FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- At first it looked a little bit funny and unorthodox, and needed an explanation. Atlanta Falcons running backs coach Michael Petrie was happy to supply one.
Petrie wants his players to understand the why of anything they do, from game plans to practices to meetings. Petrie asked his players to perform a specific drill, not one they do daily, but one with a specific purpose.
It's a drill with different variations, leading to different names. Petrie -- and the people he learned it from -- call it the "rugby drill." In reality it looks like something else: a few seconds of controlled chaos.