The Atlanta Falcons are fresh off of a 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener, and it certainly wasn't the brightest Falcons debut for Kevin Stefanski. But it's onto the next one, as Atlanta faces the division rival (and reigning NFC South champion) Carolina Panthers in their home opener on Sunday.
The QB room is still a mess with Cooper Rush starting and Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa still injured, but apparently getting better. We have no idea who will end up starting against the Panthers, and with Stefanski taking the mic before the first practice of the week, we were ready for some clarity.
Frankly, this was Stefanski's most important press conference with the Falcons to date, as there is a lot going on in this quarterback room, and for as many questions as he answered, he brought up just as many questions, so let's dive into everything that was said during Wednesday's media session.
What did Kevin Stefanski say during Wednesday's media session?
- What did Kevin Stefanski say during Wednesday's media session?
- Opening Statement
- The Falcons' quarterback situation
- Falcons' injuries
- The Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Steelers
Opening Statement
"Excited to be at home this week versus Carolina. Reigning division champs at our place, we're excited about that. I have a ton of respect for Coach Canales (and) his entire coaching staff. That team's a good team. It's a sound team. They do a lot of things really well. Just getting the tape started on them this morning and with the players, just explaining how this team is the reigning champs and what they do well. And it's a lot. We have a great challenge in front of us. As you look at their offense, obviously I think a lot of their quarterback (Bryce Young) who can make every throw. They have receivers, multiple on the outside that can hurt you. It's a tough run attack, so there's all sorts of things they give you issues. So it's our job to give a plan that they can execute. Defensively, the challenge is blocking them, first. I think they have a really good front. Secondary presents all sorts of challenges with good players. Special teams, I think Tracy Smith does an outstanding job, so work cut out for us. Looking forward to the challenge."
The Falcons' quarterback situation
Who will start in Week 2?
"We don't have a quarterback, yes. For this week.... We'll work through that this week."
"I'd say we're working through it. I'm not ruling anyone out. Tua's not gonna practice today but he's getting better, but Cooper and Mike will practice today... We're all on the same page between myself, the medical team, Mike, we'll work through those things."
On the upcoming Thursday Night game affecting the QB battle
"All these decisions I'd call it day-to-day and you want to take in all the information you have available to you. Obviously (we) understand we have a game Thursday night and then you have a game after that, but we're not gonna focus too much on that type of thing."
On when we can expect a starter to be named
"I think with any decision on the roster for your team, you have to be flexible, so you take all these decisions on the information available. So we'll get through today and go through there."
On Jack Strand
"Jack is not being ruled out (as the starter) for this game."
"Here's what I will say: with every player, I'm trying to make decisions that put them in the best position to succeed, and certainly quarterback position, that should be obvious. Very, very pleased with where Cooper is at developmentally, I think he's come a long way since he got here. He works very very hard. Jack fits in great in the meeting room, but past that, I wouldn't add much color."
On not naming a starter early on in the week
"Of course, ideal world, I think everybody, every team, you love to know who's playing at every position. That's a no-brainer. I get that part. But we're gonna be flexible and make sure that we're giving all of our guys the ability to go play and play well, but a decision like this, you just have to work through them. It's truly day-to-day."
On how not having a starter affects the gameplan
"I think there's countless examples: we've done it, teams do it where you find out more information as the week goes on. Guys are in and out of the lineup. Guys go in the lineup and are maybe out of the lineup after the first play. I've been a part of that too at different positions. Our job as coaches is to be flexible and to make sure we have a system or a scheme where we can lean into different things."
On naming Olamide Zaccheus the emergency QB
"It's week to week. I don't think any team is eager to get to the emergency quarterback I would tell you. That's a part of the call sheet that you hope your eyes never get to. But typically, the guys I've been around over the years, it's a tight end, it's a wide receiver, it's a guy that you trust to get you in and out of the huddle, get the ball snapped, but not a lot of emergency quarterbacks you're looking to get to--with all due respect to OZ."
On the frustration at QB/being Cleveland Part 2
"Truly, NFL, you deal with injuries. You deal with uncertainity, and I think as a team, we want to be able to win and play well regardless of who's in, who's not in, what's available to us in a given game. Frustration comes with losing, frustration comes with falling short, but we're excited about the opportunity we have in front of us."
