Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Q. What was the difference, Geno, today with the offense kind of getting rolling a lot more than it had the last couple of weeks?
GENO SMITH: I think we just came out with a certain intensity and focus. We used some tempo. We got things going early. I think that helped us out.
Overall, I think we executed better. We just did a better job.
Q. How tough that was last drive? You think you have a first down, and there's a flag and all of a sudden then it's second and 20.
GENO SMITH: It's very hard in that situation. Especially in the NFL. Being backed up, it's why it's critical not to have those mistakes. I'm not sure exactly what happened. I would have to go back and watch it, but we have got momentum, we're driving, and then have a setback like that. We still have to try to find ways to overcome it. Especially in that situation with the game on the line, we've got to figure it out.
Q. Also the last play, what did you see when you threw the ball?
GENO SMITH: It was fourth and I can't remember, probably 20-something or maybe 13 or something like that. Scrambling, trying to make a play. Trying to find a guy open. I happened to see Lock cutting across there. Tried to get it to him. May have been a touch too high, and that was it.
Q. What do you make of the decision? You guys kept the offense out on the field for the fourth and two play and then called a time-out. What was that?
GENO SMITH: We were just mixed up a little bit there. It was probably best to take the points, and we didn't want to just try and force it there, so we just took the time-out and kicked the field goal and gave ourselves a lead.
Q. What did you get mixed up over there?
GENO SMITH: I didn't get anything mixed up.
Q. The team. What got the players mixed up?
GENO SMITH: We just weren't ready to run that play at that time.
Q. Did you go for it after the time-out?
GENO SMITH: We made a decision to kick the field goal.
Q. The play before that, you threw down the sideline to DK there. Did you think you had a pretty good look, had a pretty good shot at that, obviously?
GENO SMITH: Which play? Sorry.
Q. The play before the fourth down. I think it was third and 2, and you threw it to DK down the sidelines.
GENO SMITH: I trusted my decision-making. Any decision I make, I feel good about it. Any time you throw it to DK, it's the right decision. We didn't make it happen today, and unfortunately, we didn't finish the game the way we like to.
Q. Did you call that one up the line, that particular one?
GENO SMITH: Which one?
Q. The third down to DK in the corner.
GENO SMITH: Yeah, we called that on the sideline. Coach called that one up.
Q. Geno, each one of your tight ends got involved. Talk about the tight ends and their involvement in your offense now.
GENO SMITH: The tight ends are, like I said before, we have a really good group, and those guys are going to continue to be involved. I think they help our offense not only stay balanced, but also be dynamic.
They can block in the run game as well as get out and be pass catchers. I think the more that we continue to use those guys, I think the better we'll be.
Q. Other than the couple of sacks late, it was a pretty clean game for you in the pocket. How do you feel like your line played?
GENO SMITH: I feel like the line played a tremendous game. I think they played outstanding all game long. At one point I kept telling myself, we have to hit you up in the pocket. I was just standing back there because I have so much time and great protection.
I think they did a great job again, and they're going to continue to get better, but I really was impressed with what they did today where.
Q. Did Atlanta surprise you dropping off so much in coverage, or was that what you had seen?
GENO SMITH: We've seen that all year. That's what we've seen, and that's what we're going to get. That's what we're going to get. I think today we had answers for it, and moving forward we have to continue to create more answers for it because I don't think teams are going to want to play us one-on-one.
Q. What allowed you to get some of the deeper passing plays (indiscernible)?
GENO SMITH: The first thing is we stayed on schedule. We were able to stay on schedule. After getting the first down, when you get a first down on the drive, the percentage of scoring goes way up, so now you can take your shots and be a little bit more aggressive.
Just after getting first downs and getting into a rhythm, Coach called a great game. Shane was dialed in, man. He was just calling play after play, and we felt really good about him. They opened up, and we took our shots.
Q. Seemed like you went no-huddle a lot more than you had. What worked well doing that?
GENO SMITH: Just getting to the line of scrimmage and putting pressure on the defense to get their calls in and subs and stuff in. Playing fast, I think that helped us out a bunch.
Guys were really in tune with the play calls and all the checks and stuff we made at the line of scrimmage. All the guys were locked in. When you have guys that we have who are extremely talented, but are also equally as smart, it allows for you to do that.
Q. End result is, obviously, not what you want, but offensively do you feel like there's a lot going forward out of this one?
GENO SMITH: Yes, certainly. I think we have a lot of things to build off, but the main thing is wins and losses. So, there are positives, also some negatives that we have to clean up. We have to get back to work. Just the same as if we would have won this game, we have to get back to work.
Q. What do you attribute the improved O-line play to? Is it as simple as not having to play Nick Bosa this week?
GENO SMITH: Could be. Nick Bosa is a great player, but I just think our guys played great today.
Q. Why didn't DK get more touches in the second half, do you think?
GENO SMITH: I can't say exactly why. I have to look at the film to give you a better answer. We're always trying to get him the ball.
Teams are very mindful of him. He is a big dude out there. They have corners on him and safeties over the top and linebackers looking. You don't want to force the ball to a guy, but as you can see, it opened up our other guys as well.
Q. There was a pass sort of over the middle to him in the fourth quarter. Did that get tipped? Did you see it?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, yeah. The backer 54 did a great job. He tipped that pass. It was a play that we had worked on all week. Kind of wanted to hit that same area, and he just got a finger on it.
Q. What was Atlanta doing the in the second half that made the offense kind of struggle a little more to score points?
GENO SMITH: Nothing different. We just didn't score.
Q. Was this about the same amount of two-deep folks that you guys have been getting so far?
GENO SMITH: Teams are playing us a lot of two-high. When you have guys outside like DK and Tyler, you can expect that. They're great players, and like I said, I don't think teams want to play us one-on-one, truly want to play us one-on-one all game.
Q. The reliability of Tyler on third down and things like that, just talk about that and your comfortability to find him when you need those yards?
GENO SMITH: Tyler is great, man. The thing about Tyler is when teams are playing zone like that, he is the guy in the slot who is typically matched up on linebackers and guys who aren't defensive backs. He has an advantage in those areas.
He is very smart at finding those open windows and those zones. That's a thing that kept us on schedule is him being able to do that and then when we did get one-on-one, you know, we took our shots when we had our chances. With Tyler being out there in the slot, he does a great job of getting open and finding windows, and he is a great player. It's great to have him.
Q. You guys are capable of executing when you are off schedule, third and longs. Why aren't those coming together, those third and whatever?
GENO SMITH: It's the NFL, and you can look at the statistics. I don't think a lot of teams make those. It's hard. It's the NFL. It's not high school.
Whenever you are backed up behind the chains, it's going to be hard. That's why the importance of staying on schedule, not having penalties, not shooting yourself in the foot is very important. Any time you get behind the chains, it's hard on every team. Not just us. Every team is going to struggle with that.
There are great guys on both sides of the ball. That's what the defense wants to do. They want to get you backed up so they can pass-rush and get you in those tough situations.
Q. Do you think the penalties on offense were the difference today?
GENO SMITH: I know the one we had down there when we were driving to win the game, I know that hurt us. Like I said, I have to watch it and see what happened, but we can't have that. We can't have that in those situations.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports