The aftermath: Coach Smith explains decision to punt
Falcons head coach Mike Smith screams at an official after a first down catch by Roddy White was called back by a penalty, killing a Falcons drive during 1st half action against the Saints. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
Falcons coach Mike Smith was gracious in his post-game media session.
He gave the Saints credit for shutting down the offense and explained his fourth quarter decision to give the ball back to the Saints so they could basically run the clock out.
Here’s what he had to say:
OPENING STATEMENT: “I thought it was a very hard fought ballgame tonight. It was two pretty good football teams playing against each other. I liked the preparation throughout the week; we just didn’t get the outcome that we wanted. Defensively, I thought we had a good plan and executed it; we just didn’t make some plays. We left some plays out there. We did some things very uncharacteristic in terms of turnovers in the ballgame. We’ll regroup, we’ll get back together, and we’ll put this one behind us. Again, we still like where we’re at, I can assure you of that. We’ve got to get this one behind us as quick as possible and move on to the Carolina Panthers.”
ON THE OFFENSE’S JAGGED PERFORMANCE: “I’ll credit New Orleans, they did some good things today. We were not very efficient on third down which is something we have been very good at all season. We have not been turning the football over and we had two uncharacteristic turnovers that I think were critical in the game. They did a nice job in defending us. It wasn’t our best effort and a lot of it has to do with the way that we played. “
ON THE DECISION TO PUNT: “Definitely thought it was the right thing to do. It was fourth down and six with the ball out their 38, 39-yard line maybe even a little bit further out. But on fourth and six we felt like the way that we’d been playing defensively and we had two timeouts and we hopefully could wrap one around the two-minute warning. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done there at the end.”
ON WHETHER THE DEFENSE GOT TIRED: “I don’t believe so. We didn’t execute very well on that one drive. The other score was a short field after a turnover and I thought we kept our rotation like we wanted to. They made the plays. It’s the typical game when these two teams meet, since I’ve been here, there’s only been one game that hasn’t been at eight points or less. Most of them are at two or three or four point games.”
ON THE NO-HUDDLE: “We moved the ball down in the no-huddle. Again, we felt like it was in our best interest to get back in and huddle. What they were doing in the no-huddle was the same thing they were doing defending us when we were huddling. We felt that it was the right thing to do at that point in time at the game.”
ON THE PRESSURE ON BREES: “I think we had a very good plan in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback. I think we left a number of plays out there in terms of getting QB Drew (Brees) on the ground. He did a good job extending plays. It was a well-designed game plan and I thought the guys went out and executed it. We just did not always finish the plays. You can see why Drew Brees is a Pro Bowl player in terms of being able to extend plays. He was able to do that tonight.”
ON REGROUPING: “We’ll put this one behind us as quick as possible. The outcome we didn’t get tonight, but we still like where we’re at I can assure you that. I think there’s probably 15 teams that would want to trade with us so I like where we’re at. We didn’t get the outcome. I’m disappointed but not discouraged because there was some really good football played out there tonight by both football teams.”
ON RYAN’S PLAY: “Until I watch the tape I’m not going to make an evaluation. I know we weren’t as efficient on third down like we have been. We’ve been a very good third down football team. We didn’t run the ball statistically. Again, until I watch the tape I’m not going to make any statements about how our guys played. I know they played hard tonight and it was a hard fought football game. That’s two good football teams going at it, slugging it out and they were the better team tonight. My hat’s off to Head Coach Sean (Payton) and his staff.”
ON WHETHER HE’S CONCERNED ABOUT THE RUN GAME: “No, not at all. We didn’t get the yards that we would have liked to tonight. It wasn’t as efficient, but this is a football team that at the core of what we do is running the football. We will always be a team that’s going to run it. We just didn’t do it very well tonight. Again, you have to talk about the whole body of work. We’re talking about one night, but this is a good football team. There’s a bunch of guys in there that are disappointed but not discouraged. We’ll put this behind us and move on.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter
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439 comments Add your comment
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
10:35 am
@45..Not 4 long….I heard the Panthers are playing this week to secure their jobs…So I wouldnt speak too soon if I were you..(u betta take a hint 4rm ur boy RoddyWhite)..spoke 2 soon and look what happened…Those guys in Carolina have pride and dignity to play for…But go head’ and underestimate em’!!!!!!!!
Bluto
December 28th, 2010
10:35 am
Oh yeah, Saints fans. You guys are the ones who gave your team the AINTS nickname, not Atlanta. I mean when you call your own team the Aints, what do you expect other teams to call you?
Boy
December 28th, 2010
10:36 am
Sam L Voice: Rise Up Atlantaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Falcons Rise Up!
