By Ryan G. Murphy, WNBC.com
Osi Umenyiora leads the NFL with seven sacks on the season. This week he’ll be going up against rookie tackle Renardo Foster of the Atlanta Falcons.
Notes from Umenyiora conference call Wednesday:
Can you talk about how the defensive front has been playing?
A: “I think we have a group of talented individuals and we do whatever our coach asks us to do. We have some pretty good pass rushers and things seem to be falling into place for us right now.”
Q: How do you feel about being used in the linebacker position on occasion?
A: “It is okay, but I am primarily a defensive end. I like to be at the defensive position, but if they need me to disguise the look a little bit I can do that also.”
Q: What do you see when you look at tape on the Falcons front?
A: “They have a very athletic offensive line. I know the guy I am going against, OL Renardo Foster, is a pretty good athlete from what I understand. I have watched a couple of things on him and he seems to be a pretty good football player and the rest of the offensive line looks quick. They are not that big, but they are all athletic.”
Q: What worked for you last year against the Falcons?
A: “Last year, we tried to keep QB Michael Vick in the pocket. We did not want to let him get outside and that allowed us to get pretty good pressure on him. As long as we do some of the same things as last year we should be okay.”
Q: Do you feel like you will be able to get pressure on the quarterback this week?
A: “We are going to try. That is our goal every game. I think if things fall in place like they have the last couple of weeks I think we will be okay.”
Q: What is the mood of the team?
A: “We are just a hungry team. We have been at home the past two weeks and we still feel like we have a lot of things to prove. We still feel like a lot of people are doubting us so we are just hungry for more wins.”
Q: Do you focus on QB Joey Harrington or QB Byron Leftwich?
A: “We are going to study both of them because we are not sure who is going to be back there. We are expecting Harrington and Leftwich. We are just going to prepare for the both of them.”
