Atlanta Falcons: Q&A with Falcons coach Mike Smith
Falcons coach Mike Smith addressing the media after the 31-17 loss to the Ravens. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/DLedbetter@ajc.com)
Falcons coach Mike Smith was not pleased with the overall effort against the Baltimore Ravens.
Here’s what he had to say after the game:
OPENING STATEMENT: Anytime that you go out and step on the field, the objective is to win the ball game. I think we did a lot of things that will takeaway from your opportunities to win ball games. You can’t turn the ball over four times. You can’t have eight or nine penalties for plus 100 yards. Two of them on defense that kept drives alive.
But with that being said, you look at different parts of the game and there were some very good things that took place in the ball game. We’ve got a lot of things to correct on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game. There were some positives. There was Dominique Franks with the punt return that he had there in the first half. He set us up in the red-zone. That was a real nice return.
ON THE PLAY OF THE FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE AND FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE: I think that they were very effective. They were very efficient. We did have a turnover in the red-zone. Offensively, you’d like to have those opportunities back. You definitely want to leave the red-zone with at least three points and preferably seven. I thought we threw the ball well. The protection held up and our running game was sufficient. We tried to do a no-huddle situation with every group tonight. I thought that when we were in no-huddle we did a nice job. Defensively, the first unit did some good things in terms of third down efficiency. You guys know the stats. They were very good on third down efficiency and played well while they were in there.
Again, guys, there was a lot of guys on this football that just aren’t on the first- or second-unit that are going to have to play well for us at some point in time during the season for us to have the season that we want to have. That’s the main focus of these first couple of preseason games, to see what those guys are going to be capable of doing.
ANY UPDATE ON DENT? ANY REGRETS ON HAVING HIM OUT THERE ON THE PUNT COVERAGE TEAM: He’s a core special teams player. He’s our base linebacker. He’s going to have to play some special teams throughout the season. When you are a base player, you are playing about 45 percent of the snaps. No regrets whatsoever and I can’t tell you about the other injury stuff because I haven’t had the opportunity to have the follow-up meeting with the physician and the trainer.
ON HARRY DOUGLAS: Harry had an issue with his ribs from the work against the Tennessee Titans and we felt it was in our best interest to hold him out.
ON JULIO’S BIG DAY: Julio continues to progress like he did last year. I think he made some real strong catches. That was a great catch there in the end zone. He went over 100 yards in the short time that he was playing out there. I thought Roddy [White] did a nice job as well. I thought Matt [Ryan] threw the ball well.
ON THE PASS PROTECTION: Before I watch the film, it seemed like the pocket was clean for the most part when he was in there. Matt was 9 out of 13 for 155 yards, one touchdown and one interception. They did a nice job and there were some pressure schemes. Baltimore is a very aggressive defense. There were some pressure schemes and I thought that our guys handled it well.
ON THE PASSING GAME: We’re going through this preseason and this offseason trying to continue to find what our guys do well. Tonight with the installation those were some of the things we wanted to look at. There was no game-planning done on this game at all. We are just going right along with what our installation. There will be no game-planning for the game next Thursday. The first time that we’ll game-plan for our opponent will be the third and fourth preseason games.
ON FIRST DOWN PLAYS: I think it’s going to be very important for any offensive team to get ahead of the chains. You get ahead of the chains by making big plays on first down. Sometimes, it’s often overlooked that the third down efficiency for an offense is the most important thing. But if you can make first downs on first down or first downs on second down and never get to third down, it’s usually a pretty darn good thing. That’s something that I thought we did very well tonight.
ON THE BACKUP QUARTERBACK BATTLE: I think it’s wide open. I think you saw after our first quarterback left, we had everybody else got an opportunity to do it. It will play itself out over the next three weeks. I don’t think anybody has an advantage, who’s up on the other one. We’re going to let these guys put a body of work out there and we’re going to evaluate it at the end of the preseason.
ON THE CHALLENGE: It was a bad challenge by Coach Smith. It didn’t get reversed, so it was a bad challenge.
ON THE REPLACEMENT REFS: It was like any other preseason game in my mind. Everybody was out there for the first time playing games. We’ve got a lot of things that we have to correct, starting with us as a coaching staff.
