FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Teammates and coaches consistently praise Brent Grimes for his unique athletic ability. The reserved cornerback often accepts the compliments with a shy grin, knowing athletic ability can only go so far in the NFL.
It also takes brain power.
His thoughts came into focus Sunday as Panthers wide receiver Mushin Muhammad caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Carolina defeated the visiting Falcons 24-9 by taking to the air and breaking a defense that struggled to get pressure on quarterback Jake Delhomme.
In response, Grimes and his teammates are focused on studying their mistakes.
"You just look at the film and learn from it," Grimes said Monday. "That happened yesterday. You can't keep thinking about yesterday. You have to play the next game."
Head Coach Mike Smith applauded his team for spirited play in Sunday's loss but turned to a list of mental errors when identifying where the line formed between victory and defeat.
"After we reviewed the tape, like I said yesterday, we made way too many mistakes as a football team," he said. "I like the effort of our football team. I thought we continued to fight and the mistakes we made I thought they were all correctable and fixable."
The first-year head coach made a concise list in explaining the problems that plagued his offense in Charlotte.
- Third down conversions (the Falcons were 2-of-13)
- Red zone penalties (two knocked the Birds outside the 10)
- six dropped passes(three on third down)
The team took the first steps to solving problems by talking through miscues Monday morning.
"I think those physical mistakes are going to happen," quarterback Matt Ryan said when asked about dropped passes. "That's the way the ball bounces sometimes when you're in this game... You have to understand those guys are going to come back and make the same big plays they have been making."
On defense, Smith wants his team to get to the quarterback. For the first time in 2008 the Falcons left the field without recording a sack.
"Defensively we gave up entirely too many explosive plays," he said. "We weren't able to put pressure on the quarterback. I think a little bit of (that) was by their design. They gave up a number of sacks the week before and they shortened their drops but still we have to find a way to get pressure on the quarterback. He was way too comfortable in the pocket yesterday."
Smith said the defensive line, linebackers and secondary must work in concert to be successful. Without pressure, everything becomes more difficult. Success there and a more could fall into place -- like the return of athletic interceptions and the still elusive road victory.
"It's a challenge for anybody to win games on the road but if you want to be a good team that's what you have to do," Grimes said. "We just have to learn how to win games on the road so we can take that next step toward being a good team."
INJURY REPORT: Lawyer Milloy left Sunday's game after taking a shot to the chest. Smith said the veteran safety was sore Monday but will rely on his toughness in his recovery. Tackle Sam Baker and wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who were inactive against the Panthers, are "day to day."
IN THE COMMUNITY: Four Falcons players will be reading to students at two Hall County libraries Tuesday.
Cornerback Chris Houston and fullback Ovie Mughelli will be reading at the Gainesville Branch. Defensive end Jamaal Anderson and tight end Ben Hartsock will be spending time at the Spout Springs Branch.
Players will appear at both locations from 4-5 p.m. Click here for more information.
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-PANTHERS GAME:
- GAME RECAP: Falcons "drop" division game in Charlotte
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes from the Bank of America Stadium press box
- POSTGAME QUOTES: Smith | Falcons | Panthers
- GAME BLOG: Follow live updates from the press box
- GAME CENTER: News, stats and play-by-play from NFL.com
- FOLLOW THE BIRDS: On Twitter | Flickr
- INACTIVES: Gameday inactives and starters
- BOARDS: Talk about the team with other fans on FalconsLIFE
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: News and commentary from the Managing Editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Matt Ryan
- HIGHLIGHTS: Game highlights from NFL Network
