Kyle Pitts Sr. and Xavier Watts look forward to Falcons vs Packers matchup | Press Conference

Hey Kyle, how are you? >> Hey Dan, how you doing? >> I'm doing well, man. [snorts] You have a quarterback now. Um, how how did Kevin announce it to you guys as a team and how excited are you to have have old number nine back there again? >> Oh yes. Uh, we heard it in the uh offensive meeting. Um, but it was great. It was great hearing that, but also don't want to um, you know, leave poop out of it and want to give him his respects as well and appreciate all of what he's done. >> This has been a long process. obviously. So, to to watch Mike grind to be back here now, I mean, what can you say about, you know, how how much he cared about this, how hard he worked to reach this point, and uh how has he looked in practice in your eyes? >> Yeah. No, just seeing Mike grind on the side, uh, obviously coming back from the injury, getting him to be where he needs to be, and uh, being alongside him is great, and to have him back in the lineup this week is is is pretty good. >> I appreciate it, man. >> We'll go with Zack Klein. Hey, Kylie. Yeah, no disrespect to Jack or Coupe, but you know, they were QB3 and four for a reason, right? Is this a shot of adrenaline to this team right now after the start that you got your guy back and a sense of belief in this team right now? >> Yeah, obviously it's great having Mike back. Um, but I feel like Jack and uh, Coupe did a good job of holding holding it down while they could and uh, having nine back is is is a good momentum and obviously coming off this loss um, looking to get into WCOM this week. >> We'll go with Maria Martin. >> Hey Kyle. >> Hey. How you doing Maria? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. >> What does Mike offer you guys offensively when he's the quarterback? That's a good one. Um, I would say he's a different style leader. Um, obviously he's not the the yeller or the rah guy, but you know, he leads by example and just following behind him and and knowing that he's the pioneer of the ship now. Um, we just got to follow behind him and support him in any way we can and go out there and perform. >> Obviously, there were a lot of frustrations, especially after yesterday's game, frustrations in the locker room, on the field from you guys as well. How would you describe just the mentality of this team? Obviously getting new news like this is great, but how would you describe what you guys are thinking and feeling right now? >> Yeah, obviously it's frustrating getting those two losses back to back, but it's a new week. It's a short week and it's the best thing is is like I said, it's a short week and we can flush it and now we're on the Green Bay and trying to get a win this week. >> Oh, thanks. Appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> We'll go back to Zack Klein. >> Hey, correct me if I'm wrong, Kyle, but you had MCL surgery back a few years ago, right? Yes. >> For you and kind of relating back to Michael, did you feel like, hey, we're I'm good in practice. I feel confident in me, but I need to take that cut. I need to be explosive in a game to feel 100% to feel go 100 that hey, I'm back. I'm ready for this. >> I would say MCL and ACL are two different surgeries and two different types of rehab. Um, for me, yeah, like kind of like what you're saying, kind of had to make a certain cut or get somebody to actually like intentionally tackle you in practice or tackle you on the pad to feel, okay, all right, I'm good now. And then once that happens is the rest is now it's just ball back to playing ball. >> And do you think that's something that Mike just needs, hey, just give me one hit, get, you know, one pressure, one cut, and he can kind of, you see a little relief in him because going on 11-11 is one thing, but against Green Bay at Lambo is going to be a little bit different. >> Yeah, I don't know. I that's that's a question for Mike, I would say. Um I don't know how he totally feels it cuz he's a quarterback so it's a little different. He's kind of protected and not doing as much maybe in in line or in receiving. So that that's a maybe that's just up to him though. >> Appreciate you. >> All right, we'll go Daniel Flick. >> Yeah, Kyle, I want to ask about you a little bit. Um I I believe yesterday was the the lowest snap split you've had as a pro. Was it kind of a weird afternoon? I mean, I think you were only out there for like 38% of the snaps offensively. >> Yeah, that uh definitely was, but just in the flow of the game. Um when they took those starters out, um that's how that's how it happened. >> Is is it kind of hard to not get a little bit upset? I I I believe you're at I think, you know, one catch, only a handful of targets so far. Is it hard not to get upset about that? >> I mean, it's a long season. Um, obviously that'll be kind of selfish to get upset and obviously I want to do as much as I can to contribute to this offense, but knowing that it's a long season and you know we'll get it we'll get it on track. >> And now I believe you started 0 and2 with this team in 2021 and in 2022 as well, right? So I mean how how do you guys as a team kind of um improve from