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OTHER TOP STORIES
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Falcons counting on Sean Weatherspoon’s playmaking ability
Former Alabama linebacker Jerrell Harris turning some heads at camp
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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117 comments Add your comment
FalconFANatic
August 10th, 2012
10:34 am
Poor-And your team had never “won” (learn to spell you illiterate a$$) a superbowl until 3 years ago. The Falcons will have thier chance, maybe even this year. Julio was in beast mode…your Taints better be ready for that monster..
D'OH!
August 10th, 2012
10:36 am
I know that it’s only the 1st game of the pre-season, but I love watching the Falcant’s lose no matter what type of game it is. Get ready for that big 5 season win total this year.
Cejay
August 10th, 2012
10:36 am
@ Poor falxants
It didn’t take the Falcons 39 years to win their first playoff game ! hahahahahaha
TruFalcon
August 10th, 2012
10:37 am
Look the referees might have been kinda bad (calling us Arizona!), but the announcers and camera crew were god awful for this game. Did they also have a replacement crew for the TV network?
Shaky camera work, horrible announcing work. They were more interested in showing random interviews with TD and charities than showing the game! They hardly did any replays (hated that they didn’t replay Dent’s sack), and that dude Hans needs to leave the reporting industry altogether. Falcons fans actually want to WATCH THE GAME.
Anyways, Falcons first teams looked on point, looking forward to a lot of success from Julio during the season. Our backups could definitely use some work.
FalconFANatic
August 10th, 2012
10:38 am
Flacon never learn-Is that spelling and grammer serious?! That is pathetic if it is…
D'OH!
August 10th, 2012
10:38 am
AHHH, you mean ole refs. Shame on you. Cry me a river. The Falcant’s are and always will be a mediocre team. Face it!
BK
August 10th, 2012
10:43 am
THE FIRST STRING LOOKED GOOD JULIO WAS GREAT, BUT WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH DOMINIQUE DAVIS , I FEEL HE SHOULD MOVE UP TO SECOND STRING BASE ON WHAT WE SEEN LAST NIGHT,,PARKER NEEDS TO PARK IT AND GO HOME..I WOULD LIKE TO STILL SEE THE FALCONS USE SOME MORE SCREEN PLAYS WITH THE BACKS WE GOT..
KEEP WORKING GO FALCONS!!!!!!
Leeroy
August 10th, 2012
10:45 am
http://i.imgur.com/rcxk3.jpg
Cejay
August 10th, 2012
10:46 am
D’oh – the collective sound heard acroos LA as the $100 million dollar man complete one pass and no touch downs !!! hahahahahaha
D'OH!
August 10th, 2012
10:47 am
@Cejay – You mean something like this….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6GuEswXOXo
SeenThis B4
August 10th, 2012
10:47 am
@Cejay: Yeah, regretably, there wasn’t much to say about our 1st team offense, other than they mailed it in. But, I’m not worried about our 1st team offense, they’ll play with heart when it counts. However, I was happy with our 1st team defense, they stopped a potent offense dead in its tracks and put a lot of pressure on Brady, glad to see his x-rays were negative by the way.
PMC
August 10th, 2012
11:01 am
Tru Falcon, I thought Charles Davis was pretty solid. The overall media production wasn’t good, but they only do it 4 times a year. They were light years better than the NFL Network opened with.
sAints could not even score a TD last night
August 10th, 2012
11:01 am
Glad to see
Drew Brees complete 1 out of 4 for a whopping four yards.
PMC
August 10th, 2012
11:02 am
SeenthisB4, are you not much more confident against the run now with Curtis Lofton in the middle?
cdog
August 10th, 2012
11:07 am
once a bunch of the dead weight is gone, you will see the real team.put dominique davis with the first group as well john parker wilson and you will have you”re 2 and 3 quarterbacks on the team.i told you chris redman is a loser.if he is kept, i know there is a traversty on the falcons coaching staff.he can”t run or pass plus whatever it takes to lose, he does it
SeenThis B4
August 10th, 2012
11:09 am
@PMC: And if Judge Berrigan has her way today, even more confident with Vilma backing Lofton up.
Esquire
August 10th, 2012
11:10 am
DLed says the Falcons were no match for the Ravens………..dude, you do know this is preseason football don’t you?
