Q&A: Coach Mike Smith sifts through the rubble
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees passes during the second quarter. AP
NEW ORLEANS — Falcons coach Mike Smith was caught off guard by his team’s woeful performance against the Saints.
“I didn’t see that coming,” Smith said.
Here’s what he had to say after the Saints routed the Falcons 45-16 on Monday night.
OPENING STATEMENT: We obviously are disappointed in the way that we played i the ball game tonight. We didn’t play well enough in any phase of the game to give ourselves a chance to win. We didn’t make enough plays. There were some opportunities early on and then it kind of got out of hand there at the end.
ON WHERE IT WENT SIDEWAYS: We were 0 for 3 in the red zone. We didn’t score touchdowns when we got down there. We really had a tough time in the first half stopping them on third down. They were 8 for 8 on third downs and we had some very favorable down and distances. Third-and-8, third-and-10, third-and-12, third-and-13 and we weren’t able to get them off the field. That was really the thing that happened there in the first half. I thought the special teams played well through the first 30 minutes. Then in the second half they gave up the real long kickoff return to Sproles. . . That’s kind of where it got out of hand and got out of whack. We had way too many penalties. The penalties were very lopsided in terms of penalties committed against our team. Some of them happened in the red zone and knocked up behind the sticks and early in the ball game as well.
ON TRYING TO RALLY IN THE SECOND HALF LIKE THEY DID AGAINST CAROLINA: No doubt about it. We knew we had to come out and play one play at a time. We went out there and got an interception on that first series defensively, but the offense had a three and out. Then the next drive I believe they went down and scored on an 80-yard drive. They had way too many long drives where they were moving the ball in chunks.
ON THE PASS DEFENSE: We had some opportunities to get them on the ground twice there in the first half and he was able to get out. If you don’t get the pressure and affect Drew, he’s going to make the throws. That’s what they did today. Unfortunately, we did not play very well today. I know that our guys are disappointed in the way that we performed.
ON IF THE SAINTS RAN UP THE SCORE AT THE END: Drew Brees has had an outstanding season in terms of the number of yards that he’s thrown for. My hat is off to Drew. That’s a longtime record here in the NFL. He accomplished that tonight against us.
ON THE STATE OF THE DEFENSE: I hope it’s an aberration in terms of the way that we’ve been playing defense. We had some opportunities there in the first half where the ball was thrown. We had opportunities to intercept it and we didn’t intercept it and they were able to continue and keep their drives alive. It happened twice in the first half. We were not on top of our game in any phase in terms of our football team in my mind. We just weren’t playing very consistently. It was just not the type of effort that you want to have when so much is on the line in terms of what the outcome could have meant to our football team.
ON HOW HE FELT COMING INTO THE GAME: I felt like we have a very good week of preparation. I though the guys handled Christmas Day and Christmas break that we had built into our schedule. I didn’t see this coming. We didn’t play Atlanta Falcons football and the scoreboard indicates that.
ON WHY THEY DIDN’T RUN MORE NO-HUDDLE: I think we ran a little bit more than that (six plays). Early in the game we moved the ball down the field. In the third drive, we jumped into our no huddle. We moved the ball down the field, but we weren’t able to put it in the end zone. Then in the second half we ran some of our no huddle out of our 21 personnel package. We were running it not out of our 3-wide set. We were running it out of two-back, one-tight end set.
ON REGROUPING: It’s just like any other week. We have to make corrections. We have to evaluate the film. Believe it or not, there’s going to be some positives that you’re going to be able to take out of this game.
ON THE TEAM BEING TOO HAPPY ABOUT BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS: There was a lot to play for in this ball game in terms of seeding in the post-season tournament. Believe me, our internal goals are much higher than just making the playoffs and being a participant in the playoff field. We knew what was at stake tonight. We knew that we didn’t have complete control, but we had an opportunity if we would have taken care of business there would have been a potential to move up in the seedings. . . we are disappointed. But no, I don’t think it had anything to do with us becoming a member of the playoff picture and securing a spot. We were fighting our tails off before the ball game to try to enhance and get our seeding a little bit higher.
