Tweet
Head Coach Jim Mora on his team’s recent transactions:
“We made a couple of moves today on the offensive line. We put Mookie [Michael] Moore on injured/reserve with a shoulder. He completely tore that rotator cuff, so they’re going to have to do surgery and he’s going to be lost for the season. We brought [Jared] Peck up from the practice squad and then we signed Bubba. His name is Brandon Evans and he likes to go by Bubba. He played at the University of Houston and then he was with the Houston Texans. So those are the moves we made.”
Mora on how offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer is doing:
“He’s doing good. He felt good today. He said he felt a lot better today than the did yesterday. That’s encouraging. We’re hopeful that he’ll be able to play on Sunday.”
Mora on which of Shaffer’s injury is worse – his knee or ribs:
“I’m sure it’s probably a combination of both.”
Mora on the chance to play in front of the Georgia Dome crowd:
“I know I am. Preseason is one thing and [the Dome] is not totally full. I think this Sunday it’ll be full and they’ll be jacked up. I’m really looking forward to it and I know the players are, too.”
Mora on what he takes from the win against San Francisco:
“We’re so far past that. We’re on St. Louis. We’re so far past that game I can’t remember what happened in that game.”
Mora on St. Louis:
“They’re outstanding. They won the NFC West last year, they got to the second round of the playoffs and lost the overtime game to Carolina on that cover two bust that they broke down the middle. They rushed for 170-something yards the other day, threw for 270-something. The only reason they didn’t score more points was because they had three turnovers. They’re a very good team. I’ve faced them…in the last seven years, this’ll be my 15th time facing them. They’re a very dangerous team.”
Mora on the importance of third down conversions against St. Louis:
“It’s not necessarily the third down conversions. You just have to limit their chances. So that’s ball security, it’s controlling the football, it’s a lot of things. The kicking game. Not giving them long drives. All those things.”
Mora on what’s worked for him in his games against St. Louis:
“They’re a team that can frustrate you because you can hang with them, hang with them, hang with them…think you’re doing pretty good and all of the sudden they just explode on you. They’ve got so many weapons and so much speed. One of the great things about their offense specifically, and moreso now even with their defense, is that they’ve played together a long time. They know where each other is going to be and then defensively, what they did was they went and drafted a bunch of guys and now they’re playing. So they’re as efficient on defense as they ever were on offense, which is a scary combination.”
Mora on St. Louis not allowing a sack last week:
“They did a great job up front. They’ve got a great scheme. He gets rid of the ball quickly. Their receivers are looking for the hot reads. It’s a quick-rhythm passing game that can also take you deep. And [Bulger]’s smart and he knows when to get rid of the football. He’s an experienced player in this league, now. He makes good decisions.”
Mora on if the Rams go as Marshall Faulk goes:
“That used to be the case, but I just think they’re such a well-rounded team now, with a defense they can count on, with receivers who can make plays down the field, with an outstanding kicker in [Jeff] Wilkins…it’s not that way any more. They can beat you a lot of different ways. And that’s not to take anything away from Marshall because the guy just rushed for 120-something yards when everyone’s doubting how he’s doing. They’re just a well-balanced football team this year.”
Mora on being concerned about the way Vick holds onto the ball in the pocket:
“At times. At times. Not necessarily if there’s nobody around him, but when he feels pressure or somebody’s got a hold of him, then – just like any other quarterback – he’s got to be conscious of taking care of it. That’s something we constantly address.”
Mora on his thoughts going into his first regular season home game as a Falcons head coach:
“I’m excited about it. I expect the place to be full and I’m sure they’ll be excited because we’re coming off a win. It’s our first home game of the season. Number seven’s suiting up. We’re going to have our red shirts on. I hope everyone has red on. It’s going to be a fun day.”
