Week 8 - Beating the Panthers, defensive turnaround, rising player performances, impressive offense, and social media fun

Rashaan Evans joins Scott Bair and Tori McElhaney on Falcons in Focus to discuss growing up on a ranch, chasing horses with his brother, why he Dean Pees think the same way and how he chose Alabama despite having a family full of distinguished Auburn alumni.

00:00 - Intro

00:15 - 'Country boy' - loving the outdoors

02:00 - Animal Lover & true country living

04:36 - Chasing horses to become faster

06:27 - Horseback riding 

07:10 - Cordarrelle Patterson & orange overalls

08:54 - Family Rivalries & Legacy 

09:43 - College declaration, a game-time decision

13:33 - How Evans' Mom contributed to success at Alabama

15:04 - Supportive parents & studying Psychology   

18:05 - Dean Pees' coaching  

21:53 - Privilege & joy of playing football 

23:29 - Rapid Fire Questions

Derek, Dave and D.J. discuss the Atlanta Falcons loss to the Carolina Panthers and break down how the Falcons can rebound against the Chicago Bears. They also dive into the talk surrounding the Quarterback position, and what players have been outstanding thus far this season. 

00:00 - Intro

00:27 - Topics

01:24 - ATL vs CAR, what happened?

11:42 - How the Falcons beat the Chicago Bears

21:14 - Standout players or units this season

25:15 - Story time: Jake Matthews is a dad!

Derek, Dave and D.J. discuss the Atlanta Falcons loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and break down how the Falcons can rebound while on the road playing the Carolina Panthers.
 

00:00 - Intro

00:20 - Topics 

00:33 - Must win? Yes or no?

02:11 - Chargers vs Falcons, what happened?

06:56 -Cordarrelle Patterson is back

10:23 - Atlanta Falcons Defense

15:31 - Keys to beating the Panthers

Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen sits down with Scott Bair and Tori McElhaney to discuss life growing up on a Montana cattle ranch, his love for the Big Sky state and his improbable journey going a from a small school to the NFL.

00:00 - Intro

00:24 - Valedictorian speech 

01:35 - Growing up in Montana 

03:31 - Cattle Ranching  

09:10 - Positions you've played

10:41 - Montana Fan base

12:35 - Atlanta, Family & Football

14:51 - Troy Andersen's Pro day

15:44 - Rapid fire questions

Falcons return man, running back and defensive back Avery Williams joins Scott Bair and Tori McElhaney for a candid conversation about life growing up on TV sets, with a mom who was a prominent TV producer and showrunner. He also talks about his time at Boise State, the mentality of a punt returner and what it means to have a "walk-on mentality."

Derek, Dave and D.J. discuss the Atlanta Falcons loss vs the Cincinnati Bengals and break down how the Atlanta Falcons can find success playing the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. 

00:20 Topics

00:40 Good and the Bad

03:25 What happened & how Falcons improve

09:41 Atlanta Falcons Defense 

13:52 Atlanta Falcons Offense 

18:50 How to beat the Carolina Panthers

30:39 Halloween story time

Was the Falcons loss to the Bengals loss bad matchup or something more? Scott, Tori and Ashton discuss what went wrong against Cincinnati, what to make of it and where the Falcons stand in an NFC South division that's completely up for grabs. We also focus on the state of the Atlanta secondary, which operated most of the game without Casey Hayward and A.J. Terrell.

Timecodes:

(00:00:10): Intro, where things went wrong vs. Bengals

(00:04:38): Was loss to Bengals a matchup problem or a sign of bigger issues?

(00:08:35): Impact of A.J. Terrell loss

(00:10:03): Impact of Falcons second quarter flurry and a pivotal, game-changing sequence

(00:14:06): Are there issues with Falcons offensive imbalance?

(00:18:48): What is the Falcons winning formula?

(00:20:46): Where Falcons stand in wide-open NFC South after loss

Falcons rookie OLB Arnold Ebiketie sits down with Scott Bair and Tori McElhaney for the Falcons in Focus podcast to share his story. Ebiketie came to the United States when he was 13 years old. Throughout the podcast, he thinks back to that time, recalling stories of his childhood in Cameroon and how sports helped him connect with people in a new country. Ebiketie (self-proclaimed "Doctor of pass rush")  also discloses Arthur Smith's nickname for him.

0:00 - Intro

00:20 - Doctor of pass rush

01:48 - AK the basketball star

03:27 - Derrick Tangelo friendship

05:30 - Love of singing & recording studio

06:58 - Moving from Cameroon

10:54 - Parents, scholarships & first jobs 

14:00 - Starting as a LB & WR

16:22 - Draft Night experience

17:46 - How has your life changed since you've joined the NFL

20:12 - AK-47 nickname origins

21:20 - Rapid fire questions