Head Coach Mike Smith
Q: Could you talk about your roster moves that you made yesterday?
A: “Well, we have made a number of roster moves over the past few days. It was a fine tuning of our 53-man roster. We added Dominique Foxworth in a trade. We felt like Dominique improves our secondary so that is why we made that move. We claimed Jamaal Fudge off of the Jacksonville roster when he was waived.”
Q: From OTAs, the draft and through the preseason, do you feel that you and your coaching staff have done everything you can to put the best team on the field Sunday?
A: “Most definitely. It has been a long process through getting hired here, getting with Thomas (Dimitroff) and making a number of moves. We feel that we have the best 53 in place at this point in time. We are excited about the opportunity to get out there and play our first regular season game. I know the intensity level is going to crank up on both sides of the field and in the stands as well. We are looking for a fun afternoon on Sunday.”
Q: Is it cranked up in practice? I know a lot of the guys have said they are looking forward to Week 1.
A: “Week 1 is here. I think that the veterans understand it, but the rookies don’t really understand the difference between preseason and regular season. They are going to get an opportunity to see it. I think they will feel it as the week progresses on. I feel like we had a nice practice today. The guys came out focused and did some nice things.”
Q: I know Calvin Johnson is going to be a big challenge for you guys. Do you think he is going to be the biggest challenge you will face on Sunday?
A: “In terms of the defense, I believe he is. Calvin is a very talented individual and wide receiver. Of course, he is from right here in Atlanta. This is his hometown. He has got great size and speed so it is going to be a challenge for our defense. I think there are a number of challenges for us. This is a good football team. This is the only team that has gone through the preseason undefeated this year. I think that speaks volumes about what they are doing up there. There are 31 of us that would like to have that record after the preseason.”
Q: You look at your wide receivers and they seem to get the most hype. Are you going to try to establish your ground game a bit more?
A: “I think so. I think that you have to run the ball to be successful throwing the football. They have a new offensive coordinator in Jim Coletto. Jim and I worked together in Baltimore. I know a little bit about his background and that he likes to run the ball. He does have some Cadillac’s out there at wide receiver in Roy Williams. They will try to establish it and we will see how well we hold up and stop the run. If we are able to do it, we will see if they throw the ball down the field.”
Q: Do you think that you have an edge on your side of the ball, offensively and defensively?
A: “I know that we are going to bring a team that is ready to fight. We will be very, very aggressive. We have already set a tone of the type of football team we want to be and that is a physical one. Throughout the preseason, we have done that. It is a group that will not back down from anybody. I know Coach Marinelli and his group of staff preach the same thing.”
Q: Do you expect it to be pretty evenly matched with Jerious (Norwood) and (Michael) Turner?
A: “We want to make sure that we keep Michael fresh and get Jerious an opportunity to touch the football. He is very explosive. There are a number of different scenarios in how that game goes. Going into it, we would like to give both these guys a chance to get their hands on the football.”
Q: Have you had a chance to sit back at home with your family and think that you are only a couple of days away from achieving your dream of walking down the sidelines of a regular season game?
A: “Not really. Whether you are the head coach or you coach the defensive line, the first game has a lot of anticipation. We have had a good offseason. I haven’t really had a chance to sit back. It’s just going to be another game and we are going to go out there and do what we have to do to come away with the outcome that we would like.”
RELATED LINKS:
- INJURY REPORT: Falcons-Lions injuries for Week 1
- NOTEBOOK: Secondary preparing for athletic Lions secondary
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith
- VIDEO: Smith | Foxworth | Ryan | Turner | Houston | Boley | Lofton
- FEATURE: Shockley-Finneran touchdown key to rehab
- NEWS: Falcons trade for Foxworth
- BLOG: J. Mike talks about time spent with Foxworth | Birdseed
- VIDEO: Interview with Foxworth on CBS4 (Denver)
- NEWS: Falcons acquire Peelle, Gilbert and release Taylor
- NEWS: Six signed to practice squad, Jefferson claimed
- NEWS: Falcons make roster moves, get to 53-man limit
- ROSTER: Review the Falcons current roster
- DEPTH CHART: Check out the team's updated depth chart
- FANS REACT: Talk about the moves with other fans on FalconsLIFE
- TRANSACTIONS: Review the Falcons official 2008 transactions page