Mikey
August 10th, 2012
11:27 am
Jesus Christ…are most of you really fans or are you those fairweather people that only come around when the Falcons are winning? It’s the damn preseason, and most of you are acting like we lost a playoff game. Grow up and enjoy the next 3 weeks. Complain when we lose to KC in week 1, not becasue we lost a meaningless preseason game.
First time Season Tix Holder
August 10th, 2012
11:29 am
Wow……I just got home from the game because I was arrested.
I tried to sneak in some liquor but they took it from me. I got real mad. The security guy was a jerk. I got to my seat, still mad so I got me a beer. Then another and another. Both me and my wife were drinking a lot. They quit selling beer before the game was over. That made me real mad. I got in an arguement with one of those guys in a yellow shirt about it. He called me a cracker hillbilly so I punched him. Took 3 cops to hand cuff me. I’m still mad. There were 2 other people that heard him call me a cracker hillbilly so I hope they drop the charges. I am still mad. Especially since the Falcons lost.
Saints2013
August 10th, 2012
11:41 am
Same ole team, same ole excuses
Jakadame
August 10th, 2012
11:45 am
The first team offense play, overall, was good. Matt Ryan continues to stare down his intended receivers and thusly makes it easy for a good defensive backfield to make adjustments. BTW – an Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees does not get handed a 1st and 10 at the opponents 15 yard line after a punt return and immediatey throw an interception. While I have nothing against Matt Ryan, I think that the Falcons are one mobile/shotgun armed quarterback away from becoming a respected team in this league. We need a QB with the “killer” instinct. The backup QB situation is a farce. The Falcons released JPW last year – why bring him back to underperform again? Neither he or Redman show any signs of energy, aggressiveness or quality QB play. I was more excited by watching Davis scramble out of the tackle of the Ravens behind the line of scrimmage and throw downfield (farther than either JPW or Redman). Please let this young QB take some snaps with some people who can catch his passes. He’s tall, mobile and seems to have a great arm – the total package that none of the other Falcon QBs possess. While I don’t expect him to unseat Matt Ryan this year, I feel that considerable attention should be given to him to speed up his development. At this point, he is our best answer for a backup QB.
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
12:08 pm
Mikey
August 10th, 2012
11:27 am
Jesus Christ…are most of you really fans or are you those fairweather people that only come around when the Falcons are winning? It’s the damn preseason, and most of you are acting like we lost a playoff game. Grow up and enjoy the next 3 weeks. Complain when we lose to KC in week 1, not becasue we lost a meaningless preseason game.
_______________________
Classic ATL loser mentality. Always justifying losses–even one in which the team blew a 14-point lead.
Doesn’t matter what kind of game it was. They kept score, didn’t they?! YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!
Loser.
Hollywould
August 10th, 2012
12:43 pm
Dawg, They even have tie games in spring training even though thery keep score. That is why it is called spring training or pre-season. Hell, Our first teams were totally dominating. Cry on boy.
Paddy
August 10th, 2012
12:52 pm
Frst Time Season Tix Holder……….Pal, try roller derby, they have fewer rules. Plus tatooed foreheads don’t set them off like real sporting event personnel. Never have seen a cop at a
Bay Area Bombers games. Think you might be safe there.
Just Sayin.....
August 10th, 2012
12:52 pm
Why does the Ravens short and long term goals which started the same year as this team in 2008, look a whole lot rosier?
Just sayin
Just Sayin.....
August 10th, 2012
12:57 pm
Looks like a lot of cut & paste from 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 preseason. Lots of praise until the playoff starts, they they play games that count most.
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
12:57 pm
Hollywould
August 10th, 2012
12:43 pm
Dawg, They even have tie games in spring training even though thery keep score. That is why it is called spring training or pre-season. Hell, Our first teams were totally dominating. Cry on boy.
______________________
Ignorant, irrelevant comment. We didn’t tie the game–we LOST! AGAIN! And you’re fine with that, aren’t you?
LOSER.
JSS
August 10th, 2012
1:04 pm
Whaddya, I’ll mark you down for post-concussive stupidity! That explains a lot, read other comments instead of trying defend you ignorant ranting…
PMC…
Thanks, Rex, Doug Johnson, Joey Harrington and Jimmy Clausen give me the woolies!
Gamer
August 10th, 2012
1:12 pm
Ryan was on pace of a 400yards passing game…..Julio on pace of 200plus receiving yards…..
