Cardinals starting quarterback Derek Anderson spoke with Atlantafalcons.com producers Wednesday in advance of Sunday's showdown at the Georgia Dome.
On his transition to Arizona and winning the starting job:
"I think things have been good. Obviously, I thought camp went very well, I had a pretty good preseason and now we're just off and rolling and trying to get better every week."
On how he felt about the first game:
"I think we did some good things. We've got to control the ball, hold onto the ball. We had a few turnovers that cost us some points and we left some points out there. In the end, we got a win even though it wasn't as pretty as we would have liked."
On what he needs to do to get on the same page with WR Larry Fitzgerald:
"I think some of them you were just looking at the stat sheet. Obviously some of them were throw-aways, balls that are thrown away over his head, balls that weren't even intended for him. We're working and I did miss a couple to him. They did some things, they had some good coverage on him and they played him pretty tight. We'll continue to work and we'll be alright."
On what he sees on the Falcons defense:
"I think they're a good solid crew. They play fast. The linebackers are fast, ready eyes. Aggressive, they run to the ball. Their secondary is very solid. Safeties are good in the pass game and good in run support. Obviously, they have guys that can rush the passer up front."
On whether he saw anything that stuck out from the Pittsburgh film:
"I felt just watching the Pittsburgh game, Pittsburgh was very conservative. They ran the ball, I don't know how many times they ran it, but they ran pretty much right at them. They didn't really try to throw the ball and at times they weren't very effective throwing it. I think obviously they did a very good job of stopping the run and trying to force them to pass the ball. They kind of sprung one, obviously to win in overtime."
On what he sees when he studies the Falcons defense:
"I was just saying, the speed. They're good fast guys, guys that can break on the ball. Very athletic. We'll have to be good in our protections and have to be good with ball placement. Those corners are good players that make plays on the football."
On whether the running game will improve if RB Beanie Wells can play Sunday:
"I think we were effective but not exactly getting on all of our targets last week. Obviously if we get Beanie back this week he adds another dimension to our offense."
On what the keys for the offense are this week:
"Control the ball. We had four fumbles and to beat a good football team, you can't turn the ball over. You can't give them opportunities."
On his transition from Cleveland to Arizona:
"Personally I'm just moving past everything out there. I learned a lot about myself as a football player and as a person. We had times that weren't always pretty. But like you said, I'm excited about the new opportunity out here and my new teammates. It's kind of a fresh start."
On how the Cardinals described the situation there when he first joined the team:
"Coach (Whisenhunt) was just trying to say come in and compete and learn the offense as best you can. That's kind of what I did during training camp, just focus on the reps that I got and make the best of them when I did get them."
On the Falcons being tough to beat at the Georgia Dome:
"I think they're just a good football team. Very well coached. The guys are smart and know their assignments. Obviously being at home and having your crowd behind you is always a positive and something that being a home team is very exciting for you. I think it's more than just the stadium. It's just a very well coached football team."
On the importance of getting the Week 1 win:
"It's always good to get a win in Week 1. I wouldn't say I was overly stressed, there was no panic mode when we were out there. When we had bad plays I think guys stayed focused on the task at hand. It is good for the confidence for everybody and even though it wasn't as efficient as we would like it or as we could be."
On whether the setting of a dome makes it harder going into a game:
"You've just got to be good. You've got to communicate with the linemen, you've got to make sure everybody's on the same page. Now offensive football in this era is so, everybody has to be on the same page all 11 guys. Built on communication, that will be a key for us."