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
10:37 am
@45..Not 4 long….I heard the Panthers are playing this week to secure their jobs…So I wouldnt speak too soon if I were you..(u betta take a hint 4rm ur boy RoddyWhite)..spoke 2 soon and look what happened…Those guys in Carolina have pride and dignity to play for…But go head’ and underestimate em’!!!!!!!!
SouthernMom
December 28th, 2010
10:38 am
Saints won last night because they don’t believe in luck, just God given skills & talent. We don’t go around trashing our opponents on twitter or any other social network. We play the game and have, in case you haven’t noticed, have risen above the rest because we do our best. Just remember Saints always win. WHO DAT!!
45
December 28th, 2010
10:38 am
aints2010-the bucs have a little something for you, too.
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
10:39 am
@Boy…
Yea yall ROSE UP last night and got da hell outta there….LOL!!!
45
December 28th, 2010
10:40 am
southernmom, looks like you didn’t follow that story too closely but i forgive you because you’re a southern mom. better go back and read all those posts from your classless aints fans.
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
10:41 am
@45
Yea…We’ll see!!!
THE GAME HAS TO BE PLAYED FIRST…
(Wer’e not gonna take em’ for granted and say its gonna be an easy Win…I dont think it will be,,, HOWEVER,,WE WILL WIN!!!!!!!!
WHO DAT!
December 28th, 2010
10:41 am
45
When you start quoting over all series wins you have become irrealivant. The SAINTS have won 14 times in the last 22 times. I call that domination over the last 22 meetings.
WHOOOOOOODAT!!!
ChillyMutt
December 28th, 2010
10:42 am
No question about it – the decision to punt on 4th and 6 was absolutely wrong. In either case, if we give up the ball on downs or if we punt, if the Saints make even one first down the Falcons lose. Should have gone for it on 4th down. The wrong decision to punt is inexcusable for a NFL coach.
WHO DAT!
December 28th, 2010
10:45 am
Are you gonna call him Matty Choke now?
Besides what grown man wants to be called Matty.
LOL!!
WHO DAT!
December 28th, 2010
10:46 am
@Boy
Rise up and leave the DOME!!
Courage
December 28th, 2010
10:47 am
On the 4th and 6 from the 43 yard line…
First, I would say the odds are equal or better that we have a play designed to get 6 yards and execute this play than the odds of keeping Drew Brees from getting a first down or two. He’d just gotten several in a row on the previous 90 yard drive! With the ball in hand you can control your fate; with the ball in Brees hands, HE controls your fate in this situation.
Second, Even should we miss the 4th down play they get the ball at our 43 needing to accomplish the identical thing–get a first down or two and run out the clock. It wasn’t like the ball was on our 23!
Third, and this is the most disappointing aspect, what did we have to lose? Smith’s comments after the loss is “we still are in the perfect position and the other 15 teams in the NFC would love to be where we are.” Meaning, even with this loss we can accomplish the same goals nest Sunday. Then why not go for it if you have nothing to lose and your still holding the “trump card” in your hand by beating Carolina next week?
You see, I think another opportunity was missed to try to practice and hopefully execute a do or die play that we may face again in the postseason. Somewhere along the way we may face another 4th down play to keep our season alive so why not prepare for one right there–with nothing to lose–to give our team more confidence by having pr oven in this game they can do this. Lastly, what if they had succeeded on the 4th and 6th and went on for a tying field goal or game winning TD.
In my opinion and there’s not a doubt in my mind that, given the identical set of circumstances, Sean Peyton and Bill Belichick would have allowed Brees or Brady to got for it! Coach Smith and or Mike Mularkey will need to sharpen or “man up” at these critical moments or somewhere in the postseason once again we will painfully watch the opposing QB take a knee as we helplessly watch the game clock expire.
It was the wrong call at the moment under the circumstances.
whodat70816
December 28th, 2010
10:47 am
I love how you falcon fans keep saying our offense was struggling and that’s why we lost.
Your Offense struggled because of the Saints Defense. Plain and Simple. To say otherwise is just making excuses.
The Falcons brought their A game on both sides of the ball and so did the Saints….and the better team won!
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
10:47 am
@WHODAT..
HAHAHA..
I know right…
MATTY ICE FROZED AND CRACKED IN THE ICEHOUSE LAST NIGHT…..
He aint ready for the big stage!!!!!!!
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
10:48 am
@70816..
Well Said Man!!!!!!!!!!
Eric C.
December 28th, 2010
10:49 am
Saints 2010…I wouldn’t necessarily be proud of the Saints performance. The Falcons defense whipped the Saints offense for the most part and the Falcons could have easily won.