The Falcons run game looked solid, especially Jacquizz.
The starting defensive unit looked stout against the run and pretty good in passing downs….
If this is a true reflection of the Falcons starting unit….then I’ll forecast Falcons regular season 11-5
FALCONS ON THREE, DOMINATE!!!
Hollywould
August 10th, 2012
1:46 pm
Dawg, wake up man. It is preseason/ doesn’t count.
Mora less Petrino
August 10th, 2012
2:06 pm
It was a preseason game! You play practice games to see what needs to be worked on and to build experience. The coaches and players from every team in every sport learn from preseason games and make adjustments.
Whadda Ya Know?
August 10th, 2012
2:15 pm
JSS you know what you can do right? Yeah, your use to doing it. Figure it out.
Open Minded
August 10th, 2012
3:11 pm
This is a hard-core group! It is PRE-SEASON guys! Give them a break for crying out loud.
The first unit was very solid… give them some credit. The Falcons will be a serious contender this year as they have in the past seasons with Coach Smith.
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
3:18 pm
Hollywould
August 10th, 2012
1:46 pm
Dawg, wake up man. It is preseason/ doesn’t count.
Mora less Petrino
August 10th, 2012
2:06 pm
It was a preseason game! You play practice games to see what needs to be worked on and to build experience. The coaches and players from every team in every sport learn from preseason games and make adjustments.
_______________________
And what “adjustments” have the Falcons, who’ve NEVER won a Super Bowl and haven’t even won a playoff game since 2004, made from their preseason games?
Acceptance of losing is called loser mentality, and it permeates this city’s pro teams and their fans. Always has. The result: ONE championship in 155 seasons of competition.
Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
3:25 pm
Open Minded
August 10th, 2012
3:11 pm
The Falcons will be a serious contender this year as they have in the past seasons with Coach Smith.
____________________
Serious contender with Smith? You’re kidding, right?
How many playoff games have they won with Smith? How serious a contender is a team whose head coach has never won a playoff game?
What’s serious about this team is the fact that it has ZERO championships to show for its nearly half-century of existence.
Cejay
August 10th, 2012
3:32 pm
Man, you need some valium. lol
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
3:33 pm
I don’t think it’s called “loser,” DawgNole. It’s called being mentally balanced. Some fans have a life other than living and dying with results of a football game. I think if you call someone a “loser” to their face, they should be able to punch you in the nose. But you’re here on a blog, so you feel entitled to say something like that. Who’s the real loser here?
I don’t WANT to lose. I REALLY want to win. But who cares what I think in the end? Arthur Blank, Thomas Dimitroff, and Coach Smith all really want to win. Hell, Coach Smith and TD know that their job is on the line. That’s good enough for me. They’ll do their job, I’ll watch the games and say, “Go Falcons.”
At the end of the day, though, they’re just putting out an entertainment product and only one team is left standing at the end of the year. I hope it’s us, but if it’s not, I feel pretty confident that Blank will go find another coach or do what he thinks is necessary to win a championship.
Have you ever heard Blank say he doesn’t care? Did he throw that press conference to tell everyone it was okay not to win in the playoffs? Exactly.
So, thhpppt. It’s their job. Me, I have a life. They’re not helping me pay my mortgage or raise my kids. But like, Go Falcons.
Cejay
August 10th, 2012
3:36 pm
Well said Nite Owl
hiramsaint
August 10th, 2012
3:56 pm
cj- how long did it take the failclowns to win their 1st superbowl-nevermind -whens the last time y’all won a playoff game-nevermind whens the last time your O scored in a playoff game . failclowns= irrelevant…again
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
4:07 pm
Thanks, Cejay.
@hiramsaint:
Ever see “Hater’s Ball” on Chappelle Show? I see you at the podium: “I hate you, I hate you, I don’t even know YOU and I hate your guts…”
You gotta pace yourself, man. It’s a long season, and if the Falcons DO win the Super Bowl, I don’t think you’ll be able to deal with it. I think your head will actually explode.
» A “Dent” in the Falcons Plans The Dirty "Bird Nest"
August 10th, 2012
4:22 pm
[...] Mike Smith said he had no current update on middle linebacker Akeem Dent, who suffered a concussion; in Thursday nights preseason game. The [...]
