Atlanta Falcons Hire former OC Greg Knapp as QB coach
Greg Knapp has been hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ new quarterbacks coach. This will be his second stint here as he was the team’s OC from 2004-2006.
The Atlanta Falcons are bringing back a very familiar face to the organization. The team hired former offensive coordinator Greg Knapp as their new quarterbacks coach.
Alex Marvez of SiriusXM said that Sporting News initially reported the hiring. Knapp served as the offensive coordinator from the 2004-2006 seasons and assisted in working on the development of Michael Vick as the quarterback in Atlanta. He also worked with Matt Shaub who was in Atlanta from 2004-2006 and is now currently backing up Matt Ryan.
Knapp previously served as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach for three seasons from 2013-2016. His experience at this position dates back to 1998 when he was the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 1998-2000. He also served as the quarterbacks coach for the Houston Texans from 2010-2011 — he was also with Schaub during that tenure.
More from Blogging Dirty
- PFF has the Atlanta Falcons landing these three top 50 free agents
- 3 Things Atlanta Falcons fans learned from Terry Fontenot at combine presser
- Building the Atlanta Falcons all-time depth chart: Special teams
- Atlanta Falcons: Countdown to the start of 2023 free agency
- Atlanta Falcons: Three players who were overused in 2022
Knapp will be questioned for not being in the NFL last season but his credentials date back to his first hire in the NFL as he arrived as the offensive quality control coach for the 49ers in 1997.
He will also have the task of limiting some of the mistakes that Ryan committed in 2017 such as forcing passes and tipped balls that led to interceptions. Adjustments may also be made by Knapp for Ryan in regards to throwing the deep ball.
Often a focal point of what made the Falcons’ 2016 offense so dangerous deteriorated as Ryan couldn’t connect with his favorite targets such as Mohamed Sanu and Julio Jones on various occasions on passes of 35 yards or more.
While offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will play a huge role in his second season in Atlanta in regards to Ryan seeking to returning to MVP form, Knapp could also bring that same improvement.
Next: Matt Ryan extension priority No. 1
Matt Ryan only threw 20 touchdowns in 2017 while adding 12 interceptions so Knapp working on aspects such as utilizing different receivers and avoiding throwing into double coverage could very well help the Falcons’ offense revert to their dominant 2016 ways.