FOLLOWUP ON IF THE SAINTS RAN UP THE SCORE TO GET BREES THE RECORD: Again, guys I’m not going to comment on that in terms of running up the score. It’s our job to go out there and stop them. I doesn’t matter if they are running the ball or throwing the ball. The job of our defense is to go out and stop them. Again, my hat is off to Drew Brees. It’s a record that’s been long-standing. He’s had a great season.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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682 comments Add your comment
saintbim
December 27th, 2011
8:24 pm
@michael m; it took that long because your defense stepped up in the 3rd quarter and a big part of the 4th. Drew had 230 yards at halftime, needing only 75 yards for the record. your team is not as bad as yall say it is. this is the first time in your history of going to the playoffs two straight years , isnt it? yall need to quit your moaning and groaning, falcons had a bad nite and the Saints happen to have had a great game. I think if we meet in the play offs it wont be so lop sided. although i still think the Saints will win.
Michael M.
December 27th, 2011
8:26 pm
Well , lets put this in another focus , okay ? alright, if we have to play your team again and get blowed away then we know last night was on a fair shake but then again we play your team and defeat them or have a game with a field goal winning it for either side then we will know something wasn’t on the up and up in this MNF contest. that would seem to point into something being setup for the game last night…………….so enough on it later on we may get to see if it is what it is.
saintbim
December 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
Saints and Rams game wasnt rigged by the nfl or any one else. your theory of your loss last nite is baseless.
Michael M.
December 27th, 2011
8:38 pm
Funny, everyone I have talked to today out here in the real world seems to think something fishy was going on that we don’t know about as the fan base.mmmmm, maybe they are wrong too and that’s the reason why I brought it up because I was already hit by 3 others out here they were thinking the same thing.
But as said we will surely find it out very shortly. So moving on from this topic and the focus goes to the next game on both our teams schedules.
Noneya
December 27th, 2011
8:42 pm
We are discussing Falcons football at 9:00 PM EST on our Falcons weekly wrap up. Log on and listen and then call in.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cpstylin/2011/12/28/falconsnfl-wrap-up-week-16
hiramsaint
December 27th, 2011
8:43 pm
go make a movie michael…nevermind , it’s already been done !
Michael M.
December 27th, 2011
8:45 pm
Ever see a movie ” Baby’s Day Out ” ? Last night was a new movie called ” Saints night Out”, it will come to a theater near you soon
He's No Drew Brees
December 27th, 2011
8:52 pm
Typical Atlanta fan living in fantasyland about the Falcons. Win against Jacksonville… woohoo Superbowl. Play a good team and lose… it’s gotta be fixed!
Surprising how it still hasn’t struck home that the Falcons team is over-hyped. They aren’t that good. Their schedule against weak and inconsistent teams has produced their record. Wait til the first game of the playoffs, you’ll see.
worst team in the league
December 27th, 2011
8:54 pm
Ben, pass the crack pipe. Either you are a moron or high as a kite and I prefer to give you the benefit of the doubt you crackhead
PlanB
December 27th, 2011
9:02 pm
I read only the first few posts so I may be duplicating some. I think our guys played as hard as they could but made some mistakes. We have MS as head coach. He has brought us respectability but is a 9-8 or 10-7 coach. The totals of 17 games is to show the play off loss we get when we play top calibre teams. Matt Ryan is a good QB but we are so out classed by Brees and Sean Payton. Their offensive schmes a superior to ours and MS is probably the cause. He either holds MM back or should have seen the problem before now. Trying to beat teams like GB and NO with the old school Def. Coordinator as MS was and being in charge of our offense will not work. We are good enough to beat most mediocre teams. We play about ten each year. MS has taken us as far as we can go. We have the talent but not the coaching. I hate to say this because I think MS, MM & BVG are nice guys. BVG’s 4 man rush didn’t help either. Now it’s up to Arthur. Find us a Sean Peyton
Columbus
December 27th, 2011
9:19 pm
The Falcons were in the game until nearly midway through the 4th quarter inspite of penalties and not getting TD’S but FG”S, allowing a kickoff for a TD and Jones’ fumble. Without the mistakes it was an even up game. The wheels came off after the kickoff return and/or the fumble by Jones but it was still a winnable game in the 4th even with all the mistakes and that is encoraging on one hand while very concerning on the other. The team needs more pass rush and less mistakes and they can compete with the Saints but they MUST sack, not just rush Rogers or there is no chance. Edwards and Abraham MUST be OUTSTANDING and the middle needs to pick it up! Smart well-executed blitzes also MUST be in the game plan!