Mora on the biggest thing that bothers a coach in a game:
“I think the biggest thing that bothers a coach is when you give it away. Because turnovers are such a key part of having a winning performance, as everyone knows. It’s rare that a team can be in the minus area in turnover ratio and still win. The Rams are a team that has been consistently able to do it over the years, but most people aren’t explosive enough to do that. And then, obviously, when you do get a takeaway, you’ve got to – somehow – either convert with points or change the field position battle drastically.”
Mora on Vick holding the ball out when he scrambles outside the pocket:
“That’s exactly what you want him to do because as long as he remains a threat as a passer, he holds people in coverage. So…I know as a defensive coordinator, you say: ‘When’s he tucking it away and becoming a runner?’ At that point, there you go. If he can remain a passer with the ball in a position to throw it, then you’re giving him an advantage to run because the defense has to respect his ability to throw down the field.”
Mora on defensive tackle Rod Coleman’s pass deflection at the end of the game when he was at his most tired:
“That’s what we expect. These guys are getting paid to play and they’re getting paid to play every down. Whether they’re tired or fresh, it doesn’t matter. They’ve got to do the things they’re supposed to do and [Coleman] did it. It paid off. That’s just being a good football player.”
Mora on the cohesiveness of the offensive line:
“I think that Alex [Gibbs] and Greg [Knapp] have done a tremendous job through training camp of always mixing it up in practice. The first line works together a lot, but [Gibbs] is always moving guys through. He’s got a system of doing that and – I don’t’ want to say it’s something that you want to happen – but I think we’ll be prepared for any adjustments that we have to make because guys have worked together. And I think that’s smart on Alex’s part. He’s a savvy guy.”
Tight end Alge Crumpler on Atlanta’s familiarity with St. Louis:
“Back to the old NFC West. San Francisco, St. Louis…they bring a lot of pressure up front. They’ve got a great defense and obviously they’ve got a good offense. We’ve just got to handle the pressure that they’re going to give us. We handled it pretty well last week. We have some adjustments that we could have made that are small and minor. But I’m excited about where we can be.”
Linebacker Chris Draft on St. Louis’ offense:
“They’re going to run the ball. Marshall Faulk has been over a thousand yards just about every year he’s been in the league. It’s not that they’re just finesse. Finesse doesn’t win you a Super Bowl. Finesse doesn’t make sure you win the division. Even though they are throwing the ball around and everybody wants to talk about the pass game, they do run the ball well. I think they had over 170 yards rushing last week. So they might talk about the pass – the pass is more glamorous – but the run, in most cases, is what gets it done, though.”
Draft on if it was fun to put a lot of pressure on San Francisco:
“It definitely was early on in the game when coach [Ed] Donatell was just going after them. Brooking jumped over a couple of guys – or almost jumped over them (he got close) – but it is. We were getting after quarterbacks, knocking them down and it’s hard to make decisions when you’re getting knocked on your back. It really is. They had [Tim] Rattay in there. We knocked him out. Then [Ken] Dorsey came in and somebody laid him out and he had to go back out. When you have that type of inconsistency at quarterback, it definitely works in our favor. If we can do that with every team that we play, then we’re definitely going to be in a good position.”
Draft on if last year’s Monday night game is ancient history:
“It’s never ancient history. We always have to learn, remember what happened. We can’t give up big plays. We can’t give up big chunks of yards. And we have to tackle well. It’s really the same things we talked about last week. We gave up two big plays in a drive when Dorsey came in and let them get some momentum coming back. Those are the standard things that we always talk about. When we go into the game, we have to limit the big pass plays and the big running play and then we’ve got to take the ball away from them and make them pay for catching the ball.”
Quarterback Michael Vick on how he feels:
“I’m feeling good. I’m fine and ready to go. I didn’t really have too many nicks and nags after the game. I got a little bit of treatment and I didn’t have to go back. I feel good. Ready to go. Week two, trying to get another win.”
Vick on being 1-0:
“When you’re 0-1, you’re still looking for that first win. When you’re 1-0, you’ve got your first win and you’re ready to get the second one. You go into the next week with a bit of confidence and I think that’s what this team needs with the new staff and new players and new system. It was big to get win number one and win on the road. So those are things that we’re most proud about right now. We just have to carry it over to this week.”
