While much of the talk about the Falcons' "new" offense has featured the deep pass, there will still be opportunities to generate yards after the catch is made.
Harry Douglas hopes to be part of the deep passing game, but he still sees yards after the catch as something he can contribute to Atlanta's offense.
"I think if you're a skill player, one of your top focuses should be yards after catch or yards after carry or after contact," Douglas said. "That's part of being an explosive player. I focus real hard on that."
In addition to making things happen after the catch is made, Douglas said he anticipates facing single coverage more often with the presence of Roddy White and Julio Jones on the outside. The ultra-physical and highly-dangerous duo will command much of a defense's attention and Douglas is looking to exploit those situations.
"There's going to be double teams all over the field," Douglas said. "We've got high-quality players, especially at the skill positions. A lot of times I'm going to be one-on-one, so I want to win those matchups."
Last season, 246 of Douglas' 498 receiving yards were produced after the catch. Douglas thinks of himself as a smarter football player than he has been in previous seasons. One of his focuses in the offseason was studying his film in an effort to understand how to better get open. As he continues to do that, his outstanding quickness will be even more of a factor in making plays after the ball is in his hands.
