HOUSTON – Once a week during the season, usually on Fridays, Dan Quinn gathers his Atlanta Falcons in the large meeting room, dims the lights and begins the NFL’s most unusual film session by showing them … a boxing match.

The Rumble in the Jungle. Any of the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy. Tyson, of course. Hagler-Hearns. Plenty of Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. It might even be a lesser-known fighter or fight that serves a purpose. Miguel Cotto, whose warrior mentality has made him a personal favorite of Quinn’s, makes regular appearances.

“You see some stuff in those fights,” said linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.

View photos Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn uses boxing storylines to keep the Falcons sharp. (AP) More

That’s the point. The Falcons coach will often set it up with a story, some background about the bout or the strategy and then hope his team gleans whatever message he’s trying to send. Maybe it’s: This is how to overcome an early setback. Maybe it’s: This is how to take a knockdown and get back up. Maybe it’s: This is how to trust your preparation and strategy through an onslaught of doubt.

[Ditch the paper and pen – play Squares Pick’em for the Big Game!]

“It’s been important for us because it gets to show, one, what a person can be as a competitor,” Quinn said this week. “And two, did this person stick to his gameplan? Did he get inside? Did he throw a hook? Was he going to move outside? Then the last part, which might be the most important part, is finishing.”

The Falcons face the New England Patriots here Sunday in Super Bowl LI and there are plenty of bad boxing comparisons to be made. Atlanta is the unheralded underdog. New England is the established (sort of) defending champion. Atlanta arrives with hunger, speed and knockout ability. New England returns with confidence, guile and the outrageous talent that got it on top in the first place.

Cue the Rocky music.

View photos

“It’s going to be a heavyweight fight, you have two of the greatest fighters that we have in our game,” Weatherspoon said. “So there are going to be some punches that go our way and there are going to be some punches that go their way. Who is going to be the most resilient team? I think that’s who is going to hoist the trophy.”

For the most part, the Falcons players take the boxing matches with excited interest. They look forward to the sessions. They roar through the fights like normal fans, usually unaware of the result.

As coaching motivational ploys go, this isn’t unprecedented. Football coaches have tried everything through the years – showing wild animal footage, inspirational movies and hype videos. Yet none of the players recalls such week-in, week-out dedication on a single topic.

“I had four different head coaches in college, I’ve seen it all but never anything like this,” said practice squad player Darion Griswold of his time at Arkansas State.

That’s mainly because Quinn is such a passionate boxing fan. He got into the sport when he tried to use boxing training as a way to improve footwork and hand speed for football. Soon he became an obsessed fan. He enjoys re-watching the action and sharing stories about the all-time best guys to an audience of players who often weren’t born or were very young when the fight occurred.

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