here? Where do you go and kind of h how do you write the ship a little bit if you will? just get back on the horse and be resilient. Um, knowing it's a long year, still can have chance at winning a division and going on farther to that. Um, the first two games don't define your whole season, so we know, you know, what we need to do and we'll we'll do we need to do this week to get a win. >> Awesome, man. I appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> We'll go back to Maria Martin. >> How much do you love these prime time games? prime time gr uh games are great. It's a time for us to it's the only only you know rather than a Sunday where you have multiple games playing everyone's watching you. So it's it's cool it's cool to play on them and it's a it's definitely a blessing to be able to go out there on a Thursday night and in Lambo for the first time and go out there and perform. >> And then uh just one more from me just in terms of leadership. You've been around this team for a long time. You're one of the guys that people look to in this locker room. How important is it for you to remind people kind of what you're telling us? It's a long season. There's still a lot of football to be played. >> Yeah, the difference is with with college and the pros is in college you're just around I mean unless you're one of the premier teams, you're done around Thanksgiving and in the league that's kind of like where you're separating yourself and whether you you know you're seeing where your season going to go, but to know that it's 17 games at minimum and that you have a lot to play for. Thank you. >> So, we'll go to Dway and then we'll close out with Mark. >> Hey. Yeah, Kyle, you all showed that uh you all can get uh open deep behind the defenses. Uh you know, your passing Pittsburgh and uh uh Jans yesterday. Um how important would it be to have that long ball threat and be able to connect it to keep the people from coming up to to um you know, kind of bum rush the run game there? Yeah, definitely got to be able to keep defense on their toes with that. Um, in terms of just trying to push the ball down the field so they can respect the deep field threat and also being able to uh accompany with it with the run. >> Thank you. >> What's up, KP? >> What's up? >> How you doing, brother? >> Good, man. uh last the last Thursday night prime time game that uh that y'all had. Uh I think you had the best game for a tight end in like 30 years. Uh you're going to replicate that uh this coming Thursday. >> That that'll be cool. But you know, we just living in the moment trying to get in the win column and if that happens then then we'll talk about at the end of the game. you were already kind of asked something similar, but but how much does the the game plan and and just the play sheet open up with Mike starting because I mean, uh, you know, Cooper, we know he was dealing with a back injury, too, so he wasn't able to push the ball as much as he probably wanted. So, with Mike out there, he can make every throw. How does that how much does that open things up for y'all? >> I mean, it's I wouldn't say the play is much different between uh the quarterbacks. It's more so just how the flow of the game goes. You can't always, you know, play like that fantasy football type of just throw it deep every play. Sometimes you got to run it and in play action, but you know, definitely got to make defensive respects on on the deeper threat. >> Yeah. X, uh, as as you look ahead and and you watch Green Bay on tape, what impresses you about them and where do you guys kind of look to say, "Hey, we have to be really good here, here, and here against them." >> Yeah, I think they have a good quarterback obviously, um, Jordan Love. He's a great quarterback. Um, you know, processes things well and he has a great arm talent as well. So, you know, I think that's one of their strengths and, you know, trying to limit him and, you know, their explosive plays and kind of just giving them different looks and changed things up. So, >> Rogers ed out quite a bit against you guys week one and then Young kind of as well yesterday. As a as a whole unit back there, how do you believe you guys have played so far? >> Uh, I mean, I feel like um there's always things to improve on. You know, I feel like it's been solid. um hasn't been the worst, hasn't been the best. Um but you know, couple mental errors and you know, just different things we can work on and get better on. So, >> we'll go with Zack Klein. >> Yeah, man. No disrespect to the other, you know, two quarterbacks who have given it their all for you in these first two games, but is this announcement of Mike, uh who started in this league from many games, a shot of adrenaline for a team that could use it? >> I mean, yes. a great opportunity for Mike to go out there and you know perform at his best and you know coming back from an ACL injury at a prime time game you know just you know a good coming out game for him and like you said just appreciative the coupe and Jack and you know they went out there and you know they played their best and tried their best as well so >> thank you go with Dw You're on mute. >> Yeah, Zav, what was