Sarkisian to call plays from press box or sideline?

Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 in Flowery Branch. (By D. Orlando Ledbetter/dledbetter@ajc.com)

Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 in Flowery Branch. (By D. Orlando Ledbetter/dledbetter@ajc.com)

Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has called played from the sidelines for his entire career.

He plans to experiment with calling plays from the press box during the exhibition season.

“One of the biggest things for me that I’m going to have to figure out here in the (exhibition) season is the ability to talk to the quarterback from the press box,” Sarkisian said. “That’s something that I know Kyle (Shanahan) took advantage of a year ago. He went to the press box and he was still able to call plays to (quarterback) Matt (Ryan) from the press box, which is a little foreign to me because during my time in Oakland when I was talking to Rich Gannon and Kerry Collins I had to be on the field to do that.”

Technology has advanced from 2004, when Sarkisian was with the Raiders.

“Now, having that and not having had a game yet, that’s something that still unknown,” Sarkisian said. “That’s the biggest unknown. We do it in practice. I have the walkie-talkie, but it’s a different vantage point.

“I’ve always called plays my entire career from the field. So, it will be a feeling out process in the (exhibition) season. I’m going to alternate games on the field and then in the press box just to see what is going to be the best case scenario for us, not only for Matt, but for myself and for us as an offense.”