After running in motion and lining up in the slot on the left side of the formation, receiver Russell Gage had a pretty good read on what route he was about to run.
In this instance, with the Falcons facing a second-and-goal from the Cowboys' 8-yard line, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was playing with outside leverage and giving up space in the middle. From there, Gage knew how he would attack the Cowboys' defense. He ran at Awuzie and cut inside to the open space. He saw safety Antwaun Woods lurking nearby and realized quickly he’d need to secure the ball due to the shot he was going to absorb.
“The goal of the route is that if he’s there and outside, leave him there,” Gage said. “As I came in, I saw the safety. I realized then I was going to take a hit. Great throw by Matt (Ryan), he put the ball on me, which gave me the opportunity to protect myself while I was catching the ball. It was great execution.”
Gage scored his first touchdown of the season and the second of his career. In the moment, it gave the Falcons a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter in what turned into a 40-39 loss to the Cowboys. But after Gage got up from the ground, he did the dance move “The Griddy,” which was popularized by Vikings receiver Jordan Jefferson, who, like Gage, attended college at LSU.
Through two weeks, Gage has been an integral part of the Falcons' passing attack. Already, Gage has amassed 21 targets from Ryan, which is the second-most on the team behind Calvin Ridley’s 22. Of those 21 targets, Gage has caught 15 passes for 160 yards. In the opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Gage recorded his first-ever game with 100 yards, totaling 114.
In addition to his duties as a receiver, the former high school quarterback replaced Mohamed Sanu in the wildcat package after last year’s trade. During Sunday’s loss, the Falcons ran two plays out of the wildcat. The first occurred in the second quarter, with Gage handing the ball off to Todd Gurley for a yard. But when the Falcons lined Gage up at quarterback, the Cowboys' defense shifted to a cover zero look, with no safety playing deep.
Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said that after the first wildcat play, he wanted to return to it and give Gage the option to throw the ball on a play the team practiced a couple of times but didn’t initially install for Sunday’s game plan.
That opportunity came in the third quarter, with the Dallas defense presenting the same cover zero look. Gage threw a perfect pass that Jones, who is dealing with a hamstring, dropped. Still, that play showed Gage’s versatility on offense.
“I understood there was a chance I could throw it,” Gage said. “We practiced it once or twice. Then we went out to go ahead and go for it. I was a little nervous but I did have a little experience playing quarterback.”
Gage spent the unusual offseason, where players weren’t allowed at the Falcons' team facility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, working on building trust and communication with Ryan. Gage, along with fellow receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, traveled to California this offseason to work out with their quarterback. Part of Gage’s success, he said, was observing how Ryan and Jones communicate with one another.
Having seen the two interact over two-plus seasons, Gage said he has been able to pick up on what his quarterback is looking for on each play. From there, it’s easy to see why Gage has been just as much a part of this offense as Jones and Ridley.
“I just really got to talk to him and understand what he really wants out of me in this offense, what he expects my role to be,” Gage said. “From there, once I had that understanding, I was able to elevate my game from there. I talked earlier about how I was able to talk about how Julio and Matt Ryan talk, that alone puts an understanding in my head and that’s the kind of communication I want to have with my quarterback. I want to be on that same page. I want to understand this is the coverage and this is what we’re going to do without saying anything. Those things have really made me better.”
When Gage came out of LSU, he was thought of as a special teams player first and foremost. The team worked him out in the scouting process, with receivers coach Dave Brock becoming a big believer that he could develop into a quality NFL receiver.
Although the Falcons have found themselves in a 0-2 hole to start the season, Gage has been a bright spot.
“I think he’s certainly exceeded everybody’s expectations,” Ryan said. "He’s played extremely well for us now that he’s had his chance to be a starter. You’re happy to see it because he’s worked so hard, but I think it’s been a slow progression from the time he first got here until now. He is one of those guys who has continued to get better week in and week out and I thought he played one of his best games for us this past week.
“That’s going to serve us well moving forward because he’s a great outlet for us in the middle of the field with two really exceptional players on the outside, as well.”
Whereas Jones and Ridey were two first-round prospects, Gage had little fanfare coming out of LSU. He didn’t have many opportunities to light up the stat sheet in college either. He started off in college as a defensive back before moving to the offensive side of the ball. And as a senior, Gage only caught 21 passes for 285 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while accounting for 28 carries for 232 rushing yards and a score.
It wasn’t until the Falcons drafted him in the sixth round that anyone realized the potential he might have as a true receiving option on offense.
Even Gage wasn’t sure he could have seen his rise coming so quickly. But in his third NFL season, Gage not only as a starter on offense, but as someone who has been heavily relied upon in the weekly game plan.
“I don’t know if I could have envisioned it happening like this,” Gage said. “I envisioned working hard. Hard work normally pays off always. I’m thankful, I thank God for this opportunity, the coaching staff, everything. But I don’t know if I really could have envisioned everything to transpire exactly the way it is right now. It’s just keep working.”
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