Second-year Atlanta Falcons pass rusher Takkarist McKinley has always had a not-so-quiet confidence about him. Now in the midst of a breakout season that has seen him record five sacks in four games, that’s not going away any time soon.
In talking about Atlanta’s upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, McKinley threw praise in the future Hall of Famer’s direction. He also had a bit of a warning for Big Ben.
“Big Ben he’s one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but he hasn’t seen Takk McKinley and that’s just me being honest,” McKinley said Wednesday, via ESPN. “Great quarterback, respect him, but he hasn’t seen me.”
Indeed, Pittsburgh has not played Atlanta since McKinley was a first-round pick back in 2017. Then again, the Steelers’ quarterback has gone up against the likes of James Harrison, Terrell Suggs, Von Miller and J.J. Watt plenty of times throughout his career.
It’s a solid competitive take for Takk to have. Both Pittsburgh and Atlanta head into Week 5 in must-win situations. Each team has won just one game this season. For his part, Big Ben has thrown five interceptions in just four games this season.