FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Jimmy Lake's film study this week for his players didn't just consist of football.
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator showed clips of quick knockouts in the UFC, like Conor McGregor's left-cross KO of Jose Aldo in 13 seconds and Jorge Masvidal's UFC-record, five-second, running-knee knockout of Ben Askren. Lake put on tape of boxing legend Mike Tyson on Thursday, showcasing some of his devastating early finishes.
The idea was obvious: Atlanta needs to start games with more intensity on defense. That was the message Lake was trying to get across, and he used video of fights to do it.