On his confidence in Cooper Rush to be better next week
"Coop's a veteran. I think like any player, there's plays you want back, but also understand that with more reps, with more turns, comes experience and comes confidence."
Falcons' injuries
On Michael Penix Jr.'s practice status
"Not gonna get into specifics with all of our rep plans, but (Mike) continues to progress and is practicing."
On if Michael Penix Jr. is ready to play
"I think you guys talk to Mike and Mike will explain what we're doing with the progression as he comes back. As I told you guys, I feel really good about the plan and where we are. I'm not gonna get into specific conversations with our players, but Mike's progressing and doing a good job. We'll see where it goes."
"I think all of us on the coaching staff, on the medical staff, all of our players, Mike in this case, want to always do what's best for our players, and I feel really really confident in the plan going back to when I first got here and how Mike was working off the field and working in the training room. And I think what you've seen is a progression of all that, so as he progresses and gets ready, we'll let you guys know, but a big part of that is practice, then practicing the next day and those type of things. So we'll continue to take this day to day and I'll continue to make decisions that are best for the football team."
On Cooper Rush
"He's still getting treatment on his back. So I couldn't say he's 100% but not many guys are 100% coming out of Week 1.... He will be a full participant yes."
The Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Steelers
On Bijan Robinson's 29 touches
"I mean, it really goes back to what's necessary for a given game. Do I think he's gonna touch it 29 times each game? I don't know. I think he wants to. He's told me. But I think that it's also our job as an offense, I think you want to make yourself difficult to defend, and Bijan by himself is difficult to defend, but when you add in other great players and you can move the ball around and spread the ball around the offense, that can only make him great. So while it may take away from those 29 touches in Week 1, I think it can make you even harder to defend in a way."
How the quarterback uncertainty affects the process of where they need to improve
"Obviously we didn't win the game last week. We didn't play well enough on offense to win the game, and we have a ton of areas that we want to get better as at a staff, as players: and that's what Monday was about, learning from a lot of those plays. I think to your point, I think every player whether you're on the field or not can learn from a play or not on a Sunday. So you're getting the mental rep on a play and even though you weren't out there, I think you can get better via that. Depending on who's in there, I think we get better because we've identified things, we want to correct things, but it's our job now to go back out here on the practice field to work it and understand that this season you're trying to make improvements week to week across the course of the season."
On the lessons from Week 1
"I think you're worth your salt as a coach if you're coaching all your guys and not just the guy who's on the film at a given or at the practice field at a given time, so I think there were so many lessons learned on our special teams, on our defense, on our offense throughout that game. Little things where there's a lot of good on there, and you certainly point that out and you praise that and praisw that type of behavior, and then you want more of that, but the things we feel like we can do better, let's point them out, whether you were out there or not."
On the lack of a downfield passing game
"I guess you call the game based on what's in front of you. I think there were opportunities in there certainly to push the ball down the field, but also they did a nice job rushing the passer, they did a nice job in a lot of their coverages, so the ball went where the ball went. There were batted balls in there as well, so I think it's really based on what the defense is presenting to you from a rushing coverage perspective."
On Za'Darius Smith's impact
"Yeah, Z's made a huge impact on and off the field for us in a short time. (He) brings a ton of energy into the locker room. I think Z's a great example of what I've told you guys is through that authenticity in leadership, and he's just being himself. I think his teammates feed off of who he is as himself, so he's trying to be anything different. He's not trying to be something that he's not, he's just a guy that as you all see and that I've seen over the years, he loves to play and loves to be a part of a team, so I appreciate that about him. In some ways, that's leadership without trying to hard is just being yourself, and I think there's great examples of that. I think guys like Z and veterans on this team can make an impact throughout the season when a teammate needs to be picked up or a teammate needs to be pushed. I think guys like Z who have been around the block and have seen a bunch of things, they have a built in equity to lead, and I don't think Z will hesitate to be that person."
Takeaways:
Stefanski had to bring up about 15 times that they have yet to name a starter for Week 2 because they want to evaluate how the signal-callers look in practice before making any decisions, because it's a day-to-day operation and they don't want to rush the process of seeing progress from them.
This sounds vaguely like coach-speak and if you read between the lines enough it sounds like they're preparing for Cooper Rush to start again. But more importantly, this new staff doesn't want to box themselves in at all, and want to allow things to play out naturally--which is the correct decision.
Add us as a preferred source on Google