 Ahead on early birds the scoreboard says it all week one the Falcons against the Visitors what better way to start the season than rivalry week and who better to sit down with than the unicorn himself Plus could the mailman deliver a hyphen trophy to Athens that and so much more ahead on early birds Up in your favorite Joe and let's talk Falcons football on early birds presented by Mercedes Benz Oh, good morning, and welcome into early birds. He's DJ. I'm Justin. I can hardly contain myself. Oh, man It's go time the season is here Falcons debut tomorrow against the Saints That's a good way to start. We'll start things off with the opening drive Falcon and Saints tomorrow here on Fox 5 and the return of an old friend James Winston, but shot this might not be the handout interceptions like candy. James. We know so well Yeah, I think his time behind Drew Brees has really helped him He's become a better passer a guy who doesn't take as many risks as he did in the past last year in 2021 before he got hurt 67% of his passes were 10 yards or less So he does a good job of just trying to complete the ball not completed to the other team So don't expect Justin to be James to throw it to other teams this year because he's learned a lot from being with Yeah, 14 touchdowns only three picks last year before he got hurt. Here's AJ Turrell Still just watch the film but just trying to get any any little details any little you know hints and stuff That we just pick up on and just being able to apply it on game day They just got a lot of weapons. You got to respect everybody, but at the same time just go out there and compete As we continue on the opening drive We should finally get a look at most if not all of this Falcons offense for really the first time on the field at the same time So I've for a handful of snapshot in the preseason, but what should we be looking for? I think you're gonna see a totally different office than you've seen in the last 14 years Because no matter run now you have a different style of quarterback now You get an opportunity to see a lot of different weapons. Sometimes you may see Cowpets back in the backfield you may see CP in the backfield with Damian Williams There could be a lot of wrinkles I think inside of this offense that the fans will be excited to watch and I'm glad we get a chance to see a lot of them now Not preseason now you get a chance to see a fully entire ball game And one of those playmakers is in Lincoln making his Atlanta debut receiver Brian Edwards You know, I feel like we can be explosive We have a lot of different weapons a lot of people a lot of different people that can do different things So I feel like we can each carve out our own role and just help this team win And as we wrap up the opening drive DJ starting strong, it's always important But especially so this year considering the Falcons first seven games that they're brutal makes that all the more in part Important to try and start one or no Yeah, just make a good point This is going to be a brutal schedule like you mentioned you want to start fast You want to be able to get out and get a win especially at home to get a division rival Let's start fast simply because it gives your team a lot of confidence You're your fans a lot of confidence to be able to come back out and watch you So let's start this thing the right way and get a dub at home and game number one, especially against those saints Well, welcome into early birds alongside DJ Shockley. I'm Justin Felder Falcons and Saints tomorrow right here on Fox 5 in Atlanta Also trying to avoid how they started last year all that promise all that it's excitement and ugly 32 to 6 loss at home to the Eagles That wasn't good. That was a big opening statement for Jaylen Hurst He came out and play well ran around through the ball well So we don't want that same thing to happen here with the aintes coming to town Yeah, especially considering who you're playing all right shot against the Falcons the fans are hoping the Saints come up Trombone shorty come up short. Oh, yeah, I like Trombone short These music references are a lot harder than I thought they would be all right go warm up the telestrator I'll consider my script You but first if you look down a wide-open fairway anywhere in Georgia You might just see a unicorn coming towards you falcons tight end who can do everything is adding a new sport to his arsenal Golf and for tight end Kyle Pitts. That's been the best place to get to know his new quarterback Marcus Mariota I spoke to Kyle Pitts one-on-one and got the 19th hole details on their golf games You're standing in a t-box with him par 4 who's got the longest drive I Competitively, I'm gonna say me But now he's been playing longer than me. So Marcus. He definitely hits the ball up for me. Okay, Marcus off the tee Let's say you guys are both in the middle of the fairway 150 yards out. Who's closest to the pin? I'm a sticky. Okay, but he's really good. So I'm not gonna try and discredit him. He's like really good I'm mentally I'm a beat him. So I'm a talk trash. All right, so the mental game That's that's up around the green 10-foot putt you guys can both make it Who makes it more often? Probably him. Oh, okay. It takes a big man to admit that Yeah, truth is set you free and I definitely don't hit those 10-foot sometimes I too put you spend a lot of time with Marcus with a New quarterback obviously out here on the practice field in the facility What kind of things can you learn about him out on the golf course in three or four hours that you can't learn on a Football field like life skills In your relationship in your faith Financially wise I can go on and on because our first conversation, you know, we just was out playing and we just you know Carrie just trying to get to know each other and then he just was telling me his routine different things like that So just different things like I can nitpick and you know, maybe take from whatever was in that conversation into You know my regular life. What feels different going into year two for you I would say a lot feels different because my confidence from one Knowing that I know where to line up now is how can I beat you? How fast can I beat you and you know, how can I mention to beat you? We're sitting in these really cool refurbished suites here at the Ben's got the Saints coming into town I know you grew up in Philly. So you knew the Eagles rivals. You went to Florida. So, you know some great college rivalries How do you describe the Falcon Saints rivalry? I feel like I didn't really understand it until like last year or this offseason I was talking to real Falcon fans and it's telling me how bad it is and I was okay It's kind of like photo for the state or for the Georgia. It's a big game is scrappy competitive I think it's gonna be packed. It's gonna be you know, make the game more intense There's all the projections and the records you set last year and the NFL top hundred things like that Do you feel like you can be one of the best tight ends in this game? Yes, sir Any DB I'm gonna put my best foot for any linebacker anybody any DN linebacker try and show people number one winnings The most important things Super Bowls are the most important thing. I get it Is it important to you to be known as the best or one of the best at your position? Yes Why is that? I mean selfishly speaking, I want to be the best at tight end But also I want to help do my part in this team and you know help this team win games And we all we all go to Super Bowl last thing I want to ask about I saw the post on Instagram Seeing everywhere at the photo shoot the rows and there's a story behind that is it was I was trying to do the Allen Iverson the sports illustrator nice. How do you think it turned out? I think I look pretty good I was doing it for one of my photographer friends. Okay, I came up the idea. So I was like sure I was pretty optimistic about it at first. I didn't want to do it, but I was there It's time to get some game and tell from shock. You're invited into the film room. So cut the lights. Let's get started We look at his father's offense everybody's wondering will they be ready for Sunday? Will they be ready for the Saints is the timing there? Well, let's go back to preseason game number two that shows you the timing is there for the Falcons This is the touchdown here to alarm days the kids the kids are he's gonna run a skinny post over the top But the timing of this route and Marcus, Mariano, what are you doing with his head? This is the guy he has to control now other guys have to do their job as well This inside receiver hasn't got an inside release and he has to go across his face here Now that will take this defender out. Now you got the back coming out running a little out route That takes away this flight defender. So now all you have back here is this safety you have to worry about now The play gets started once you watch his eyes. Look at Mariano's head. His head is here But he's holding that safety right in the middle of the field now This guy did a good job of cutting across his face now that guy's out of here by him going vertical It keeps this guy in the middle of the field Ozzie does a good job what we call stacking him when I say stacking he takes outside release But he gets back on top now He can win across his face and now the ball has to be on time That's the most important part of here is the ball being on time watch for this ball That ball is out of his hand and look where Ozzie is Ozzie hasn't even hardly came out of the break yet and this ball comes right over here this is a nice job of Timing and precision and it does a good job of coming out of it and is up in a touchdown play These are the type of plays that his offense will create and Marcus Mariota and Ozzie and his other receivers I think they're on time Justin Oh, thanks shock That's what they want to see more of tomorrow against the Saints We've got more coming on early birds is it possible Stetson Bennett makes his way into the Heisman conversation Michael Jenkins weighs in plus