GregKennesaw
December 28th, 2010
10:49 am
still 12-3, gonna win NFC south, get home field, first week bye. I was very impressed with the defense last night. very impressed. Moore, weatherspoon, abraham, grimes, bab’s all had great game. Good game VG. we beat them by 3 earlier,they beat us by 3 last night. I’d say these are pretty evenly matched teams. look at the points scored by each over the season, points given up by each, record etc. very close. If we play again, could go either way again. one thing for sure it is always exciting.
Enkinan
December 28th, 2010
10:49 am
Every single person who uses all of the unoriginal and unfunny team nicknames (’aints, ‘cons, cowgirls, egirls) please go die in a fire, you sound like middle school students.
bruce mac
December 28th, 2010
10:50 am
The best team will be decided in the tournament. Falcons won at NO and Saints won at ATL. If somehow this makes the number one seed inferior to the wild card team I guess you got us on that one. If nothing else us Falcon fans have to admit you are the most obnoxious wild card team in the history of the NFL.
Eric C.
December 28th, 2010
10:51 am
Enkinan, how about get the #### off a Falcons blog.
GregKennesaw
December 28th, 2010
10:51 am
Brian williams has got to be the most frustrated man in Atlanta right now, he kept missing Brees.
PMC
December 28th, 2010
10:51 am
So the better team won, both games in the series this year. Falcons and Saint’s split each winning in the other teams building by 3 points with a well played drive to win it late.
Navigator
December 28th, 2010
10:52 am
Explain this away, tight butt syndrome, and only great coaches don’t have it. New Orleans has a great coach and we don’t.
Scott
December 28th, 2010
10:52 am
The Falcon again beat themselves with foolish turn overs and the Saints got a lot of help from the “NFL power that be’ in the form of bad penalties calls on the Falcons , spot on the ball etc. etc. etc .I am still pissed but i am convince that the Superbowl still go threw Atlanta . I will not except anything less than a berth to the Superbowl .No more excuses no more waiting it is time for the Falcons to rise up and become a elite team !
PMC
December 28th, 2010
10:53 am
To say one team is better than the other because of the outcome of last nights game is lunacy.
The Falcons made more mistakes than the Saints last night. Smitty with a critical error just like in the playoff game punting with not close to enough time left. He’s got to fix that. The punt call is not defenseable if they were really trying to win.
GregKennesaw
December 28th, 2010
10:53 am
feel bad for McClure, bad time for the center to mess up.
also Turner, who doesn’t fumble much, bad timing.
FugitivePoet
December 28th, 2010
10:53 am
My first New Year’s wish is that these ungracious bandwagon ‘aints fans should find themselves down at the shoreline during the next hurricane. That is if they can find the time between looking for a job, looting and dodging bullets.
My second is that we see these aholes again after clinching homefield this week.
My third is obvious. Go Birds!
Enkinan
December 28th, 2010
10:53 am
To be fair to Smith, he goes for it a whole lot on 4th down, I’m just baffled as to why this drive wasn’t considered 4 down territory the whole way.
FrontRow
December 28th, 2010
11:00 am
Why go for it? The game was meaningless to the Falcons and a must win for the Saints.
Hats off to the Saints for taking the game. Drew Brees’ tackle of Abraham saved the game; I’ll take my chances with Brees making the game saving tackle every day.
FrontRow
December 28th, 2010
11:02 am
Saint’s fans posts here show their desperation – it’s funny and pathetic at the same time to see you all celebrating locking up second place.
ForthN1
December 28th, 2010
11:03 am
derek brown WTF….chip shot field goal..it’s the NFL son he missed we made ours. Close only counts in horse shoes, handgrenades, and dancing. The two teams split this year. The only reason aints fans are on this blog is to attempt to rain on our parade. They would love to be in our position a top of the NFC as the number 1 seed. You won one game of 16 played this season. Before you go celebrate you still have to beat the Bucs and probably the Bears only to see US again. So my faithful Falcon Nation be not discourage the dome is the last place they’d like to return to. Until then let’s take care of the Panthers and take a week off and see “who’s coming to dinner”.
Flatsdawg1
December 28th, 2010
11:04 am
We needed a wake up call to regroup for the playoffs. We got it. Beat Carolina, which will not be a cakewalk I’m sure, worst team or not. Carolina is plenty capable of beating us, and would like nothing better than to knock us down , but I believe we’ll win, and then get ready for a wild ride!! Would have loved to have won that game to rest some guys but we are a good team, are we great, we’ll see!!
SeenThisB4
December 28th, 2010
11:05 am
The Saints dominated this game. If it weren’t for that pick 6, Saints would have won by 10, or more.
Now the falan’ts know why the rest of the NFL media doesn’t show them any respect….
