ight be larger than realized Column maestro Jeff Schultz rightly points out in his newest piece for The Athletic that Atlanta’s Super Bowl chances will come down to OC Steve Sarkisian’s maturation. Indeed Black John Cominsky Jersey , he’s right. That’s the bread and butter of where this team goes, and as he rises, so will the Falcons.This paragraph caught our eye, though. That feels important. We knew Knapp would be helping in pointing out the coverages, but the way Schultz words this makes it seem like much more of a partnership than a supporting role. If Knapp is doing this now, it must mean this is what Sarkisian was doing by his lonesome last season. We’ve long wondered what Knapp’s addition secretly meant for this offense John Cominsky Atlanta Falcons Jersey , and this clip might reveal what we’ve long speculated. Knapp might be an unsung co-offensive coordinator. Now, it’s important to note Sark will still be calling the actual plays themselves, though how Knapp dictates the defensive looks will influence what Sark feels comfortable in calling up. That’s key. Knapp’s ability to size up a defense looks now to be just as imperative as Sark’s role in drawing up the plays. We don’t want to kick up a fuss and say any of this is brand new intel, though the way Schultz casts a frame on the coaches makes it seem like it’s quite potent for Knapp to be reading these defenses right. It makes you wonder if that was the key issue last year with Sark. He knew the right play to call; he just didn’t know how exactly to match that with what the best defenses were cooking up. The team will now rely on Knapp for this necessary step. That really sounds like he’s got a good bit of sway over where the offense goes this season. He sounds like the starting point to where the play calling winds up. Fact: Jeff Van Note is the real Santa Claus"Falcons alumnus Jeff Van Note had an extraordinary career. And yet, notwithstanding his accomplishments, Van Note isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. What gives?An 11th round pick in the 1969 NFL Draft Cheap John Cominsky Jersey , Van Note played center for the Falcons for parts of three decades (1969-1986). Over 18 seasons, he made the Pro Bowl 6 times (including a three-year stretch when he was 34, 35, and 36 years old) and earned All Pro honors twice. Interestingly Van Note didn’t start out as a center. He played defensive end and running back in college.During Van Note’s first practice with the Falcons, Tommy Nobis famously laid him out. The Falcons drafted him with an eye towards getting him snaps at linebacker, but he apparently didn’t have a future on defense. Cranky McCrankypants Norm Van Brocklin saw something in Van Note Keanu Neal Jersey 2019 , shipping him off to play in a semi-pro, developmental league after one game as a pro. At 6’2, 247 pounds, Van Note didn’t wow you with his size. Even so, he played 246 games for the Falcons during an era that took an incredible physical toll on its players. His durability and longevity were truly remarkable, given that context Black Keanu Neal Jersey , and that has to count for something. Van Note still ranks 6th all-time among NFL OL in games played, one spot behind fellow Falcons legend Mike Kenn. Between 1969 and Van Note’s retirement, the Falcons drafted another 38 offensive linemen, and he outlasted them all. The man started 226 games, 32nd all-time. So why does Van Note deserve to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Because few former NFL greats had the same longevity and fortitude. He’s literally one of the best centers to ever play the game. If he played in a bigger market, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. And that’s a fact.