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
4:26 pm
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
3:33 pm
I don’t think it’s called “loser,” DawgNole. It’s called being mentally balanced. Some fans have a life other than living and dying with results of a football game. I think if you call someone a “loser” to their face, they should be able to punch you in the nose. But you’re here on a blog, so you feel entitled to say something like that. Who’s the real loser here?
I don’t WANT to lose. I REALLY want to win. But who cares what I think in the end? Arthur Blank, Thomas Dimitroff, and Coach Smith all really want to win. Hell, Coach Smith and TD know that their job is on the line. That’s good enough for me. They’ll do their job, I’ll watch the games and say, “Go Falcons.”
At the end of the day, though, they’re just putting out an entertainment product and only one team is left standing at the end of the year. I hope it’s us, but if it’s not, I feel pretty confident that Blank will go find another coach or do what he thinks is necessary to win a championship.
_____________________
“Some fans have a life other than living and dying with results of a football game.” That’s exactly what losers say after yet another loss.
“Who’s the real loser here?” The fans to whom it matters whether the team wins or loses.
“I don’t WANT to lose. I REALLY want to win. But who cares what I think in the end?” The Falcons don’t. The bloggers don’t. And you apparently don’t either.
“Hell, Coach Smith and TD know that their job is on the line. That’s good enough for me. They’ll do their job . . . .” They haven’t done their job yet. If you’re delusional enough to think that this year they suddenly will, then you certainly aren’t “mentally balanced.”
” . . . only one team is left standing at the end of the year. I hope it’s us, but if it’s not, I feel pretty confident that Blank will go find another coach or do what he thinks is necessary to win a championship.” And your confidence is based on . . .?
Meanwhile, go right ahead and continue to defend, accept, and embrace the losses. I am fully aware that your (and Cejay’s) loser mentality makes it difficult for you not to. Just don’t expect those of us who TRULY want to win to accept your lame rationalizations.
hiramsaint
August 10th, 2012
4:43 pm
nite owl- if a bullfrog had wings , he wouldn’t have to bump his butt on the ground. keep on “if” ing , it’s worked so far…or has it ?
hiramsaint
August 10th, 2012
4:44 pm
p.s.- nothin’ but love for ya ! ha
Saints cheat & live off of pity
August 10th, 2012
5:07 pm
What possible explanation coulld there be for trolling a rival teams blog when your own team was unable to even score one measly touchdown? Alcohol and crack. Rock and liquor is the cornerstone of any taint’s fans breakfast lunch and dinner. They love it so much they would almost be willing to work to get it. Almost.
Michael M.
August 10th, 2012
5:19 pm
Say it aint so…………hiram………..your boy’s high powered offense could only muster just 2 itsy bitsy field goals ? what happen ?…………………………..
Price
August 10th, 2012
5:34 pm
Any update on our rookie fullback, Bradie Ewing? I hated to see him go down like that last night.
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
5:47 pm
@DawgNole:
The disappointing thing about people like you is that, if we were sitting down and talking in real life, you’d never say things like that to another man’s face. You can call someone a “loser” and call them “lame” and feel pretty tough. We’re not in high school anymore; this is the real world.
I feel pretty bad for you, because with an attitude like that you can only be happy if your team wins it all. All those years Florida State finished in the Top 5 but didn’t win the big one—were you a “loser” then? I don’t think you would say that.
And besides, you’ve got it all wrong. I don’t like to lose. I’m just not going around calling grown men “losers” because they don’t jump off a bridge when their sports team doesn’t win it all. Get some perspective, man.
Jerome Jones
August 10th, 2012
5:51 pm
Who in the world scouted ‘quizz Rodgers as a breakaway running threat? The Ravens Rainey is what a breakaway runner looks my dear sirs who make scouting/free agent decisions.
I suppose us-From Day One “Football” fans in Falcon Land suffer from another season of a running back who needs a hill available for a running start to waste downs.–Geez
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
5:57 pm
@hiramsaint:
You’re cracking me up, man. Don’t take away my “ifs”! It’s all I have. We’re all starting 0-0. I’m just not happy about opening up with the Chiefs on the road and Denver at home. Dangerous games.
Dang, gotta jet. DLed’s put up like four more posts, including Ewing being out for the year.