Just continue to tell myself as you breathe breathe so I can see the ball better The segment is called going deep and he is a going deep specialist We go deep with Olamide Zaccheus next on early birds Falcons fans score a touchdown with low tire prices at Mavis tires and brakes the official tire retailer of the Atlanta Falcons Visit Mavis Tire calm the finder store near you Presented by Mercedes Benz the best or not And bought to you by Georgia lotter today could be with the board to you by truest B&T and Suntrust are now truest here again. It's Fox 5 Welcome back into early birds and we welcome former Falcons receiver Michael Jenkins talking a little college ball Georgia they got Samford today with all due respect to Samford. We're gonna find a different topic. Yeah, let's talk about the quarterback Right Stetson Bennett people are using the h-word with him Heisman. Should the mailman be in the Heisman conversation? Why not? I mean his guy just came off a natty. He went eighty percent Completion percentage three hundred seventy yards a couple touchdowns. I mean he's playing like a Heisman after this first game So he keeps it up. Definitely in the race. It was an incredible win against Oregon 368 yards passing two touchdowns. He ran for another one and Jake I'm even seeing NFL folks that the draft experts say could he be an NFL prospect Is that too much or is it possible? No, definitely possible Okay, this guy can play and so he's proving it and he'll continue to prove it all year long the mailman What an incredible story from walk on to this ad Mitchell one of his top targets had this to say This is his third year with coach marketing. Yeah, so he was I mean he looked Extremely comfortable. He looked like he was in full control, and it felt like it was So, you know, it was His third year if you look at his 10th year at this point But that's a bit sets of Bennett and Georgia hosting some other Bulldogs Samford at 4 p.m. But speaking of hosting I love this game today North Carolina coming to Georgia State and Michael, what a great opportunity for the Panthers hosting an ACC team Yeah, hosting ACC played SEC last week, and you know, they played North Carolina last week I mean last year. I'm sorry, and it wasn't pretty so of course They see what app state did put up 40 points in the fourth quarter on North Carolina So they're thinking they can do the same only a you know seven point dog So we'll see what happens. Yeah in Georgia State like you mentioned they even they played South Carolina last week They hung with the SEC school before ultimately losing of course few years ago. They beat Tennessee They didn't they have to feel pretty confident How big would that be for this program that they're building there to put this on their resume? This would be huge I mean a program that's only with 12 13 years in right them to be playing the competition They're playing and having a team like this power five comes to their place. I get a win at home It'll be huge looked good against South Carolina Sean Elliott disappointed with that loss But thinks it'll help the Panthers today. I Want you to know we have a talented football team We have a hard-working football team. We have a gutsy football team and I think we're gonna grow I think learning from the struggles that we had tonight in the areas that we did I will only make us better and prepare us for next week And finally it sounds like those those folks in Baton Rouge The welcome mat is wearing a little thin with new coach Brian Kelly. There's that that viral video this week He kind of chatted a reporter for being late to a press conference reporter said Maybe if you won I'd be on time. They step back at him. That was great. That's a bold move But man, it's it's getting a little bit the seats not quite warm yet. Oh, not yet, but the honeymoon is over I mean he's done all the speeches and you know the accent right came up with so he's he's an SEC country He's not a Cincinnati's not Notre Dame and it's time. They brought down a win football games Yeah, what does he need to do? I mean he needs to win But is it a style is it just that personality? Well, it's just him I think he's trying to you know, win everybody else over with this kind of different personality But just be him and do what he's always done to win football games. LSU will try to write the ship I know Ohio State you're predicting another big win today over Today, Arkansas State tough one today. All right shock We'll see if Ohio State can handle things and your dogs can do the same should be a fun one DJ will send it over to you All right, Jay and Jay you guys like that jink and just no male. Okay, maybe to stick We'll see. All right, if I was hoping for some big plays down the field to help beat the Saints tomorrow And one of their best downfield threats is a llama days the kids He says the key to catching deep passes is taking deep breaths. He shows us how it's done and this week's going deep Breathe Just breathe like sometimes when you hold your breath your head starts