Arthur Smith gave Falcons a stern post-practice message

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons coach Arthur Smith was not pleased with practice Friday and gave his team a stern talking-to afterward.

The Falcons were using display cards for the defense against the first-team offense. When the offense ran a pass play half-speed and the defense was going full-speed, Smith was perplexed.

Friday practices were a light-and-breezy affair under coaches Dan Quinn and Mike Smith. Under Quinn, the Falcons would announce the Tommy Nobis player of the week, and that player would get a special practice jersey.

The team posted the winners on a board in the team room.

Under Mike Smith, he would hold kicking and punting competitions to make things a little lighter at the end of the week.

Arthur Smith wants a full-speed practice Fridays, and he let the players know that.

“Every year that I’ve been around the NFL, the first day that you introduce cards (for scout) teams, it’s usually a (disaster),” Smith said. “That’s not what I wanted because I think it’s human nature to let your guard down. We’re not trying to do anything stupid, going in here all-out, full-speed scrimmage. We expect speed, and we expect the guys on the other side of it to be professional and get lined up.”

Smith takes the scout-team work seriously.

“It’s a great experience for (everyone),” he said. “To me, it’s how you develop guys. It’s not just there to feel good and be a highway cone so we get 12 for 12 (completions in seven-on-seven work) and feel good and have an unrealistic picture of Sunday.”

Smith wasn’t trying to knock the past approaches.

“That’s just a personal philosophy,” he said. “I did that job for a lot of years. ... So, it’s just an expectation. That’s part of it. I wasn’t very happy with it. But it picked up at the end. I let them know. That was my job to get the thing rolling the way we believe in and the way that we see fit.”

Smith was glad that he noticed this entering the final exhibition game.

“It’s a big game for a lot of guys on Sunday night,” he said. “That’s not to devalue the game in any way, shape or form. But we are fortunate that it was the preseason, and it’s part of the continuing education.”

Smith believes the team will respond.

“We have to do a better job,” he said. “I’m not down. It’s not going to ruin my Friday. It’s just that they know what the expectation is. These guys responded, and I expect it to be better the next time that we have a Friday practice.”

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