Vick on his excitement level going into the home opener:
“It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be very exciting. But the thing I have to do is calm myself down at home. Because when I get so excited, I come out and I’m throwing balls 50 feet over the receiver’s head. I’ve just got to maintain my composure, come out and just be relaxed, but at the same time excited and happy to be out there.”
Vick on if he gets tired about the questions concerning his health:
“I do, but I know that’s a concern with everybody and everybody wants to know how you’re feeling and what’s hurting you. But for the most part, those are just questions that I have to deal with and those are things people want to know. But when I’m hurting, you’ll know. And when I’m healthy, you’ll know.”
Vick on taking a little while to connect with Alge in San Francisco:
“That was tough on Alge. They were knocking him around pretty good and I guess they knew that was a part of our plan and we were going to attack the m idle of the field, so they did a lot of things to try to re-route him. I had to stick with him and be patient with him in certain plays and protections and he finally got some seams. Once Peerless started catching some passes, it opened everything up for everybody else. And Alge’s a Pro Bowl tight end. You’ve got to stick with him. He’s a guy who’s not going to drop too many balls and a guy who I firmly believe in to catch nine out of 10 balls you throw to him. I just can’t lose confidence in him like that. I’ve got to be patient with him.”
Vick on the Rams defense:
“They look good. Up front, they do a good job or rushing the passer and rushing wide of the edges. I think they’re solid in the secondary. They’ve got a good group of linebackers who can run. They have [Adam] Archuleta and Aneas Williams in the secondary and we all know Aneas is a veteran and you have to really watch him because he’ll bait you. He’ll bait a young quarterback into making some throws. Those are the things that we’re looking at on film and trying to evaluate and make sure that every decision we make is a decision that’s going to help this team. They look good defensively.”
Vick on last year’s Monday night game:
“What happened last year happened last year and that’s over with. I’m not worried about that. My main focus is to go out and win and beat them in 2004. 2003 is over.”
“We made a couple of moves today on the offensive line. We put Mookie [Michael] Moore on injured/reserve with a shoulder. He completely tore that rotator cuff, so they’re going to have to do surgery and he’s going to be lost for the season. We brought [Jared] Peck up from the practice squad and then we signed Bubba. His name is Brandon Evans and he likes to go by Bubba. He played at the University of Houston and then he was with the Houston Texans. So those are the moves we made.”
Mora on how offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer is doing:
“He’s doing good. He felt good today. He said he felt a lot better today than the did yesterday. That’s encouraging. We’re hopeful that he’ll be able to play on Sunday.”
Mora on which of Shaffer’s injury is worse – his knee or ribs:
“I’m sure it’s probably a combination of both.”
Mora on the chance to play in front of the Georgia Dome crowd:
“I know I am. Preseason is one thing and [the Dome] is not totally full. I think this Sunday it’ll be full and they’ll be jacked up. I’m really looking forward to it and I know the players are, too.”
Mora on what he takes from the win against San Francisco:
“We’re so far past that. We’re on St. Louis. We’re so far past that game I can’t remember what happened in that game.”
Mora on St. Louis:
“They’re outstanding. They won the NFC West last year, they got to the second round of the playoffs and lost the overtime game to Carolina on that cover two bust that they broke down the middle. They rushed for 170-something yards the other day, threw for 270-something. The only reason they didn’t score more points was because they had three turnovers. They’re a very good team. I’ve faced them…in the last seven years, this’ll be my 15th time facing them. They’re a very dangerous team.”
Mora on the importance of third down conversions against St. Louis:
“It’s not necessarily the third down conversions. You just have to limit their chances. So that’s ball security, it’s controlling the football, it’s a lot of things. The kicking game. Not giving them long drives. All those things.”