bubbling. It's hard to see the ball So like one thing I just you know, just continue to tell myself as you breathe breathe so I can see the ball better And if you can see the ball like it's just about catching the ball after that you try to look around late for it I mean are there look, you know, are there little ways that you can keep the defender from you know jumping on? definitely just depends on how the ball is thrown where the defenders at little things like that, but Little nuances here and there nothing too crazy, but just pen it depending on ball when defenders at Well, we've got more to come on early birds including asking Falcons fans to do the unthinkable Say something nice about the Saints. I hope you're sitting down for this one You're watching early birds Presented by Mercedes Benz on your official home for Falcons football Fox 5 and Lynn Well, the training room is a sacred space for NFL players pre-game during the game and post-game in Mercedes Benz stadium The Falcons have some of the best equipment and treatment areas that players may need Dr. Kyle Hammond walks you through what the room looks like inside the locker room and this week's emory road to recovery In the training room here, we have You know a line of training room tables that are for players both pre-game During the game and post-game to receive various types of treatments and so a lot of things are utilized besides just kind of topical massage ointments and Taping and padding and things like that, but we also have machines like this which is a game ready which would be hook up to a Compression type wearable item that you would wear on a various joint. That's usually a recovery method It's kind of icing and compression at the same time So if a guy got their knee or their ankle injured or something like that They may go into that post game to start the recovery process or just for general inflammation We have ultrasound machines as well we have Red laser machines things that are used for not only treatments for various issues or inflammation issues and soft tissues but also for warm-up methods to have warm-up soft tissues sometimes create, you know Blood flow generate warmth generate an anti-inflammatory effect to help with the warm-up process But can also be used in the recovery process as well More to come on early birds Falcon fans beat the bigger person. It's time to be nice to the safe We'll try our best next on early birds It's been presented to you by Mercedes Benz the best or nothing Falcons fans score a touchdown with low tire prices at Mavis tires and brakes the official tire retailer of the Atlanta Falcons Visit Mavis tire calm the find a store near you Falcons fans Saints fans can't we all just get along nope No, it's never gonna happen. All right We sent Miles Garrett out with the toughest job in the 404 get some Falcons fans to say something nice about the Saints Good luck. My Oscar look Who is your favorite team in the NFL gotta be the Falcons? What do you like about the Falcons? Well, I've been a I was hometown fan Color scheme always got to me and you know, it's just it's something about root for the home team I just love it Jake. How big of a Falcons fan are you? My favorite team in the entire universe favorite player Cowpets are you guys big Falcons fans? Huge Falcons fans. What is one nice thing you can say about the New Orleans Saints? Falcons open up against the Saints this weekend pretty friendly rivalry Would you say so? No, no, I hate them hate them hate their guts. What's one nice thing you can say about the Saints? What's one nice thing you can say about the New Orleans Saints? Make sense Bourbon Street is the best place on earth, but that's about all they got nothing else. No, absolutely not No No, I can't actually now that took a lot just the first one So yeah, not if you guys had to say one nice thing about the Falcons rival the Saints. What would you say? No, I can't say No, no, I'm trying really hard here. You know forms are cool. I guess, you know that black-and-goal plays really well Yeah, no, no, that's it. I Feel the last guy do I have Nothing really good to say or think about the Saints of me, right? I think the puppies made some good points about the football analysis We might actually invite them on as a guest host next week. All right If you want to go to more Falcons game this season just scan the QR code you see here for details The code will also send you to the Falcons season ticket page packages are available now for the exciting new season head And that starts off with Falcons and Saints tomorrow. Give me a match-up to watch shock Alvin Kamarovos are linebackers Michael Walker Those guys keep him under wraps because he's usually a big part of their offense It's a team effort containing the Norcross High School alum. That's true He always seems to have a big game in store for his hometown team. All right. Thanks for joining us They'll be a fun game tomorrow for DJ Shockley. I'm Justin Felder. See you here next Saturday. Have a good morning and a great weekend