Pass Rush. Pass Rush. Pass Rush!
hiramsaint
December 27th, 2011
9:31 pm
you must have watched a different game
falcon fan 24/7
December 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
Ryan became just the second quarterback in franchise history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season after posting a career-high with 373 passing yards. This season, Ryan has thrown for 4,065 yards, which trails QB Jeff George’s club record of 4,143 yards, set in 1995, by just 78 yards. Ryan, also tied his career highs with 32 completions and 52 pass attempts, and finished the game with a 92.9 passer rating.
The third-year signal caller has completed 339 of 557 pass attempts this season and is on pace to break his franchise records of 357 completions and 571 attempts set in 2010.
Ryan has thrown for 300-or-more yards in six games this season breaking George’s team record of four 300 yard games in 1995.
True Falcon
December 27th, 2011
9:47 pm
Mike Smith should fire Matt Ryan and VanGorder and hire professionals.If not Mr. Blank should fire Smith.This team has enough offensive and defensive weapons to win a championship. Matt Ryan doesn’t have the physical skills to play in the NFL.VanGorder’s defense is too vanilla. This combination will never get past the first round. I’m ready to move on.
Falcon Fan 24/7
December 27th, 2011
10:04 pm
True Falcons relax, we will be ok once the playoffs begin.Last night’s game was like a pre-season game.
We were ranked 8th in the FOX NFL power rankings before the game, after the loss we are still 8th in the power rankings. The NFL experts also knew this was a meaningless game for the Falcons. There was no way for NO or the Falcons to get a first round bye. Although, the Saints are hoping that the 49ers slip against the Rams.
Falcon Fan 24/7
December 27th, 2011
10:07 pm
News flash,Ryan became just the second quarterback in franchise history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season after posting a career-high with 373 passing yards. This season, Ryan has thrown for 4,065 yards, which trails QB Jeff George’s club record of 4,143 yards, set in 1995, by just 78 yards. Ryan, also tied his career highs with 32 completions and 52 pass attempts, and finished the game with a 92.9 passer rating.
The third-year signal caller has completed 339 of 557 pass attempts this season and is on pace to break his franchise records of 357 completions and 571 attempts set in 2010.
Ryan has thrown for 300-or-more yards in six games this season breaking George’s team record of four 300 yard games in 1995.
Falcon Fan 24/7
December 27th, 2011
10:09 pm
@ hiram aint,
You are the most obnoxious TROLL ever! Go away forever.
Eric C.
December 27th, 2011
10:21 pm
Falcon Fan 24/7…I totally disagree with you about this game being meaningless. The Falcons were still playing for the division and trying to keep pace with the Lions for the 5th seed as well. I wish it was a meaningless game and we could write off the effort as such.
TDThomas
December 27th, 2011
10:25 pm
Where do i “start. “Santa, this is what i want for Christmas, and hope for the “New Year”. 1) A new OC for the Falcon. 2) “Stop, calling Matt Ryan (Matt Ice) PLEASE! 3) Daunta Robinson, take a big pay cut, because he is only a over paid corner. 4) The entire Falcon organization get some “SWAGGER” 5) Learn what the word “SWAGGER mean. 6) Matt Ice (laugh) beg people not to call him Matt Ice, until he win a playoff game and get a heart. 7) Let most of the player go and get some who understand jobs are hard to get so i got to fight and kick ass, every time i play. Give coach Smith, a lession that nice guys finish last…i “really mean finsh last.
