Did you scout Jay Higgins before the draft? If so, what stood out about him?
While we had limited draft picks heading into the draft, we make it a point every year to evaluate every player to at least get a baseline on their performance and how they might fit with our team. With Jay Higgins, we definitely did our homework. We saw a lot of traits that would make him a strong middle linebacker in this league, and particularly for the Falcons, who were looking to add depth to their defense. What stands out about him is his football IQ, his ability to read plays, and his sure tackling. He has a nose for the ball and can be a disruptive force in the middle of the field. His ability to cover ground and react quickly to plays in front of him makes him a good fit for a 4-3 defense. We know he’s going to be a good player for the Falcons, and we’ll be watching to see how he develops for a division rival. It’s always interesting to see how players fit into different systems, and I’m excited to see what he can bring to the table.
That said, we have no regrets with the moves we made. While we didn’t draft a linebacker like Higgins, we were fortunate to pick up Derek Wingo as an undrafted free agent, and we feel he fits exactly what we do here in Tampa. Wingo has all the traits we look for in a linebacker—toughness, leadership, and a high football IQ. His versatility is a major plus, as he can play both inside and outside linebacker, and his ability to cover ground in both the run game and passing game was something that stood out during his time at Florida. His physicality and instincts are what we value most, and we’re confident that he’s going to be a big part of our defense moving forward. Wingo has shown a lot of potential in training camp, and we believe he’s going to make an immediate impact for us. While we may not have drafted Higgins, we’re very excited about the talent we’ve added to our linebacker corps, and Wingo is a key part of that. We’re thrilled to have him on board and have no regrets about bringing him in.
In retrospect, what would you have done differently against the Panthers?
Looking back at our game against the Panthers, it was a solid overall performance, and we stuck to our game plan for the most part. However, there are always areas to clean up. One of the things we’ll focus on is better containing the deep ball, particularly when it came to Travis Hunter. He’s a dynamic player, and he beat us for two long touchdowns, which we can’t let happen. We had coverage lapses at key moments, and he made us pay. We’ll go over those plays and make sure our defensive backs are tighter in those situations. A player like Hunter can change the game in an instant, and we need to do a better job of limiting those explosive plays in the future.
As far as the run game goes, while we did some good things, it wasn’t as robust as we’d like. We could have been more consistent and created more push upfront to control the tempo of the game. Our offensive line did their job, but we need to be able to establish the run more effectively, especially when it counts. Another area where we could improve is getting to the quarterback. While we were able to pressure them at times, we didn’t get as many sacks or disruptive plays as we’d like. It’s something we’ll need to focus on in practice, because when we do get that pressure, it makes everything easier on the back end. Overall, I’m happy with the win, but there are always things we can improve on, and we’ll keep working on those areas each week.
What did you learn about your team’s capabilities from the matchup with the Panthers?
The matchup with the Panthers really gave us a great opportunity to evaluate what this team is capable of when everything is firing on all cylinders. Kurtis Rourke, our rookie quarterback, really showed us something special in this game. To see him put together a performance like that with four passing touchdowns, no interceptions, and even a rushing touchdown on top of that was incredibly impressive. He managed the offense with poise, made the right reads, and showed great decision-making throughout the game. Kurtis didn’t try to do too much, but when his number was called, he delivered. It’s a sign of how much confidence we have in him moving forward – he’s got the tools, and we’re excited about his potential. His ability to keep the offense moving and score at will was a big factor in this win, and it was a great performance from a rookie quarterback in such a critical division game.
Defensively, we really saw what we’re capable of when we’re locked in. We went into this game with a clear focus on forcing turnovers and shutting down their run game, and I’m proud of how our defense executed. We were able to force multiple turnovers, which really changed the momentum of the game. Whether it was getting our hands on passes or stripping the ball out of their hands, we didn’t give the Panthers any easy opportunities to get back into the game. Forcing turnovers is always a key to victory, and we made sure to take advantage of every chance we had to flip the field. Stopping the run was another major part of our game plan. We knew that with a player like Ashton Jeanty in their backfield, we couldn’t afford to let him get going. We made sure to get extra bodies to the ball and didn’t let him break free for any big gains. Our defensive front did an outstanding job of holding the line of scrimmage and stuffing their running game, which took away a big part of their offensive identity.
Overall, this game showed us just how well-rounded we are as a team. Offensively, Kurtis showed he’s more than capable of leading the charge, and our defense proved that we can be disruptive and suffocating. We’ve got playmakers in every phase of the game, and this win was a testament to how we can execute as a unit. We’re continuing to grow and build chemistry, but this game gave us a lot of confidence moving forward. The way we executed the game plan, took control of the game, and finished strong shows that we have the potential to compete with anyone.
