FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- You could almost see the waves reflecting in Roddy White's eyes. Like a child looking forward to summer vacation he's starting to visualize his bye-week plans.
"I think I'm going to go down to Miami and relax," the Falcons wide receiver said Wednesday when asked about the team's upcoming long weekend.
Every NFL team gets a week off during the 16-game regular season. Coaches use this time to focus on pesky on-the-field problems and reward their team with extra days off. The Falcons worked at Flowery Branch Wednesday and will get another workout in on Thursday before taking a long weekend.
Veteran linebacker Keith Brooking warned against getting too far away from football but stressed the importance of resting worn bodies. His plans? Finding some solace in the "middle of nowhere."
"Saturday and Sunday I'll be with my friends hunting," he said.
Head Coach Mike Smith and his staff spent the first part of this week searching for answers to problems that followed the team during a 4-2 start.
Two practices will knock the rust off.
"We have to evaluate what we've done the first six weeks," he said. "We spent the last two days evaluating what we need to do to improve as a staff.
"This week is not about the first six games; it's not about the next 10 weeks. It's about the Atlanta Falcons this week and what we need to improve on. There are a number of areas that we identified that we have to work on that we want to get cleaned up and that's what we're trying to get done this week."
But Smith also looks forward to a long weekend with family. Other players, like White, look to jet away to vacation spots.
"I'll probably chill out, go to Vegas and catch a couple of (magic) shows," defensive tackle Grady Jackson said. "Get away from football for a while and come back and get focused on the task at hand, which is next week against Philly."
"Bahamas," added fullback Ovie Mughelli. "I'm not going to say where in the Bahamas because I don't want anyone to find me but I need somewhere I can get some white sand, some clear water and just relax for a little bit."
Mughelli will also trade a little game film for television during his time away. A Week 7 bye may seem a little on the early side, but he reminded reporters why fatigued players welcome a chance to get away at any point during the season.
"I think it comes at a great time for us because if you factor in training camp, the preseason and all those OTAs and mini camps we've been going for a while," he said. "We earned this little break for ourselves."
INJURY REPORT: Wide receiver Laurent Robinson (knee) and defensive tackle Jason Jefferson (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday after several days off the field.
Otherwise, the Falcons are almost completely healthy: a rarity at this point of the season.
"We hope to have a full compliment on the bus when we take off to Philadelphia next week," Smith said.
MORE FROM THE FALCONS BYE WEEK:
- FEATURE: Workouts proceed bye-week getaways
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith | Monday
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith
- ONE-ON-ONE: Matt Ryan answers fan questions
- RELEASE: League announces Pro Bowl voting details
- NEWS: Falcons make practice squad moves
- COMMUNITY: Rookies take part in second Falcons Cookoff
