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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–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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117 comments Add your comment
B Burns
August 10th, 2012
6:12 pm
Only god can help the Falcons! Hope He isn’t a real football fan.
B Burns
August 10th, 2012
6:15 pm
You misprinted “God”in my comments. God is always spelled with a capital “G”!
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[...] Q&A with Falcons coach Mike Smith after the loss to the Ravens [...]
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
6:51 pm
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.
___________________
You can continue to spin it any way you want, but your are defending, accepting, and rationalizing losing–years and years of it. That alone–not just my opinion–makes you a loser. And how in the hell would you know that stating a simple fact makes me “feel pretty tough”? I don’t feel tough at all about you losers–not by any stretch.
And you don’t need to “feel pretty bad” for me at all. I’m happy with–and thankful for–every single victory my teams manage, and I despair over every loss. It’s called being passionate about your teams–something you obviously know nothing about.
“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.” You’re right; I wouldn’t say that. Nor would I get on a blog and defend/rationalize/justify those losses–or criticize someone who found them unacceptable. That’s what losers do, and you fit the profile perfectly. Florida State did win the big one during that stretch, by the way, twice, actually–and UGA once. I obviously didn’t “jump off a bridge” when they lost, so you can drop your two-bit philosophy about me. Feel free, of course, to maintain your pathetic loser defense.
How many times have the Falcons whose losses you so staunchly defend won the big one?
Tell you what, I’ll “get some perspective, man” when you get a life.
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
8:02 pm
@DawgNole:
Fair enough. I’m about to get a little personal here, because you insist on calling me and others on this blog “losers.”
I thought you might actually be a good guy who’s just a little too amped up, but you’ve made it clear that’s not the case. It’s pretty obvious that you’re probably a frustrated failed athlete who hasn’t let go of the “glory days” of high school or learned what’s important in life.
You’re probably one of those guys yelling at the umpire in little league games. In short, you’re the kind of bully who will call a man a “loser” on an internet chat board, but too cowardly to say it to his face. If you and I were sitting at a table across from each other, I assure you that you would not use that word.
I have a loving family, a good job, a home, plenty of friends. Ten of us are about to go out and celebrate a friend’s birthday. You, on the other hand, will be sitting on your computer, frustrated that not enough people are mad that we don’t have another backup middle linebacker ready to go.
It is sad. But I don’t care enough even to pity you now. You crossed a line by continuing to call us “losers,” and it is not appreciated.
Mikey
August 10th, 2012
8:25 pm
An awesome start! It’s great to see football again!Julio is a beast and Roddy is still going strong! Ryan will hurt whoever they play with his quick accurate release and his no-huddle command. Peria Jerry looks like his old self again and will be a force. I LOVED the WR screen and Julio is the man to run it. They still need to work on downfield blocking technique a bit becasue that one should have gone for a touchdown. The big boys all did a great job getting out there though and see nothing but improvment going forward. Nothing will hold a reckless D-Line charge like a demonstrated ability to execute that screen. I saw flashes of brilliance from a few of the rookies which is pretty good for their first time on the NFL field.
I LIKE the new defense… WOW! is all I can say. If they keep going at this pace, they will give us some happy weekends! There were nearly 40 players out there for three quarters that will not make the team so I have no great expectations for perfect play and saw about what you would expect. Except of course for the TV coverage… breaking away from an active football game to have someone give us a meaningless interview just about put me over the top. I want to see FOOTBALL… I want to see the FALCONS. Big steps in the right direction for sure and I couldn’t be happier… GO FALCONS!
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
8:38 pm
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
8:02 pm
@DawgNole:
Fair enough. I’m about to get a little personal here, because you insist on calling me and others on this blog “losers.”
I thought you might actually be a good guy who’s just a little too amped up, but you’ve made it clear that’s not the case. It’s pretty obvious that you’re probably a frustrated failed athlete who hasn’t let go of the “glory days” of high school or learned what’s important in life.
You’re probably one of those guys yelling at the umpire in little league games. In short, you’re the kind of bully who will call a man a “loser” on an internet chat board, but too cowardly to say it to his face. If you and I were sitting at a table across from each other, I assure you that you would not use that word.
I have a loving family, a good job, a home, plenty of friends. Ten of us are about to go out and celebrate a friend’s birthday. You, on the other hand, will be sitting on your computer, frustrated that not enough people are mad that we don’t have another backup middle linebacker ready to go.
It is sad. But I don’t care enough even to pity you now. You crossed a line by continuing to call us “losers,” and it is not appreciated.
________________________
You still on here trying to get in the last word? Like I said, get a life.
You don’t know me, you arrogant azz, so get off your high horse–and off of this blog with your insufferable preaching and your thinly veiled threats. And if you don’t want to be labeled a loser, stop acting like one.
Nite Owl
August 10th, 2012
9:04 pm
@DawgNole:
Not a veiled threat. I’m just saying that you wouldn’t call a man a “loser” to his face. You don’t get that yet, do you? I may not know you, but I know enough. You crossed a line, broke a “man law,” whatever you want to call it. But you don’t get it. Fine.
Gotta go. Enjoy the last word, enjoy calling people losers. It just occurred to me that I do, in fact, have a life to get back to. I’ll save you some cake.
Good talk, Russ.
DawgNole
August 10th, 2012
9:37 pm
You don’t know nearly enough to know me.
You been saying you gotta go for three hours, so go already.
And thanks for the cake.
kkong
August 11th, 2012
4:19 am
Hey, these are the Falcons, man…what do you expect. This is just the way it is.
savannadawg
August 11th, 2012
8:38 am
If Aruther Blank wants to win, and I mean win big! You go after one of the Harbaugh coaches and you let him run the whole organization from top to bottom. They have proven they know NFL team building. And they have proven they can win on any level. Arthur, you have to look purely at the numbers my man, thats all.
savannadawg
August 11th, 2012
8:40 am
DawgNole and Nite Owl. Ya’ll please kiss each other and make up! Please!!!!
Only an idiot coach plays their 1st team that long in preseason
August 11th, 2012
8:52 am
Falclowns are bush league….Saints own you….fact…
Must su.ck to have never won a SB….we would not know in the great city of Nawlins….#2 on the way this year..
But then again,the FAILCANTS can’t win a playoff game…lmao…pathetic joke…truth hurts, huh? Jealous, huh?
Sincerely,
Saints Troll
Michael M.
August 11th, 2012
9:12 am
I never saw sign a comment with sincerely. Whoever you are this shows you are an idiot and stop talking about the past when this is the future from the next minute on………… ” The Falcons just may OWN you and your Saints this Season. “
Michael M.
August 11th, 2012
9:13 am
In fact, who knows, they may OWN the whole NFC South !
hiramsaint
August 11th, 2012
10:51 am
and frogs may fly out of your butt-NOT
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