J.D. McKissic makes strong bid to earn spot on Falcons’ roster with long KO return
Former Central standout J.D. McKissic knows special teams is probably his ticket to earning a spot on the Atlanta Falcons’ final roster.
An undrafted free agent out of Arkansas State, McKissic showed his speed on two special teams plays in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Washington Redskins, a 23-17 win for the Falcons.
On the opening kickoff of the second half, McKissic caught the ball a yard deep in the end zone. He veered right, found a hole and raced 101 yards for a touchdown. He even finished with a little showmanship by somersalted into the end zone.
It was his first play of the game.
“I was just running,” McKissic told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The other 10 guys did a great job of knowing the scheme and double teaming – trap blocking – who they needed to block. I had the easiest job to just find the hole.”
McKissic also had a punt return for 14 yards.
“Special teams is the way for a guy like me, so the main thing is to psych myself into going hard every play on special teams, and keep showing them that I can help on either of the units,” McKissic said.
McKissic, who is battling to be the No. 4 wide receiver for the Falcons, was excited for his first game.
“I was very excited, coming straight from college and getting the opportunity to put on a uniform,” he said. “I have to give a big thank you to the organization for giving me a chance. I’m truly blessed to be here. Being out at Flowery Branch, it didn’t hit me until now.”
Defensive shines
One final defensive stand to close out Thursday night’s preseason win over Washington was a perfect ending for Falcons coach Dan Quinn.
Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator beginning his second season in Atlanta, was pleased his defense allowed only 79 yards rushing and 234 total yards. A review of the game film also left Quinn pleased on Friday with the closing speed on tackles.
“It showed the speed and that’s what we’re looking to see,” Quinn said Friday. “… How fast can we close to make those kind of hits. There were probably about three or four occasions where we saw a number of either safeties or linebackers or a combination really close to go finish.”
Washington took possession at its 29 with 1:30 remaining and was held without a first down.
Following the game, Quinn said linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and De'Vondre Campbell and cornerback Brian Poole stood out for their “contact hits we want.”
On Friday, he added linebackers Deion Jones and LaRoy Reynolds and safety Kemal Ishmael to his list of players making strong tackles.
Campbell and Jones are rookies whose speed also has been evident in training camp.
“It’s an important part of how we want to play,” Quinn said. “I felt it was a start of what it would feel like. We’ve still got a long way to go, but I think they have established how hard they have to play.”
All the news wasn’t good. The first-team offense with quarterback Matt Ryan struggled. Ryan was 0 for 4 passing and did not lead the offense to a first down on his two possessions.
“When you get one of those situations in the preseason, you can learn from it, adjust from it and hopefully when we get those chances in the regular season, we'll be more productive in that situation than we were tonight,” Ryan said.
NOTES: Ishmael has a sprained shoulder and will be held out of Sunday’s practice. S Keanu Neal (trunk) and TE Levine Toilolo (hand) are expected to return to practice after being held out of the game.
This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 6:36 PM with the headline "J.D. McKissic makes strong bid to earn spot on Falcons’ roster with long KO return."