The Atlanta Falcons legend discusses their struggles this season, his alma mater LSU and the biggest stories in the NFL.
Former Atlanta Falcons center Todd McClure says he is disappointed with his former team’s season so far, and is now questioning whether Michael Penix Jr. is the answer at quarterback.
The Falcons are currently 3-8 ahead of a game against their fiercest rivals, the New Orleans Saints, and they are now outsiders in the NFL betting to make the playoffs.
In our exclusive interview, McClure discusses where it has gone wrong for Atlanta and his college alma mater, LSU, and also shares his thoughts on some of the NFL’s biggest stories.
What have you made of the Atlanta Falcons so far this season?
With how last season ended with Michael Penix Jr. coming in towards the end, and playing well, it created some hype for this season. There were hopes that they were going to have some success.
Last year, they struggled with the pass rush and getting to the quarterback, so they even addressed that by getting in guys like Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Now they have a defense that’s playing fast.
But the season has been disappointing.
The offense has been a little incompetent. The scheme, playcalling and timing have not been the best. Now, your starting quarterback in Penix is out with a serious knee injury.
You’re sitting here with three wins as you get ready to face the New Orleans Saints. It’s just not what the fans or anybody in that building expected.
With a postseason appearance looking unlikely, what should the Falcons’ goals be for the rest of the season?
I’ve been in seasons like this where it was pretty bad. One of those was when Bobby Petrino was the head coach. I know the game has changed a little bit, but as professionals, you’re still playing to get paid.
If you’re a professional who is trying to prove something or you’re looking for a new contract, you go out and try to play your best.
Kirk Cousins will be taking over at quarterback, and he’s a great example of this. He still has some things he wants to prove. He wants to prove he’s not the player that people saw him as last year when he was coming off that Achilles injury.
So, the Falcons players still have a lot to play for.
Regardless of whether we were winning or losing, I always played for my team and my pride.
The Falcons still have guys that can get it done too, especially up front. They’ve got some really good guys on the offensive line in Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom, who is a perennial All-Pro.
So, they’ve got the right leaders. I think they’ll keep competing.
They’ve lost several games this year late or in overtime, so it’s not like they’ve been completely out of games. But that’s the NFL. You have to win those close games, and if you don’t, it’s going to be a long season.
When healthy, has Penix Jr. shown signs of being a franchise quarterback?
After watching his short body of work so far in the NFL, I do question a little bit whether he can be a franchise quarterback.
His arm is extremely strong, but I’m unsure about his pocket presence. This is where he has a hard time.
It might be an unfair comparison, but when you watch some great quarterbacks like Tom Brady, they weren’t the most fleet of foot, but they can step up three inches, avoid that pass rush and make plays down the field. As of now, Penix Jr. hasn’t shown this enough.
In the draft process, we heard about how athletic he was and his ability to move, but that’s not the quarterback we’ve seen so far. I played with Michael Vick, and he was a quarterback who could really get out of the pocket and move.
Penix Jr. hasn’t been extremely accurate, and he’s had a hard time moving in the pocket.
If you ask me right now, and I hate to say it, but I don’t think he’s the long-term guy for the Falcons.
I hope he proves me wrong.
What are your thoughts on Raheem Morris’ position as head coach of the Falcons?
The kitchen is getting hot over there.
I love Raheem. I love the way he coaches his team, but this league is about production. On the offensive side especially, the coordinator and scheme have struggled this year.
I’m sure Mr. (Arthur) Blank is going to get antsy. They got a taste of the Super Bowl a few years back with Matt Ryan, but Mr. Blank is getting older now. He’d love to see them get back to the Super Bowl and win it.
So, I would say there is a lot of heat in that kitchen right now.
What have you made of Drake London’s performances this season?
I think he is showing he is one of the elite receivers in the NFL.
When they drafted him, I thought they needed more of a guy who can go take the top off of coverages. He’s not a player that’s going to do that, and the Falcons are still missing that type of player on offense.
But with Drake, he’s a big body, and you know he’s not going to have many drops. If you can get the ball in his area, he’s going to catch it. He’s going to get open, and he’s going to use his body like a power forward in the NBA.
It’s hard to compare people to GOATs like Larry Fitzgerald or players that have been doing it for years like Mike Evans, but London reminds me of them. That’s the type of receiver he is.
I like the body of work Drake London has put out there so far in his career.
What do you think of the current state of LSU football following the firing of Brian Kelly earlier in the season?
It has been a dumpster fire recently. They’ve been embarrassed by teams like Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Alabama.
This is a proud program.
They were paying Kelly a lot of money. I’ve talked to some people close to the program who said they weren’t doing any type of work on inside runs or 9-on-7 drills. They haven’t been able to run the football in the past two or three years. This is despite having guys on the offense who have been high draft picks like Will Campbell.
