OTAs: Falcons focusing on making more big plays

100509 Flowery Branch - Atlanta Falcons running back # 33 Michael Turner confers with qaurterback # 2 Matt Ryan. (Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com)

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons went through their organized team activities in just over two hours on Thursday at Flowery Branch.

“We are a little further than halfway through,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We’ve got seven more to complete over the next two weeks. I think the guys are continuing to work hard. Their attitudes have been great.”

Smith addressed the questions that some of you submitted:

EXPLOSIVE PLAYS: One of the teams’ focus in OTAs’ is cut down the number of explosive plays on defense and increase the number on offense. (An explosive play is 20-yard gain).

“We gave up way too many explosive plays,” Smith said. “Any time you give up one on defense, you’re going to give up points. It’s going to be a field goal on that drive or a touchdown. Offensively, we want to be more explosive so that we can turn the field position around and go in a score.”

Roddy White is working on the team's expanding no-huddle operation.

INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGES WITH NEW ENGLAND AND JACKSONVILLE: “They are really not intrasquad scrimmages. They are going to be combined practices. When I say combined practices, we are going to go through our normal practice schedule. The only difference will be we’ll have two skull (sessions) going at one time and two 9-on-7s and two team (sessions). So there will be two fields where we are working against each other. It will be the same sequencing of practice that we normally do, but instead of going against guys wearing black helmets, there will be a different color jersey that we are not accustomed to seeing out here in Flowery Branch.”

(DIDN’T GET THE KICKING GAME QUESTIONS IN. We can handle that one next week.)

Some highlights from this week’s open OTA session:

• Wide receiver Roddy White said the Falcons were working on expanding their no-huddle attack.
• Linebacker Stephen Nicholas had a nice pass breakup in coverage.
• Wide receiver Tony Strickland put a nice move on cornerback Brent Grimes to get open.
• Right tackle Tyson Clabo and defensive end Kroy Biermann got tangled up in a little pushing and shoving match.
• Quarterback Matt Ryan was particularly sharp in the passing game.
• Defensive end John Abraham and tight end Tony Gonzalez were the only players not in attendance.
• Defensive end Chauncey Davis (knee), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder) and wide receiver Kerry Meier (hamstring) returned to organized team activities. Defensive tackle Peria Jerry (knee), wide receiver Harry Douglas and cornerback Brian Williams (knee) did not practice and continued their rehabilitation.