The Atlanta Falcons are a perfect 5-0 under head coach Mike Smith when playing on the West Coast. There's no real secret to what Atlanta does -- adjusting practice schedules to account for players' "body clocks" throughout the week -- but it's certainly worked for Smith and his staff.
However, a long Monday Night Football game against Denver compounded by woeful, delaying work from the replacement referees threatened to create a hangover into Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the AJC:
"This is a very short week," Smith said. "We will be changing our practice schedule. Not necessarily the time, but what we are doing and how we are doing it."
"That was a very physical football game [against Denver] that was way too long and ended way too early in the morning," Smith said. "Or we got out of there way too early in the morning."
The Falcons won't practice in pads on Wednesday as a recovery measure in the shortened prep week.
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