the um the morale of the team kind of following up Zach's question when you all got this news, you know, without uh you know that uh Mike would be starting in this game on Thursday night? Uh I mean like uh kind of said just a you know cool opportunity and amazing opportunity just kind of just switch things up and you know get a different you know type of energy I'd say. Um but I mean like I said just hopefully goes out there you know does his best. >> Okay. And then just a followup on the leg uh 55 yder uh uh what what happened on that play there? >> Uh it was a coverage you know just regular cover three. um type of look and you know just uh I got to stay a little bit higher and then you know just got to win our one-on- ones honestly. So >> thank you. We'll go with Josh Kendall. >> Hey Xavier wondered what Good. How are you? >> Good man. >> Wonder what you um have seen what sort of progress you've seen from CJ Henderson since you got to Atlanta. Uh it's been really good to see honestly um you know how CJ was a top 10 pick and you know he's kind of gone through some ups and downs um in his career and you know ever since he's been to Atlanta he's really flipped the script I'd say. I mean I've seen him work like extremely hard. He's always working extra in the work weight room and after practice he's getting extra work in. So it was really cool to see him um you know flip the script and I've definitely seen improvement. What are the communications challenges if you do have to replace AJ? I mean, I know you did it the second half, but do you do you have to sort of spend a week or the short week making sure y'all are all on the same page if you're starting a new guy? >> Uh, not too much. I mean, cuz, you know, CJ's he's in all the meetings. He's been all the walkthroughs and, you know, he gets his reps in with us in practice when he's in. And so I mean it's not too much um communication or adjustments we have to make [clears throat] but I mean it's obviously different type of connection I'd say um but I feel like it's not too much different. >> Thank you. >> We go with Mark Randi. >> What's up Xavier? >> It's good. >> Uh I was just I was just curious when when coach spoke with y'all after the game last night in the locker room. What was kind of his his prevailing message? >> Uh I mean that wasn't us. um that wasn't the uh Falcons team that we wanted to be or we were going to be. Um so kind of just you know got to learn from it and you know the week's over um well it's a short week so the week will be over quick and we got to move on to Pittsburgh. So I mean not Pittsburgh uh Green Bay co >> coach is known for being a pretty you know even keled guy. Did did he get was it was it pretty intense uh after after that game or how would you kind of classify that? Uh yeah, I seen a kind of like more fire from him. Um like I say, he's pretty um you know, chill um type of a vibe, but you know, definitely seeing him more juiced up and you know, I think it was pretty good to see um for us as players to see that you know, he got riled up. So, >> thanks man. Oh, Daniel Flick, you're on mute, but >> yeah, X, kind of along those lines, how how hard is it to to flush a loss like yesterday? And obviously, you don't want to be at this point, you know, and you know, winless, but how do you kind of keep in mind like, hey, it's still early. We still have everything we really want to accomplish out ahead of us this year. >> Yeah, I mean, those type of losses aren't always easy. Um, but it definitely helps that it's a short week. Um, so you got to really shift your mind. I can't linger on this way too much at all. Um, so you know, just flushing out the way and just getting ready for uh the next game is was uh pretty cool as well. Um, what was the second part of your question? Sorry. >> No. Yeah. I mean, just kind of how do you as a player characterize in your mind like you don't want to be 0 and2 obviously, right? But how do you how do you say to yourself, hey, yes, it hasn't gone the way I want it to, but you keep in mind you can't make the playoffs, you know, right out the gates like this. You have the whole year ahead of you still everything you want to accomplish is still out ahead of you. >> Yeah, I feel like there's no panic whatsoever. Um it's only week two um going into week three. So I mean there's still a lot a lot of time, a lot of football to go. Um so I mean it's nothing to really like hang your head on. I mean, obviously you don't want to lose football games, but um can't panic. >> Yeah. And then kind of one more on Michael. You know, he got cleared for 111 around a month ago, I believe. How much has he he repped against you guys and how has he looked in your eyes in practice? >> Yeah, they uh they sprinkled him in. Um I don't know what the protocols are, you know, what the plan was, but you know, he's he's came in and done a couple things against us and sprinkled him in as much as possible. Um and, you know, I feel like he's looked good. Um, he's done a great job. You know, he's a great arm talent. Um, he's smart as a smart player. So, I mean, I think he's done a good job. Awesome, >> man. I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Sure.