After spending some time with Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton in college, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford knows he'll have to keep a sharp eye on him come Sunday
On what he notices from the Falcons' defense:
"They are a very solid defense. They are good up front. They do a very solid job of rushing the quarterback and getting to the quarterback. I think all around they're solid. Their linebackers are good and they have a great secondary. It's probably one of the better defenses we've seen this year. We're going to have to play extremely well if we're going to have a chance to win this game."
On Brent Grimes:
"It looks like Grimes is an aggressive corner. It looks like he'll take some chances and try to make some plays. He's made some big plays for them already this year and we expect he'll come up and play in our face and try to make some plays against us too."
On former college teammate Curtis Lofton:
"Obviously, Curtis was there my first two years at Oklahoma. I actually remember when I was in high school, it was my junior year, his senior year, and I went and watched him when he was out at Kingfisher and he was just dominant. When we got to Oklahoma, he was a great player there for us for three years. He's a great football player; he's a great athlete. He likes to bring the wood. We're going to have to be aware of where he is at all times."
On getting weight up during rehab:
"I was able to put on some size. I feel like going through the rehab process made my shoulder even stronger than it was before I got injured. I think the big thing is, too, that once I got injured I couldn't lift upper body so I was really concentrating on my legs. I think that's where I was able to put on some weight, which helped. I think it's definitely something that still helped."
On the speed of NFL:
"Guys closing speed in this league is so much greater than it is in college. I think that one of the biggest things in this league is that one of the times here you throw the ball and guys are already there ready to make the tackle when the receiver has only taken a step or two, whereas in college, you can throw a ball and a guy will have three or four steps to get ready for a hit or try to make a move. I think the windows shrink before the ball is thrown and after the ball is thrown. Everything is just to the ball that much quicker."
On being a young team leader:
"I think, obviously, any time you get drafted, especially as high as James (Laurinaitis), it's an honor that an NFL team would give you the opportunity to come in and help them out. I think that coming in here with the mindset that we're going to do anything we can to help this organization and help this franchise get back to where it once was, is the first step in getting this organization back."
On rotating receiving corps:
"Obviously, early in the season we went through a spell of wide receivers that stepped in and helped us out. I feel like everyone that has stepped in and played for us on Sundays has done a great job. I think, for me, one of the things that really helped out is during training camp I was taking snaps with the twos and the ones, so I had an opportunity to work with almost every wide receiver. When someone did have to step up and take his place, it wasn't someone totally new to me. I had thrown to them before and I was comfortable throwing to them. I think that really helped. That's something that we've had to overcome, but I think it's something we did a really good job with"
On lacking the killer instinct:
"We've had several games, Tampa Bay and last week specifically, where we've had a chance, especially with Tampa Bay. At one point we were up 17-3 and just can't find a way to put the game away. Last week, we were up 17-10. We get possession of the ball inside the 40 and don't come away with any points. It's just things like that, that we've got to figure out. The longer you let a team hang around in a game, the more likely they are to come back and beat you. We just have to find a way to put teams away when we have the opportunity."
On Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco:
"Obviously, it's nice to look in front of you and see guys that have had success. At the same time, I don't think you can let any of that stuff affect the way that you prepare and do your job. Regardless of where I got drafted, I worked as hard as I could to get myself on the field. I think any competitor would tell you that they would much rather be on the field playing than on the sidelines watching. That was always my mindset. It is nice to know that there are guys that were able to come before you and step in and have success."
On home records:
"Obviously, we've had a little more success at home than we have had on the road. I'm not really sure why that is. It does make it nice when you are able to have success at home; knowing that are going to make it tough for other teams to come in here and beat you."
On learning ball security:
"I think our coaches do a good job. Obviously, they make it known that turnovers are an important part of the game, but they don't over coach it or don't over emphasize it, because I think the moment you do that is the moment you play cautious and the minute you start to worry about turnovers and that's when they start to happen. I will say that our coaches have done a great job of making us well aware of the fact that turnovers will kill us they're obviously something you want to stay away from. "
