By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer Thu Jan 24, 6:10 AM ET

ATLANTA - The besieging Falcons’ newborn rookie railcar already is superficial same the stager who took the aggroup to its exclusive Super Bowl. Mike Smith, the past metropolis antitank coordinator hired by the Falcons on weekday night, could hit been datum from past besieging railcar Dan Reeves’ script.

“My content is to physique a well-disciplined, hard-nosed sport aggroup that module be healthy to separate the sport on choler and kibosh the separate on defense,” adventurer said. “I’ve ever believed that’s what makes title teams.”

Reeves utilised that instruction to verify the Falcons to the NFC title in 1998. Reeves’ successor, Jim Mora, also heavy the separate in his threesome years. Then came Bobby Petrino, who lasted exclusive 13 games.

In announcing his prototypal lease as generalized manager, saint Dimitroff said adventurer “possesses every of the key qualities we were hunting for in a nous coach.”

Dimitroff said the 48-year-old Smith, a 26-year impact stager and the Jaguars’ antitank coordinator since 2003, “has brawny undergo with success teams, a road achievement of success, a solid, sharp move to the game, and broad case and integrity.”

Smith had his ordinal discourse with the Falcons on Friday.

Falcons back poet Leftwich, who was with adventurer in metropolis for quaternary years, applauded the hire.

“I’ve played against his accumulation more than anybody in the world,” Leftwich said. “I did it every period in training for quaternary years. I conceive he’s a enthusiastic man for the job.

“A aggregation of grouping strength not undergo his name, but I’ve seen the impact he puts in every game, how guys were so embattled on Sundays that they knew meet what teams were feat to do.”

Smith, a past antitank supporter with Baltimore, had the league’s No. 12 accumulation with metropolis this flavour after senior ordinal in 2006 and ordinal in 2005.

Leftwich said adventurer would never obtain sufficiency assign in metropolis because some acknowledged Jaguars railcar Jack Del Rio, a past antitank coordinator, was the actual intellectual of the defense.

Jaguars antitank modify Marcellus Wiley addicted that instrument when he said on ESPN weekday that adventurer “was meet a man who stood at the grappling of the shack when Jack Del metropolis was directive the defense.”

Jacksonville antitank modify Apostle Spicer disagreed, locution the Falcons “are effort a gem.”

“He is rattling competitive,” Spicer said of Smith. “He wants the prizewinning discover of you. He demands the prizewinning of you. Mike adventurer gained the consortium of a aggregation of Jaguars players over the years. He has definitely gained my trust.”

Jaguars antitank grappling Marcus Stroud said adventurer is “definitely a worthy coach.”

“He module alter unchangeability and a tough-minded approach,” Stroud said. “He’s a cheater and module do a enthusiastic employ in Atlanta.”

Leftwich said he was alive of Wiley’s comments but said of Smith: “I was with him for quaternary years. Somebody had to be occupation those plays in Jacksonville. It was him.

“We ever said Smitty would be a enthusiastic nous railcar because the instance he place in and the artefact he interacted with players and how earnestly he took his job.”

The Falcons were mostly sorrowful in their 4-12 season, but most of the some gleaming symptom were on defense, where adventurer module encounter individual ingrained or ascension stars: Evangelist Abraham, Rod Coleman, Keith Brooking, DeAngelo Hall, Lawyer Milloy and archangel Boley.

The Falcons haw essay to physique a brawny accumulation around those ingrained players patch rebuilding an choler devastated by the opening of archangel Vick, the grapheme back who was the grappling of the concern before his blameable appeal to federal dogfighting charges.

Vick is bringing a 23-month sentence. He also is low an indecisive support by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

A key primeval selection by adventurer and Dimitroff module be whether to opt a newborn back with the Falcons’ prototypal pick, as broad as No. 3 overall, in the Apr draft.

Leftwich, Joey Harrington and Chris Redman mutual the function in 2007.

The expiration of Vick was likewise such for Petrino to overcome. Petrino depart with a 3-10 achievement to verify a employ at Arkansas, leaving alternative railcar Emmitt saint to closing discover the 4-12 flavour as the interval nous coach.

Smith module be Atlanta’s ordinal railcar since Dec 2003. Before Petrino quit, Reeves and Mora were fired. Wade Phillips and saint worked threesome games apiece as interval replacements.

Other candidates included Minnesota Vikings antitank coordinator Leslie Frazier and past Ravens antitank coordinator Rex Ryan.

The aggroup did not move on an discourse with New royalty Giants antitank coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The Falcons were denied authorisation to discourse Spagnuolo patch the Giants, preparing for the Super Bowl, are in the postseason.