So, to not have the ability to run the football when you have players who went on to become high draft picks, that shows me the problems are in the weight room and the styles of practices being held.
A lot of people say Coach Kelly was getting his check, but he wasn’t fully committed to LSU. He was playing golf a lot.
If you can get the LSU fans onside and win ball games, they’re going to get behind you. But if they feel like you’re not giving them everything you have, they’ll turn on you.
His seat got too hot, and the people signing the checks weren’t happy. They made the move to fire him, and now it looks like they want to move for Lane Kiffin. I’m hoping he will be the right guy for the program.
If Lane Kiffin were to become the new LSU head coach, what would he bring to the program?
One of the things LSU hasn’t had in several years is an offensive mind in charge.
They had Les Miles, but he was an offensive lineman whose mentality was to line up 11 guys in the tackle box and smash the opposition down.
What I love about Lane is that he’s innovative. He knows how to attack the weaknesses of a defense. I love his energy too, including his trolling of everybody on the internet.
It won’t be boring, and we need that right now because it’s been boring for the past three or four years.
He’d be great at LSU because even though it’s slightly different now with NIL, we have great athletes in Louisiana. We have a ton. For example, look at the history of receivers who have come out of LSU. If you put the right guy at the helm, he could be very successful here. I love his offensive mind and his passion.
I don’t know what Kiffin would decide to do with the defensive side, but I like Blake Baker and what he’s done with that defense.
If Kiffin wants to be great, he’ll come to LSU. He’s always looked up to Nick Saban and similar coaches, so he’ll want to make his own mark at a program like LSU.
He’s made comments about Ole Miss fans not showing up or making noise. If he wins at Tiger Stadium with LSU, his only worry would be traffic after the game because it would be packed.
I’m hoping he wants a new challenge and is willing to take the LSU job.
An ex-LSU player in Will Campbell is having a successful rookie year in New England. What have you made of Campbell and the Patriots this season?
They’ve been great.
I’ll start with Mike Vrabel. I love everything he is about, including how he handles the press and the appreciation he shows towards reporters. He makes it personal with those guys.
I love the way he talks to his team and the respect he gets from his team. He’s learned a lot from playing under Bill Belichick. Obviously not the podium bit though because Belichick was a little dry there.
He’s looking after those players in New England, though. He’s going to draft guys who fit his mold and his will.
Will Campbell is clearly one of those guys. He loves football. He loves competing, and he always says the right things. He has such passion for the game, and Campbell has just been a stud since he first walked on campus at LSU.
Even as a young kid coming on recruiting visits, you knew he was going to be something special.
Campbell is going to put the time in. People might talk about his short arms, but it doesn’t matter if your technique is good, and his is very good.
His pass sets are unbelievable, and if you have all of this and you’re a student of the game, you can play for a long time, and I think Campbell will do that.
His quarterback, Drake Maye, has been unbelievable too. The Patriots’ success so far this season shows you have to have the right guy under center pulling the strings.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has struggled at times in his rookie year. Why do you think Jeanty has struggled to replicate his college form so far?
You have to have the right guys in front of you and the right scheme. I’m not sure if Jeanty currently has either of those.
He has all the tools, though, and you saw that with the success he had in college with Boise State.
It’s tough for rookie starting running backs though, as they have to take in a lot of new information.
They’re trying to learn a new scheme and trying to get that chemistry with their offensive linemen. They’re also trying to learn the passing game and protections, plus they have to learn how to deal with off-the-field things and media. There’s a lot thrown at these guys.
It can take a year or two to really get going, so he’ll be okay.
Based on his measurables and body of work in college, I still think Jeanty will be really good.
What can the Raiders’ offensive line do to help Jeanty and that offense?
You have to have the right group of guys, and you have to have a good scheme.
I played for 14 years, so I played on several different offensive lines. Whether it was injuries or salary cap issues, we didn’t always have the right combinations up front.
But our best groups up front weren’t always necessarily our most talented. The best groups were the ones that were close on the field, close off the field and, more importantly, they communicated well.
It’s a hard piece to put together, but when you get it right, it can be a huge boost for your offense.
The Chicago Bears have shown improvement in Ben Johnson’s first year as head coach. Should Bears fans be encouraged by the performances of Johnson and second-year QB Caleb Williams?
I think fans in Chicago should be really encouraged by the Bears this season.
You look at Caleb Williams, he can be a little flashy in terms of his style and painting his fingernails. But when it’s going well, he shows how much ability he has. He makes some incredible plays.
When you look at the razzle-dazzle and the big playmaking ability, it kind of reminds me of a former teammate of mine in Michael Vick.
I’m really encouraged by what Ben Johnson and Williams are building in Chicago. I think they’ll be good for a long time.
On the other hand, has Johnson’s former team, the Detroit Lions, shown signs of missing him this year?
I think they really are missing Johnson.