Mora on what’s worked for him in his games against St. Louis:
“They’re a team that can frustrate you because you can hang with them, hang with them, hang with them…think you’re doing pretty good and all of the sudden they just explode on you. They’ve got so many weapons and so much speed. One of the great things about their offense specifically, and moreso now even with their defense, is that they’ve played together a long time. They know where each other is going to be and then defensively, what they did was they went and drafted a bunch of guys and now they’re playing. So they’re as efficient on defense as they ever were on offense, which is a scary combination.”
Mora on St. Louis not allowing a sack last week:
“They did a great job up front. They’ve got a great scheme. He gets rid of the ball quickly. Their receivers are looking for the hot reads. It’s a quick-rhythm passing game that can also take you deep. And [Bulger]’s smart and he knows when to get rid of the football. He’s an experienced player in this league, now. He makes good decisions.”
Mora on if the Rams go as Marshall Faulk goes:
“That used to be the case, but I just think they’re such a well-rounded team now, with a defense they can count on, with receivers who can make plays down the field, with an outstanding kicker in [Jeff] Wilkins…it’s not that way any more. They can beat you a lot of different ways. And that’s not to take anything away from Marshall because the guy just rushed for 120-something yards when everyone’s doubting how he’s doing. They’re just a well-balanced football team this year.”
Mora on being concerned about the way Vick holds onto the ball in the pocket:
“At times. At times. Not necessarily if there’s nobody around him, but when he feels pressure or somebody’s got a hold of him, then – just like any other quarterback – he’s got to be conscious of taking care of it. That’s something we constantly address.”
Mora on his thoughts going into his first regular season home game as a Falcons head coach:
“I’m excited about it. I expect the place to be full and I’m sure they’ll be excited because we’re coming off a win. It’s our first home game of the season. Number seven’s suiting up. We’re going to have our red shirts on. I hope everyone has red on. It’s going to be a fun day.”
Mora on the biggest thing that bothers a coach in a game:
“I think the biggest thing that bothers a coach is when you give it away. Because turnovers are such a key part of having a winning performance, as everyone knows. It’s rare that a team can be in the minus area in turnover ratio and still win. The Rams are a team that has been consistently able to do it over the years, but most people aren’t explosive enough to do that. And then, obviously, when you do get a takeaway, you’ve got to – somehow – either convert with points or change the field position battle drastically.”
Mora on Vick holding the ball out when he scrambles outside the pocket:
“That’s exactly what you want him to do because as long as he remains a threat as a passer, he holds people in coverage. So…I know as a defensive coordinator, you say: ‘When’s he tucking it away and becoming a runner?’ At that point, there you go. If he can remain a passer with the ball in a position to throw it, then you’re giving him an advantage to run because the defense has to respect his ability to throw down the field.”
Mora on defensive tackle Rod Coleman’s pass deflection at the end of the game when he was at his most tired:
“That’s what we expect. These guys are getting paid to play and they’re getting paid to play every down. Whether they’re tired or fresh, it doesn’t matter. They’ve got to do the things they’re supposed to do and [Coleman] did it. It paid off. That’s just being a good football player.”
Mora on the cohesiveness of the offensive line:
“I think that Alex [Gibbs] and Greg [Knapp] have done a tremendous job through training camp of always mixing it up in practice. The first line works together a lot, but [Gibbs] is always moving guys through. He’s got a system of doing that and – I don’t’ want to say it’s something that you want to happen – but I think we’ll be prepared for any adjustments that we have to make because guys have worked together. And I think that’s smart on Alex’s part. He’s a savvy guy.”
Tight end Alge Crumpler on Atlanta’s familiarity with St. Louis:
“Back to the old NFC West. San Francisco, St. Louis…they bring a lot of pressure up front. They’ve got a great defense and obviously they’ve got a good offense. We’ve just got to handle the pressure that they’re going to give us. We handled it pretty well last week. We have some adjustments that we could have made that are small and minor. But I’m excited about where we can be.”
