personal, individual adversity, to when your team is struggling right now on a five-game losing streak?) – “I guess you could take the same mindset as a team, see what you did wrong and then work even harder. Even when things are tough, you don’t want to just, ‘Alright, I’m going to just give up.’ You’ve got to do extra work, extra film or whatever you need to do. Get out to practice a little earlier. Because all the little things add up and can help make one big play that you want to make on the weekend. We all do that little stuff and get out there a little earlier, stay a little later after practice and we all take that mindset. I feel like that can benefit the team as well.”

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