The new GM need to call the “PATROISH” and find out where he went wrong. 10) There is always next year, because it wont be this year.
OHIOdirtybird!!!!
December 27th, 2011
11:02 pm
All I want is to beat Dallas in the wild card round!!!(Don’t get me wrong I would like A LOT more, I just didn’t wanna seem greedy)
#1SaintsFan
December 28th, 2011
12:31 am
REALLY? WHY IS EVERYONE MAD THAT WE WERE RUNNING UP THE BOARD..ISNT THAT WHAT YOUR SUPPOSE TO DO?#SMH,,,HAD FALCONS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BREAK RECORDS THEY WOULD GO FOR IT 2
Mr. Thomas Anthony Jones, SR
December 28th, 2011
5:14 am
Told you the Falcons were overrated andd overhyped.
Stepchild
December 28th, 2011
8:37 am
Running up the score?? Good. They should. Maybe the Falcons brass will then realize that we aren’t a mere Wide receiver away from being Elite.
Saints R.E.A.M.
December 28th, 2011
8:38 am
Paper bag time, fellow Falcon Fans! Let’s show our displeasure at the dome…..that will get A. Blanks attention!!
Who needs 2 season tickets???
December 28th, 2011
9:37 am
Tired of paying $1,500 for mediocre results. Hey Arthur… how do you feel about the return on your investment? I don’t give a *%#!!*# that we make the playoffs every year… you play to win the Super Bowl. Nothing else matters.
Who needs 2 season tickets???
December 28th, 2011
9:43 am
Hey Arthur…you want a 1)new stadium with 2) more seats and undoubtedly 3)higher ticket prices for this product????!!!! I don’t think so make some changes now or you will NEVER sell out a new open air stadium.
Who needs 2 season tickets???
December 28th, 2011
9:49 am
Fire Everybody! HC, OC, DC everybody! Show the fans that you have the balls to roll heads and that just making the playoffs is not good enough. We need a coach that holds people accountable for poor play. Not a nice guy that keeps saying what we need to “work on”. I know what we need to work on too…so JUST DO IT! or go back to Jacksonville
Who needs 2 season tickets???
December 28th, 2011
9:52 am
Every NFL team should believe SUPER BOWL or BUST. Not winning record. Not Make the Playoffs. S-U-P-E-R-B-O-W-L. We have to renew our mindset!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Preston Thompson
December 28th, 2011
11:18 am
Did anybody hear the commentator make the statement, ‘the saints running backs run like it will be the last time they get the chance’? To win a ballgame you gotta play with fire in the gut. The birds didn’t have any. Not even a spark.
I can’t fault Julio for the fumble trying to get more yards. What time he’s played he’s had a pretty good result. He can only get better.
Matt has to work his tail off and not listen or read the print about how good he is. He has to work on the long ball all summer. With the recievers he’ll be pitching to. The defensive backs, excluding Grimes, who’s worth keeping? Money be damned, Robinson has to go. He’s taking up room somebody else needs.
But you can forget the draft for next year. Don’t have any picks. But I would trade Blank for Trent Ala and Rambo from UGA.
Somethings got to give.
One more thing. Why not keep this deal on football and the personal digging some of you are so into. Do you lack football knowledge?
hiramsaint
December 28th, 2011
11:28 am
Maybe the game was fixed. Just goes to show you that the NFL doesn’t care about the ATL. It is obvious who they love the most. And everytime there is a big moment for the Saints, the Falcants are the opponent and they get shelled. EVERYTIME!!!!!
Frankie
December 28th, 2011
11:59 am
THe OC and DC wern’t the ones missing the tackles. THey need a new secondary, they need to know who is covering who..their is no excuse for every pass to be uncontested…
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