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
Scott
December 28th, 2010
11:06 am
For the Saints fans on this board , you guys got lucky ,pulse your team got a lot of help from the reefs last night ,But No excuses it was a great game . The Saints got the hell out of the Dome with a spit but i have a feeling that this is not over yet , The Saints will have to play the Falcons again if they want another berth to the SupperBowl,and beating the Dirtybirds twice in the Dome will be next to impossible . See yah in the playoffs
waynester
December 28th, 2010
11:06 am
hey dufus….boy
There’s probably a lot of truth to what you posted earlier. It’s not like Smith & Coaches were trying to lose the game, but I believe the focus was more on getting as many looks at NO’s complex defense as possible while showing as little as possible.
John G
I understand your frustration with the sports media and their love affairs with certain “celebrity” athletes, but Drew Brees IS an awesome QB–in the top 5 league-wide– and we never should have relented with the pressure, despite his ability to react quickly and still make plays under duress. Coach Smith fell back on “the book” instead of relying on instinct and feeling the ebb & flow of the game which had the momentum clearly in NO’s favor. “The Book” clearly says “punt” under such circumstances, but “the book” doesn’t take intangibles such as Brees’ uncanny knack for winning games late with sheer intelligence and will into consideration. Coach Smith SHOULD have and done whatever it took to keep the ball out of Brees’ hands in the game’s waning minutes.
ken
Said pretty much the same thing earlier but I’d like to say “amen” about the seeming lack of “killer instinct” with this staff and team. It shows up in the way we give up leads in the 3rd quarter and go all conservative when nursing a slim lead……
Jim
December 28th, 2010
11:06 am
Best thing to happen to Falcons– don’t need a long winning streak into playoffs plus trying to beat a good team three times in one season is tough. Relax
D'Onovan
December 28th, 2010
11:07 am
Yalls be stinkin up the joints. The Falclowns be a sorry teams. The Saints is mines team and they showd who dat
SeenThisB4
December 28th, 2010
11:08 am
The Saints have won 8 of the last 10 against the falcan’ts….the falcan’ts beating the Saints twice in one season is next to impossible.
GEAUX SAINTS! OUR TIME!!
bjohnDawg
December 28th, 2010
11:08 am
Game could have went either way. In the end Saints made their plays and Falcons did not.
Keys we get second intercept by DE in third QTR and come away with no points, and the fumble by Turner at the one. Saints played great defense. Can they do that again in the playoffs.
I like the Falcons chances to go deep in the playoffs, but this team is still missing a piece on offense and a couple of pieces on defense. Do not think they can make it to Super Bowl and if they do, dont think they can be beat the Patriots….but sure wish they could, tired of Patroit fans at my company. If they love them so much, they should move back to Boston.
Kane337
December 28th, 2010
11:09 am
Very disappointing loss but the first set of goals are still very much in sight…Win the division, win the #1 seed. All of that is there for the taking. Just beat the worst team in the league. Then we can worry about the upcoming opponent in 2 weeks.
jackie2850
December 28th, 2010
11:13 am
Really? The Aints? We Ain’t Your Daddy’s Saints!!! You beat us by 3 points in OT this year!!! And we stripped the ball and took it in for a TD last year! In one of the greatest plays ever!! We always take you seriously and you disrespect us??? Is Roddy’s head a little smaller today???
Scott
December 28th, 2010
11:13 am
D@#m
aints hater
December 28th, 2010
11:13 am
I hated the Aints when their nasty putrid fans wore bags over their heads, and I still hate those sorry sumbeeches.
SAINTS2010
December 28th, 2010
11:13 am
Looks like Michael (theburner) Turner was a NONFACTOR!!!!!!!
Clarence
December 28th, 2010
11:13 am
D’Onovan (Yalls be stinkin up the joints. The Falclowns be a sorry teams. The Saints is mines team and they showd who dat)
- Sounds like you somehow got a pass from the first grade to come and watch the game. Does your guardian know you are gone? Dude, come back to Atlanta when you can read and write!
Chris
December 28th, 2010
11:15 am
As soon as the Falcons got ahead they stopped blitzing which gave Brees plenty of time to throw. There was genius decision there. Hello Gilligan!
Was it just me or should have Tony Gonzalez just showed up with his street clothes on and taken a seat on the sidelines. And baloney about tight coverage on him. The Falcons players and staff knew that the Saints desperately needed the win and they were not prepared for the game. It was a poor job of preperation which resulted in the expected outcome. Wake up already
PTC DAWG
December 28th, 2010
11:15 am
Anyone complaining about the Falcon’s this season doesn’t deserve to follow them.
dagrapevine
December 28th, 2010
11:17 am
next time early on take a penalty and rack brees on his back real hard.he always gets happy feet when that happens and hurries threw his passes.thats football and its the way the lombardi’s packers use to play the game.you gotta beat the guy up make him feel the game.
anyone who’s followed drew from high school to purdue to the nfl knows this.just ask anybody who ever played against him.