Linebacker Chris Draft on St. Louis’ offense:
“They’re going to run the ball. Marshall Faulk has been over a thousand yards just about every year he’s been in the league. It’s not that they’re just finesse. Finesse doesn’t win you a Super Bowl. Finesse doesn’t make sure you win the division. Even though they are throwing the ball around and everybody wants to talk about the pass game, they do run the ball well. I think they had over 170 yards rushing last week. So they might talk about the pass – the pass is more glamorous – but the run, in most cases, is what gets it done, though.”
Draft on if it was fun to put a lot of pressure on San Francisco:
“It definitely was early on in the game when coach [Ed] Donatell was just going after them. Brooking jumped over a couple of guys – or almost jumped over them (he got close) – but it is. We were getting after quarterbacks, knocking them down and it’s hard to make decisions when you’re getting knocked on your back. It really is. They had [Tim] Rattay in there. We knocked him out. Then [Ken] Dorsey came in and somebody laid him out and he had to go back out. When you have that type of inconsistency at quarterback, it definitely works in our favor. If we can do that with every team that we play, then we’re definitely going to be in a good position.”
Draft on if last year’s Monday night game is ancient history:
“It’s never ancient history. We always have to learn, remember what happened. We can’t give up big plays. We can’t give up big chunks of yards. And we have to tackle well. It’s really the same things we talked about last week. We gave up two big plays in a drive when Dorsey came in and let them get some momentum coming back. Those are the standard things that we always talk about. When we go into the game, we have to limit the big pass plays and the big running play and then we’ve got to take the ball away from them and make them pay for catching the ball.”
Quarterback Michael Vick on how he feels:
“I’m feeling good. I’m fine and ready to go. I didn’t really have too many nicks and nags after the game. I got a little bit of treatment and I didn’t have to go back. I feel good. Ready to go. Week two, trying to get another win.”
Vick on being 1-0:
“When you’re 0-1, you’re still looking for that first win. When you’re 1-0, you’ve got your first win and you’re ready to get the second one. You go into the next week with a bit of confidence and I think that’s what this team needs with the new staff and new players and new system. It was big to get win number one and win on the road. So those are things that we’re most proud about right now. We just have to carry it over to this week.”
Vick on his excitement level going into the home opener:
“It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be very exciting. But the thing I have to do is calm myself down at home. Because when I get so excited, I come out and I’m throwing balls 50 feet over the receiver’s head. I’ve just got to maintain my composure, come out and just be relaxed, but at the same time excited and happy to be out there.”
Vick on if he gets tired about the questions concerning his health:
“I do, but I know that’s a concern with everybody and everybody wants to know how you’re feeling and what’s hurting you. But for the most part, those are just questions that I have to deal with and those are things people want to know. But when I’m hurting, you’ll know. And when I’m healthy, you’ll know.”
Vick on taking a little while to connect with Alge in San Francisco:
“That was tough on Alge. They were knocking him around pretty good and I guess they knew that was a part of our plan and we were going to attack the m idle of the field, so they did a lot of things to try to re-route him. I had to stick with him and be patient with him in certain plays and protections and he finally got some seams. Once Peerless started catching some passes, it opened everything up for everybody else. And Alge’s a Pro Bowl tight end. You’ve got to stick with him. He’s a guy who’s not going to drop too many balls and a guy who I firmly believe in to catch nine out of 10 balls you throw to him. I just can’t lose confidence in him like that. I’ve got to be patient with him.”
Vick on the Rams defense:
“They look good. Up front, they do a good job or rushing the passer and rushing wide of the edges. I think they’re solid in the secondary. They’ve got a good group of linebackers who can run. They have [Adam] Archuleta and Aneas Williams in the secondary and we all know Aneas is a veteran and you have to really watch him because he’ll bait you. He’ll bait a young quarterback into making some throws. Those are the things that we’re looking at on film and trying to evaluate and make sure that every decision we make is a decision that’s going to help this team. They look good defensively.”
Vick on last year’s Monday night game:
“What happened last year happened last year and that’s over with. I’m not worried about that. My main focus is to go out and win and beat them in 2004. 2003 is over.”
Comment