Tua Tagovailoa, A.J. Terrell Jr. and other Falcons speak to the media post-joint practice with Colts

Hey, how did it go out there today? >> Well, I think it went good uh with our first uh team, second team, third team series. Um you know, we we had some things that, you know, we wanted back and there's some things that uh we can look to clean up as well. But I think overall it went pretty well. Outside of that, we had our move the ball series in which, you know, some things happened. Can't can't can't turn the ball over. That's step number one. And uh you know from there just got to be on the same page with the receiver. >> Did he just have a good break on that or what? It looked like a good break from >> Yeah, he I mean he he had a good break. Um but I think the ball didn't help either. Just throwing it to his outside shoulder instead of his inside shoulder. >> Is that kind of the main coaching point on a play like that where it is a very quick route? You're you're kind of like seeing throwing before to beat the defender. Like what is the takeaway to improve there? >> Yeah, that that that's that's exactly it. Just ball placement. Yeah. Do you think this offense is close or do you think y'all are you glad you still got three weeks to go to get some stuff cleaned up? >> Well, I think regardless of how close or how far we think we are, the work still needs to be put in >> at the end of the day. And so if we have three more weeks, four more weeks, five more weeks, you know, it I mean it all correlates to us getting better, continuing to be on the same page before the real games start and before you know they start counting. >> I would imagine there are levels of comfort with a new offensive system. What stage of that are you in do you think now? >> Well, continuing to gain confidence with the guys, continuing to uh, you know, build confidence with the plays, uh, the scheme, things like that. So, it's a it's a daily thing that, uh, you continue to work on. The more reps you can get, the more comfortable you feel with it, and you move from there. >> Is this familiar to you? Is this close to what you've done in the past, or is this kind of new, the stuff that Kevin? >> Uh, ju well, I I would say just the the words are are different. Um, you know, uh, some words are the same as as other years, as I've said prior interviews, um, to where it's like I got to get some of those past concepts out of my head and bring in the new concepts for ones that were called, uh, that were similar in Miami. But outside of that, it's just repetition. >> How much do you believe you've kind of grown in the offense the last handful of weeks here in camp? >> Well, I think we're continuing to grow, right? figuring out the guys that run routes certain ways or how they run their routes, how they're coming out of it, things like that. The level of comfort in which guys thrive on certain routes. >> So things like that, >> the deliver the ability to deliver and receive feedback I'd imagine is really important throughout the course of the season. By now in training camp, what have you learned about Tommy Ree, Tanner, Kevin, the way they provide feedback, and how have you worked with them in that area? >> Yeah, I think they've been very helpful. um there's no holding back. They they'll tell you what it is and you move forward from that. I think as a player, as a professional football player, that's all you can ask for, right? Is constructive criticism and being able to take that and apply that moving forward, you know, is what they want to see and is what you you kind of want to see in yourself. You take that coaching point, you learn from it, you move forward with that. Um but it it's not just with the coaches. I would say it's also with the players getting them to communicate to me. um you know, and not kind of going to their coach like, "Hey, let's let's talk to each other. That's how we're going to, you know, go out there and be able to feel comfortable to see whatever route it is. If you're breaking this way or this way, like I got to know that, not not the coaches as as much as as we got to be on the same page." >> So, Tu, how do those conversations, you know, take place off off the field? >> Well, I would say after a play, I I just go up to the guys and talk to them like, "Hey, talk to me. Like, what did you think on that? What are you feeling? Did you like it? did you not like it? Things like that. And then their level of comfort with the play. Like if they don't they don't feel comfortable running that route. I don't want to waste my time trying to time that up with them. You know, if if they don't feel comfortable with that, then I'll tell Tommy or, you know, hey, like let's try to run more of these routes with with this guy or or whatnot. Um, and that's I I would say that's sort of the communication that that the guys give. And then, you know, it's vice versa. Vice versa, too. Do you believe you have enough time between now and week one, I guess, to reach the level you want to operate at in the offense? >> Well, I don't think you have a choice at the end of the day. You know, when when it's game time, it's game time. You better be ready. >> Where do you think you need to maybe improve, you know, between now and then the most? >> I think I need to improve every day. Um, I'm not looking at at a set goal of when I need to be improved by. I'm just looking to improve every day within this offense. Grow within the scheme. um grow within feeling comfortable in it enough to where man I can see everything. I can see where guys are going to be, what what he's calling if if uh the headset goes out, things like that. >> But you are like happy with the part of the process you're at right now like in your eyes you feel? >> Yeah, I I mean I would say there there's no other way to look at it. Um like you you got to be where you are right now and you know we'll learn from what what happened in practice today. We'll take the good as well as the bad. We'll move forward and we'll continue to grow that way. >> One of the uh one of the good I think it's fair to say Drake London legitimately, you know, moss a quarterback today. How how much faith does that give you as a quarterback to have a receiver who can do things like that out there on the field? >> Yeah. Well, you know, I've said it earlier in OTAA's like Drake, Kyle, couple of these other guys. I mean, they're they're bigger bodies, right? And so, you just throw it within the vicinity of them. They're going to go up and make a play for you. So, just your overall takeaways on on today, the first joint practice and how it went out there. >> No, it was good. Um, always, you know, getting a chance to go against another team. Um, it's good for the team and we just want to come out here and compete. Try to see where we at. Start fast, see where our communication at so we can line up and compete. >> And you know Kenny Moore fairly well, right? Because he was at your he's been at your house and stuff. Yeah. Uh, so has he over the years just has kind of helped have you learned anything about these these Colts players, the receivers like through that relationship? >> Um, no, not really. I