Mularkey: We thrive on doing things right
Earlier in the week Justin Tuck said the Falcons' offensive line had a reputation for being "dirtbags." (undated file photo) Credit: David Pokress
The Falcons didn’t seem too upset about the name that Justin Tuck called them earlier this week. In fact, at least one of them saw the possibility of turning “dirt bags” into bags of cash.
“Maybe we should make T-shirts and start branding this, you know?” Falcons left tackle Will Svitek told reporters on Wednesday. “We could make a profit in the New York market. It’s an opportunity.”
The Falcons are somewhat used to the perception that they are what Tuck so eloquently suggested some may call them (but insists he did not directly call them himself). They’ve been called out throughout this season by the Packers’ B.J. Raji and the Lions’ Ndamukong Suh for cheap shots and late shots, which was what Tuck was apparently referring to. But that didn’t stop them from defending their physical style.
“We thrive on doing things right,” offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We thrive on playing physical. We've been doing that for four years. Nothing is ever preached beyond the whistle. Ever.”
Svitek said he would have to look up the phrase “dirt bag” on Wikipedia to get a handle on what Tuck called him and his teammates, but he has a good idea of the general meaning.
“If (Tuck) views us as cheap, then so be it,” he said. “We're going to do what we do. We take pride in being physical. You don't want to be viewed as soft. We're always going to be there, and we want them to know we're there."
