ensive juggernaut Black Terrell McClain Jersey , but it’s little surprise a lot of focus is on the defense."Peter King is one of the most respected and longest tenured reporters in the NFL, which is based partly on merit and partly on knowing everyone far too well to be unbiased. I won’t pick at that last scab too much today, though, given that we’re about to talk about King’s opinions on the Falcons.Last week, Kelsey Conway with the Falcons caught up with King to talk about what’s in store for 2019. As you’d expect nothing is earth shattering but it’s all fairly interesting with much of the talk revolving around the defense, which is the story line of note with Dan Quinn assuming control and so many question marks about the team going forward. He zeroed in on Takk McKinley, who is entering a pivotal third season when pass rushers typically arrive or fizzle. Part of that stems from DQ’s expanded role in the defense, which King thinks will translate into more opportunities and better usage for the likes of Takk, Vic Beasley, and Grady Jarrett. For that to happen, Quinn will need to be putting in much more time up front or spending more time making adjustments on gameday Terrell McClain Jersey 2019 , which is where having a very senior offensive staff led by Dirk Koetter and Mike Mularkey, plus new gameday/clock coach Bob Sutton, has to come into play. Quinn and these Falcons figure to sink or swim based on what he can get out of the defense, after all. King spent more time on the defense and the draft, too. King’s interest in the secondary, which extends to saying he believes the team really needs to solve that issue in the draft, is noteworthy if kinda errant. The Falcons are returning (we hope) a healthy secondary with their top cornerback, top two safeties, and an exciting young hybrid in Damontae Kazee, meaning their needs there are more long-term than immediate. The trenches are where the attention ought to lie, and King is the latest analyst to say that he thinks the Falcons need to get another “franchise” tackle in the draft Jordan Miller Atlanta Falcons Jersey , something that certainly seems to be in play for #14. We’ll see if King’s foreshadowing an expanded role for Takk and high round selections at cornerback and right tackle, given his obvious connections to the higher up on this team, or if this just winds up being a forgettable if interesting interview in an offseason defined by them. ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons may be a step ahead of the New Orleans Saints in the search for balance on offense.That’s not enough to make Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel rest easy. The Saints have Drew Brees, and the veteran quarterback’s guile is enough to make any defensive coach lose sleep.Brees and the Saints (1-1) will try to establish more offensive balance when they visit the Falcons (1-2) on Sunday in an early test of NFC South rivals attempting to build off Week 2 wins.The Saints have relied heavily on the one-two punch of wide receiver Michael Thomas, whose 28 catches set an NFL record for the first two games of a season, and running back Alvin Kamara, who has 15 catches. New Orleans is last in the league with only 52.5 yards rushing per game.“That’s definitely something that we recognize and we always talk about balance,” Brees said Wednesday. “We want balance.”Coach Sean Payton said he saw signs of an improved running attack in the second half of last week’s 21-18 win over Cleveland .“Certainly Alvin and Mike are guys we want to get the ball to, and yet we recognize the importance of having that balance,” Payton said.Brees, 39 2019 Jordan Miller Jersey , has completed 81.3 percent of his passes (65 of 80) for 682 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions.“He’s a maestro now,” said Manuel, who defended against Brees as a defensive back with six teams before coaching against the quarterback. “He was a magician before when he was dinking and dunking and hitting guys. Now he’s a maestro.”Matt Ryan and the Falcons found more balance in last week’s 31-24 win over Carolina . Despite playing without running back Devonta Freeman, who could also miss Sunday’s game with a sore right knee, the Falcons ran for 170 yards. Fill-in starter Tevin Coleman ran for 107 yards.Here are some things to know from the Saints-Falcons game:PASS PATTERN: Payton is confident Brees will spread the ball around more and said he wants to see third-round draft choice Tre’Quan Smith more involved. “We have to find ways to get him more touches,” Payton said. “He is handling our installation. He knows what we are doing game-plan wise and I think he is ready to prove that.”APOLOGY: Falcons safety Damontae Kazee apologized this week after his ejection for last week’s hit to the helmet of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Kazee was making only his second career start.“I’ve got to learn to try to keep my head up when I tackle,” Kazee said. “It’s a new rule now and I’ve got to adjust to that.”Kazee said he must learn “when to take my shot and when not to take my shot. He was sliding and I tried to lean over to the left and hit him with my facemask. I apologize for the hit.”RECEPTIONS FOR ALL: Ryan completed passes to eight receivers last week instead of relying heavily on Julio Jones. In one possession late in the first half, he completed six straight passes to five receivers, none to Jones. “I feel like as a quarterback you’re just trying to make the right decision, go to the right spot with the football and trust whoever is in that spot to make those plays,” Ryan said Wednesday. “That’s just how it shook out in that game.”NO RUNNING: The Saints’ running game ranked fifth during their run to the NFC South title last season. They rank 31st this year with only 2.9 yards per rush. The absence of Mark Ingram Jordan Miller Atlanta Falcons Jersey , who has served half of his four-game suspension for use of a banned substance, gets some of the blame.Payton has said there is no evidence of a “crisis.” New Orleans has played from behind for much of its first two games, causing Payton to call more passing plays. Payton said a couple Kamara runs during fourth-quarter scoring drives last week showed potential for success on the ground.INJURY WOES: The Falcons already have been hit hard by injuries , especially on defense where safety Keanu Neal and linebacker Deion Jones are on injured reserve. Coach Dan Quinn hopes Jones, who must miss at least eight games, can return this season. Defensive ends Takk McKinley and Derrick Shelby missed practice this week with groin injuries. Jones also missed time with a calf injury.Also, left guard Andy Levitre was placed on IR with a triceps injury. Wes Schweitzer, who filled in for Levitre last week, is expected to start.