DE Jamaal Anderson partly blames his disappointing rookie season on the fact that his position coach was as new to the NFL as he was.

From nerve damage in his neck to this: “”Probably the guy that showed the most and flashed the most Friday and Saturday was Coy Wire and he’s only been with us for about a week,” said new Falcons coach Mike Smith. “Of all the guys we weren’t aware of what they could do, he’s probably the guy who showed the most.”

Even though defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder will be calling the plays for his unit, Smith will have input.

Lawyer Milloy knew Bobby Petrino wouldn’t last as an NFL coach as early as training camp last year.

Everybody seems to like Smith, so far, however.

Matt Ryan on adjusting to the NFL: “I think the biggest adjustment is learning what you can do and what you can’t do. There are plays you could get away with in college that you can’t get away with in the NFL.  You just kind of have to learn when to check the ball down and when to get rid of it.  You also have to learn when to take your shots, and that takes time.”

Meanwhile, Ryan is making that adjustment with the second-team offense.

. . . and Kordell Stewart, that venerable eye for football talent, declares that Matt Ryan looks good and will succeed under Mike Mularkey’s rookie-friendly system.

Arthur Blank says opening practice to the public was a method of “community outreach.”

The other reason is to give the players a feel for some of the things they’ll encounter in game situations.