haven't really, you know, asked him about none of that. But, you know, I definitely follow his game a lot. You know, he's been dominant over the over the last few years and um, just a key player in the NFL and I always be watching his game trying, you know, when I do see him, we do pick each other brain on, you know, techniques and things like that. And I know we've asked you a lot about your younger brother, but another young player who I've I've noticed a lot this training camp is Clark Phillips. How have you seen him grow and develop since you've known him? >> No, he a competitor, man. We got a lot of a lot of competitors on the team. Clark is one of them. Uh year in year out, he always >> uh you know, step to the table with the task of coming out here competing and um you that's what he do. He make plays uh you know they you know he he undersides and things like that, but he play big. So you know that's what we love on the outside. what what is kind of left for you to work on throughout the rest of training camp and and where are you in your process of getting ready for for the season? >> Yeah, just just competing and straining. That's the main thing for me. Just taking all my reps um and just maximizing them, you know, just trying to find ways to get the ball uh you know, communicate with my brothers at a high level so we could play slow the game down and play fast. >> Are you feeling the year 2eness of being in this system so far in training camp? >> Yeah. Yeah, it's it's good. It's always good to have uh the same DC, you know, coming into the next year so you can pick up on the little details, things that we weren't so sure on last year, just coming in this year, having rules for it and playing faster. Um, it's it's a plus. >> What were you happiest about today as far as the defensive performance and what are some things that you identified throughout this practice that you're going to want to work on? >> The energy. >> Yeah, >> I feel like we had a a good energy switch. Just being able to go against somebody else. Um, all the guys got to compete and, you know, just show new talent that we got. >> Yeah. Just let me get one real quick. Hey, how was it today? I know you probably already answered that. How was the act? >> No, it's it was good just being able to go against a new team. Um, and guys got to compete, you know, that's that's always a plus. Just being able to go against a new team instead of going against each other like we do all camp and just see where everybody at. looked like in the individual drills that offensive line had a pretty a pretty good day. What was your assessment of your group's kind of work out there today as well? >> Uh I think well I think it was great. Uh our intent was fantastic and guys came out ready to work today and uh you know it's a new environment you never been in and sometimes it's tough when you come out here but um I'm really thankful too. The Colts guys um it was just we were here to work today. There was no nonsense and like it was so great and guys didn't take things personal. There was no chippiness. Like it was really just a clean good workday to see a different look and for myself like against Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. Like those are two of the best starters in the NFL. And so to get work against them uh my love these days. >> I think you know in my personal mind dictionary iron sharpens iron. It's now you and Deforex Buckner as like the picture because that was incredible. Like what are some of the takeaways of working against him and getting better? Yeah, you see it on tape like you see the clips from the year and it's always funny like week one and week 17 are always tough for anxiety because you see a guy's whole year highlight film and so um ready to go today knowing that DeForest brings you know he's tall and long and so he can bring a speed to power with a long arm you know he's got the twitch to up and under and he can spin back um and he got me like it was fun we the first one he jumped offside showing that he was going inside on me and so I set that he was going inside after the reset that and he went out and then so the second time it was fun that I knew he thought he was going to do the first one so a little bit of a back and forth there and it was fun. It was just like what you like about these days in >> the game. >> Yeah. >> Uh seemed like the run game was working too and in some of the team periods. How are you feeling about the the run scheme and the plan and everything? >> Uh really good understanding of what we want as an offense and then to go out there and NLE did a great job communicating and so when he sets the table um it's really simple. I'm either going to who he's saying or one pass. So, he did a great job setting the table and echoing that communication across the board. >> How do you feel like it's going in your ramp up and getting kind of reactivated? >> Uh, it's going really well, man. Um, I have a great great uh plan around me. Uh, you know, just listening to the front office, what things they want me to do each day and, uh, just working in the weight room, working on the field to get myself back to like exactly where I want to be. >> What exactly happened to you? >> Um, had a knee surgery back in March. Um, just a clean up, nothing crazy. Um and just been, you know, just getting myself back to 100. Just kind of rehabbing throughout the offseason, but feeling a lot better now. >> Triceps is good. >> Yeah, tricep 100%. Um been healthy. It took about 12 weeks to heal and after that I was right back benching, doing everything else. So, it's it's good. >> How tough was it watching as Kent was getting started and you wanted to get out there and make an impression with your new squad? >> It's always really tough, you know, seeing your brothers out there playing ball and you know, you just on the sideline kind of rehabbing. But, um, you know, I just kept coming in, keeping my head down, working every day, and, uh, had a great, you know, great team, great group around me. So, uh, it just kept me, kept me motivated, and, uh, you know, just glad to be back out here. >> Like today against the Colts, >> it was a lot of fun. You know, they have a great defense, a lot of great players. Um, and it was a definitely a good challenge and we just got had fun out here competing. >> How difficult is it? Um, just overcoming physically, mentally in the rehab process, just, you know, getting back to full speed. Um it's it's it's really not difficult mentally if you if you come in with the right mindset every day just attack each day you know and uh just get better 1% better every day and uh that's what I do. Um and it's it's nothing new to me. I've had knee surgery before um in my time in my last team and you know same thing just attack each day try to get better and you know that's what I did. >> We've asked about the left quarterbacks a lot but you're the one that it's going to impact the most. Is that anything that you think about? >> Um yeah from time to time at the end of the day it's just ball. You know I just got to go out there and just do my job and uh help the team in every way I can.