Head Coach Mike Smith, Aug. 13
Q: It looked like a pretty physical practice today.
A: “Yes it was. This is really the last time we will be in pads prior to the game on Saturday. It was a one-a-day. They had a chance to meet this morning and I thought it was spirited. We had some fun out there and got some situational work done.”
Q: Can you talk about getting (Todd) McClure back out there at practice?
A: “That was nice to see. He was out there yesterday and to see him come out today is very exciting.”
Q: Can you give an overall assessment of the team and what you still want to see as you attack the NFC south?
A: “The big thing that we’ve got to do is continue to get better everyday. I think it’s important that our guys understand that. We made a lot of errors in the game last week and we want to see improvement in those. Especially in the procedural errors in terms of our false starts and offsides. I thought that our guys have played competitively and passionately, but we need to start working on our technique.”
Q: How is the attitude of the team?
A: “The attitude has been outstanding. These guys have worked hard all the way through OTAs, mini camps, and training camp. They’ve worked extremely hard and have done everything that we’ve asked them to do. That’s a positive for our football team.”
Q: What have you seen in terms of Matt Ryan’s progression?
A: “Matt has progressed extremely fast in terms of picking up the offense. In the OTAs, he showed us that he was going to have the ability to get a good feel for what we are doing. I thought he played well in the game the other night. For his first action in the NFL against one of the better defenses in the league, I thought he did a nice job. Of course, he saw some simple defenses. It will get more complicated as we move through the preseason and get to regular season. We’re pleased with his progress to this point.”
Q: Talk about going against the Colts in the dome for the first time.
A: “Indianapolis is a team that has been very successful. I have a lot of familiarity with them having played them twice a year. Some other guys on our staff, Alvin (Reynolds) and Ray (Hamilton) played against them. We know what they’re going to do schematically. Of course, we are not going to see their number one quarterback. We’re going to see their backups. I think (Jim) Sorgi will start and we’ll see Quinn Gray and (Jared) Lorenzen. They’re very efficient with what they do. We’re going to get tested in the passing game. I think it will be a good test for our guys to see how we’re going to handle their schemes. It’s one of the best schemes in the league. They’re very successful.”
Q: What is your plan with your quarterback rotation?
A: “We are going to announce tomorrow how we’re going to start. As we’ve said, everyone is going to get an opportunity to play. We’re going to make sure all of the guys get an opportunity to work with the first string. We’ll make that announcement tomorrow.”
Q: What have you seen in Harry Douglas so far?
A: “Harry is a guy that goes full speed, 100 miles an hour everyday. He’s not real big in stature, but he plays a lot bigger than he is. He’s a guy that we can line up in multiple positions and try to get mismatches. He’s done a very good job and we anticipate that he will continue to progress.”
Q: Is Roddy White still hungry to improve on his success last year?
A: “Roddy is a very competitive guy, not only on the field but off of the field. I like his demeanor and attitude. He comes out to the field ready to play. He enjoys it. I think he’s going to have another big year. Roddy has very good speed and size. He can run after the catch and body against smaller defensive backs.”
Q: Are there any updates on (John) Abraham or (Alex) Stepanovich?
A: “Stepanovich is progressing. We’ve got him trying to relax and stay in the training room. John worked with the trainers today. We’ll just see how he feels over the next couple of days in terms of what his status will be for the game.”
Q: Was it good to see Chris Houston practice today?
A: “It’s really good to see Chris back out on the practice field. Chris has worked extremely hard with his shoulder to get back. He’s been working diligently in the training room. He’s been working on his conditioning and that’s a good sign to have a guy wanting to get back on the field.”
Q: What is Brent Grimes’ status?
A: “Brent came back out today and got some work. He had tweaked his knee in the ball game. He was out there and really doing full speed stuff today for the first time in a couple of days.”
RELATED LINKS:
- COVERAGE: Click here for complete coverage from 2008 Russell Falcons Training Camp
- NOTEBOOK: Hartsock confident tight ends will fight through injury
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Todd McClure | Chris Houston
- BIRDSEED: J. Mike reviews and comments on Falcons news