Dan Campbell has stepped into play-calling duties, which shows that he obviously feels something is a little off.
Johnson’s success in Chicago shows you what they’re missing. You have to have a guy calling plays who can get your offense in the right rhythm.
Right now, Detroit is missing that, and it’s clear because a lot of the pieces on the field are the same as last season.
When you have an offensive coordinator who knows his team and knows when to call certain plays, it really is something. That’s why the best offensive coordinators will always manage to get a head coaching job.
The Falcons are missing an offensive mind like this too.
Another former Lions coordinator in Aaron Glenn has struggled in his first year as head coach of the New York Jets? What have you made of his start to life as a head coach?
It sounds simple, but sometimes it’s about the Jimmys and Joes, not the X’s and O’s.
The Jets have been a little bit of a disaster for the past few years. They tried bringing in an elite quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, and even that went wrong.
They just traded away some key pieces like Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. They have a lot of building to do when it comes to that roster.
I like what Glenn brings to the table as head coach. They just need a lot more pieces on the field to have any chance of success.
Do you think Justin Fields can still become a franchise quarterback?
I think that ship has sailed.
I’m hoping I’m wrong because I like the kid and what he’s about. But to be successful in this league, you have to be able to throw with some accuracy consistently. He’s become a little too one-dimensional. He can run, and he is great at that.
He might stay in the league, but as far as franchise quarterback goes, he’s had three shots now in Chicago, Pittsburgh and New York. It’s almost impossible to get a fourth shot in the league.
The Seattle Seahawks have surprised some with their record. Do you think they are legitimate contenders this season?
Yeah, I definitely think the Seahawks are contenders in the NFC.
You look at Sam Darnold, and he is a great example of having the right pieces around you. He got drafted high and didn’t have success early. But when he has the right pieces around him in the right situation, you can really see why he was a first-round pick.
He may have struggled against the Los Angeles Rams recently, but overall, he’s played at a very high level this season. I’m sure the Minnesota Vikings are wishing they would’ve kept him.
Seattle has always had dogs on defense, and that’s the same this year, so they have the right pieces on that side of the football too.
Is Darnold the long-term answer at quarterback for Seattle?
I think they’ll eventually look to the draft to get their long-term quarterback.
Having said that, I think Darnold is good enough to take Seattle where they want to go over the next couple of years.
But at the same time, you have to think long term and get that elite guy who can lead the franchise. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went and picked a quarterback as early as next year.
Which move at the trade deadline surprised you the most and why?
Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys.
I’m a big fan of Williams and his play, so I was surprised the Jets allowed him to leave. Dallas has been a disaster, and Williams is a high-level player, so it makes sense for them.
I understand the Jets know they have to rebuild, so they need as many draft assets as they can get. But I was still shocked by that one because he is such a good player.
Can Williams help transform Dallas into a contender?
I’m not sure. On the offensive side, they have Dak Prescott, who will make great plays when given time. But on the defensive side, they’re still missing Micah Parsons, who was traded during that circus earlier in the season.
At this point in the season, I don’t know if they can turn it around this year. It’s too far gone for Dallas to make a run this season.
Losing Parsons was too big of a loss. As good as Williams and Kenny Clark are, they don’t make up for the loss of Parsons. When he’s healthy, he can change a game so quickly.
I was shocked that they let him go, but that’s the nature of the business. You can’t pay everyone what they demand, and Jerry Jones has shown he can be ruthless. With Jerry, it’s all about business and the dollars.
As a longtime NFL center, who were some of your favorite NFL linemen to watch over the years?
When I was coming up, I loved watching the Cowboys, and I always loved Mark Stepnoski’s game. I watched him a lot.
He was a smaller guy, but it didn’t matter because his hands and feet were really good.
There was also a guy in Miami, Tim Ruddy. I loved watching him play because he played the game the right way.
Another guy who could really play was Dermontti Dawson of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a little different to me, but I remember watching him when I was a little younger. He was extremely athletic, and his hands and feet were so good.
So, those are the guys who I enjoyed watching, and I always tried to take something from their game.
Which defensive players did you relish the challenge of facing, and which current players do you think would pose the toughest challenge for you?
You lose a lot of sleep over facing certain guys.
A couple of examples were when we would play Tampa, and they had Warren Sapp and Booger McFarland. Or when we would play the Carolina Panthers and they had Kris Jenkins. Those were guys who could quickly embarrass you, so you had to be on your A-game.
When Ndamukong Suh was on, and it was his day, he posed a lot of threat.
I’m glad I didn’t have to play against Aaron Donald.
In terms of current players who I would hate to block, I can’t look past Vita Vea of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He’s just a fire hydrant, and I struggled against guys like that. I just couldn’t move them. Vince Wilfork was a guy I played against who had a similar build to Vea. He would just stand there and take two blocks. You have to just do your best and try to hold on.
