Head Coach Herm Edwards
Opening Remarks
“I was really happy with the injury report. I feel like everyone got out OK. I thought the first half was a defensive game. We let them have a big run and we missed some tackles. They got their first score. Then, on third down, they got their big pass. We were down. Offensively, we were trying to get some numbers on the board. In the second half, we got on the board and were able to get a touchdown. I thought our offense moved the ball again in the fourth quarter. We put ourselves in the position to score. We were down early and tried to fight back in the fourth quarter to make it a little bit of a game. We left two scores on the field that we should have got in. We missed a field goal and a touchdown. We just couldn’t put points on the board.”
Q: You knew it was going to get rough with having so many young guys. Were you surprised today after the way they played the past couple of weeks?
A: “Yes. We have played pretty well, but you can’t accomplish anything with three and outs. We didn’t get a big run and we missed some tackles. We gave them a big pass on third and 11. We are struggling sometimes in different phases.”
Q: Your defense should be ahead of your offense at this point. Is this disappointing after you have spent a lot of resources trying to fix that?
A: “Yes, it is drastically different for the most part. We have got to play hard defensively. There is no doubt about it. We haven’t the past two weeks.”
Q: You are at a point where every point counts. Could you talk about the missed field goal and the other point opportunities?
A: “It is in the range again where you are thinking ‘This is a two score game’. With the missed field goal, it became a three score game. In the end, when you don’t make it on fourth down, it becomes one of those games where you can’t score. We had some opportunities offensively where we weren’t able to do anything with the ball.”
Q: Do you expect (Nick) Novak to make those?
A: “Yes. He should make that.”
Q: Is this a step forward for Tyler (Thigpen)?
A: “Yes. He did some things that were good. He did some bad things too. This is a learning process for a guy like that. He got the team in the position to score some touchdowns. If we had the last two the game might have been more interesting.”
Q: Are you inclined you use him again next week?
A: “We’ll see. We haven’t decided yet. We are not to that point yet. He did some good things, but he just can’t throw that many interceptions. There were 13 points on two of them and seven on another.”
Q: Do you feel this is a step forward for the team?
A: “I don’t know. I think we went in phases. We battled back the second half which was good. We got some more points on the board and tried the make the game interesting. Our offense came back twice but we couldn’t get any points ."
QB Tyler Thigpen
Q: On your performance today
A: “I didn’t play up to my expectations. We started out slow offensively, but towards the end of the half we got a little thing going. In the second half, we came out pretty well. We started off slow and then came on as a offense. We need to reverse that.”
Q: On not giving up
A: “We scored just before the half and then came out in the second half and scored again. Then we moved the ball down after that and had chances.”
Q: On what happened on the interception for touchdown at the end of the game
A: “It was more or less me anticipating. I could have held the ball longer. I thought that the receiver was going to be in a spot and he was not. It’s something that we’ll work on for next week.”
WR Dwayne Bowe
Q: On what happened today
A: “We showed signs of life. We just have to figure out how to come out and start the game. Once we get our momentum we move the ball, the offensive line blocks, the ball catchers catch. We have to do it earlier in the game, make adjustments and go from there.”
Q: Why did you start slow?
A: “It depends how the game goes. We have to see the schemes that they are playing and call the right plays. We just can’t come out slow in so many games. We just have to figure it out.”
Q: How is Tyler doing?
A: “He’s doing great. He’ll make mistakes. I told him just make his mistakes and get them over with. He threw a lot of great check downs. He’s improving. He’s young, but he has a lot of energy and that’s what we need. He’s going to be good.”
TE Tony Gonzalez
Q: Are you frustrated?
A: “Maybe at certain times today. But at certain times today I felt that we could have moved the ball. In the first half, hopeless was probably the best way to describe it. You always have the next play. We came out in the second half and I thought that we put together some pretty good drives. We just need to put points on the board. We get that close and we need to put points on the board. It’s inexcusable. We just have to keep building get better each week. What else can you say. It’s too early for us to go out there and say the season is over. That’s just going to make it a drag and make it long. I don’t want to do that. This is my 12th year and I feel that I deserve better. I’m going to keep my head up and try to keep the guys around me to hold their heads up and get this back on track.”
Q: On playing with so many young guys
A: “I definitely felt that we would be better than this. We’ve had some key injuries at the quarterback position. I still think that we can play a lot better than we did today. We stunk it up out there and didn’t do well at all.”
CB Brandon Flowers
Q: Can you pinpoint where you might have gone wrong today?
A: “We had an excellent game plan today. It’s a shame we didn’t execute. That’s all I can say.”
Q: The Dbacks appeared to be run ragged most of the day.
A: “We’ve got to go to the game film to see what we did or didn’t do. I can’t really comment until I see what’s on film.”
Q: You had hoped to break the losing streak today, but no such luck.
A: “Not about luck. We can’t hang our head with this loss. We’ve got a long season ahead of us.”
DT Glenn Dorsey
Q: On not being able to turn the losing streak around today.
A: “It didn’t go our way. We didn’t make the plays that we needed to make. We came out well, but it got away from us.”
Q: Can you identify one, or was it a series of things, that led to defeat?
A: “We didn’t make the plays we needed to. We didn’t step up, stop the run and stop the pass. We’ve got to check out the film, and eliminate our mistakes.”
Q: It must be tough losing when you came from such a winning college environment.
A: “It’s tough losing. I haven’t been through that before. We need to take it upon ourselves to correct our mistakes.”
DE Tamba Hali
Q: You did a decent job of slowing down the run in the first half, but the dam broke elsewhere.
A: “At times we break down in our defense. And it’s not like its just one person. We break down here and there and at times we play sound. Our offense did what they had to do in order for us to win the game today. If anyone is to blame, point the finger at the defense. Some times we relax when we shouldn’t, and it makes it very hard.”
Q: It must be hard to continue to lose in a city like Kansas City where professional football has a storied history?
A: “Our attitude is very positive. We go in, we work hard. But sometimes I think we try to do too much. We are professionals, and we need to learn how to play as professionals. And that might be where we are lacking right now. We start to enjoy the game and we lose a little focus.”
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-CHIEFS GAME:
- GAME RECAP: Big performances help down Chiefs, 28-14
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes from the Georgia Dome press box
- GAME CENTER: Stats and play-by-play on NFL.com game center
- GAME BLOG: Follow the action with news and updates on FalconsLIFE
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: News and commentary from the managing editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Babineaux | Abraham | Ryan | Brooking | Grimes | White
- NFL NETWORK: Highlights | Ryan-to-White TD | Turner Run
- TAILGATE TOUR: Falcon Al hits the lots before the Chiefs game
- INACTIVES: Inactive players and starters from the Chiefs game
- TRANSCRIPTS: Smith | Falcons | Chiefs
